Key Takeaways

  • 75% of U.S. employers use automated applicant tracking systems to screen resumes before a human reviews them (Harvard Business School & Accenture, 2021)
  • The most common ATS failures are missing keywords, incompatible formatting, and incorrect file types
  • ResumeGeni scores your resume across 8 parsing layers — modeled on the same steps enterprise ATS platforms like Workday, Greenhouse, and Taleo use to evaluate candidates

How ATS Resume Scoring Works

Applicant tracking systems parse your resume into structured data — extracting your name, contact info, work history, skills, and education — then score how well that data matches the job requirements. Many ATS rejections happen because the parser couldn't extract critical fields, not because the candidate wasn't qualified.

LayerWhat It ChecksWhy It Matters
Document extractionFile format, encoding, readabilityCorrupted or image-only PDFs fail immediately
Layout analysisTables, columns, headers, footersMulti-column layouts break field extraction
Section detectionExperience, education, skills headingsNon-standard headings cause sections to be missed
Field mappingName, email, phone, dates, titlesMissing contact info is a common cause of immediate rejection
Keyword matchingJob-specific terms, skills, certificationsKeyword overlap affects recruiter search visibility and ATS scoring
Chronology checkDate ordering, gap detectionReverse-chronological order is expected by most ATS
QuantificationMetrics, numbers, measurable outcomesQuantified achievements help human reviewers and some scoring models
Confidence scoringOverall parse quality and completenessLow-confidence parses get deprioritized in results

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ResumeGeni free?
Yes. ResumeGeni is currently in beta — ATS analysis, scoring, and initial improvement suggestions are free with no signup required. Full guidance and saved reports may require a free account.
What file formats are supported?
PDF, DOCX, DOC, TXT, RTF, ODT, and Apple Pages. PDF and DOCX are recommended for best ATS compatibility.
How is the ATS score calculated?
Your resume is processed through an 8-layer parsing pipeline that extracts structured data the same way enterprise ATS platforms do. The score reflects how completely and accurately your resume can be parsed, plus how well your content matches common ATS ranking criteria.
Can ATS read PDF resumes?
Yes, but not all PDFs are equal. Text-based PDFs parse well. Image-only PDFs (scanned documents) and PDFs with complex tables or multi-column layouts often fail ATS parsing. Our analyzer will flag these issues.
How do I improve my ATS score?
Focus on three areas: use a clean single-column format, include keywords from the job description naturally in your experience bullets, and ensure all sections (contact, experience, education, skills) use standard headings.

ATS Guides & Resources

Built by engineers with 12 years of experience building enterprise hiring technology at ZipRecruiter. Last updated .

General Application

Carbondirect · Remote

Join us on the journey to get to net zero
 
At Carbon Direct, we dedicate our scientific, software, and business expertise to empower organizations around the world to take climate action.
 
Our Mission
Enable organizations to reduce, remove, and utilize their emissions with carbon science
We are a purpose-driven carbon management firm dedicated to helping organizations around the world reach their climate goals. We make carbon science accessible and actionable with our end-to-end platform.
 
Global citizens with global impact
Whether a scientist, developer, or carbon markets expert, we are united by our mission to take climate action now. We are experts in our fields and we act with confidence. Located across 4 countries and in states all across the U.S., we offer both remote-friendly work options and dynamic, in-person experiences with offices located in Seattle, WA, Oakland, CA, and NYC.
 
Diverse backgrounds bring diverse perspectives
We recognize that teams with diverse backgrounds and different experiences are powerful. Bringing together a variety of perspectives only enhances how we can effectively address the climate crisis. Together, we are creating an environment where everyone is celebrated and anyone can succeed.
 
 
 
Feeling inspired to contribute to our work at Carbon Direct but don't see the right opening? If one of our open positions isn't a fit but you think you might be, let us know!
 
Submit your resume and brief motivational statement/cover letter and we will contact you if we think there may be a fit.
Benefits
 
While we love our work, our lives aren’t defined by it. At Carbon Direct, we offer a robust benefits package that considers the whole person, their partners, and their families – and we’re always looking to improve.
 
Our U.S. benefits* include:
- Comprehensive nationwide medical, dental, and vision coverage. See a preview of our coverage here.
- Time off as needed: Flexible vacation policy and ten company-wide holidays, plus annual winter break between Christmas and New Year's
- 16 weeks of fully paid parental and family leave with no tenure requirement
- Remote-friendly work culture with annual company-wide retreats
- Reimbursement for your work-from-home setup and monthly work-from-home stipend
 
*Please note that the benefits described apply to U.S.-based employees only. For our international employees, our benefits package varies by each country and its statutory requirements.
 
Equal Opportunity Employer
 
Carbon Direct is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. We adhere rigorously to our equal employment opportunity policies in connection with all employment decisions, including hiring, compensation and promotion.
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