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 .

Sourcer

Cinder · New York

About Cinder

Cinder builds the infrastructure that keeps the world's most important digital platforms true to what they stand for. When a platform needs to write moderation policies, route content to reviewers, run AI agents against abuse, file NCMEC reports, or measure how their safety programs are performing, they use Cinder. Our customers are some of the largest internet platforms in the world. The decisions made in our software directly determine what stays up, what comes down, and how users are treated.

Why This Role

This role is high-impact. You will directly influence who joins Cinder and how quickly we can grow.

This is not a traditional sourcing role. We’re looking for someone who uses AI to increase output, move faster, and continuously improve how sourcing gets done. The goal is to build a system that produces consistent pipeline, not just execute tasks.

You’ll partner closely with our recruiter and hiring managers, but you’ll own sourcing outcomes. This role requires comfort with ambiguity, strong judgment, and accountability to real metrics.

You’ll also help define how sourcing works at Cinder as we scale.

This role is based in our Soho, New York City office.

What You’ll Do

Sourcing & Pipeline Ownership

  • Build outbound pipeline for multiple roles, with a primary focus on technical hiring (engineering, data, product).

  • Identify and engage candidates across LinkedIn, GitHub, and other relevant channels.

  • Develop targeted searches and iterate quickly based on results.

Outreach & Candidate Engagement

  • Write and send outbound messages that are clear, thoughtful, and effective.

  • Follow up consistently and manage candidate responses.

  • Experiment with messaging, segmentation, and channels to improve response rates.

AI-Driven Sourcing & Workflow Design

  • Use AI tools to accelerate sourcing, outreach, and iteration.

  • Generate candidate lists, draft messaging, and refine targeting using AI.

  • Build lightweight systems and workflows that increase output without increasing manual effort.

Calibration & Collaboration

  • Partner with the recruiter and hiring managers to understand role requirements and adjust search strategy.

  • Incorporate feedback from recruiter screens and interviews to improve targeting.

  • Stay close to changing priorities and shift focus as needed.

Metrics & Accountability

  • Track sourcing activity and outcomes (outreach volume, responses, pipeline generated).

  • Own pipeline generation goals and adjust approach when results are not meeting expectations.

  • Continuously improve funnel performance over time.

What Good Looks Like

  • You consistently generate qualified pipeline across roles, even when hiring is challenging.

  • You understand how to source for technical roles and can identify strong candidates from limited signals.

  • You use AI tools naturally to increase speed and output, not as an afterthought.

  • You track your own performance and proactively adjust when something isn’t working.

  • You think in systems and workflows, not just individual tasks.

You Might Be a Good Fit If You…

  • Have experience sourcing for technical roles and non-technical roles.

  • Have a track record of hitting sourcing or pipeline goals consistently.

  • Are comfortable with outbound work and understand that response rates can be low - but solvable.

  • Use AI tools in your day-to-day work to improve speed, quality, or output.

  • Are curious and willing to learn how to better identify strong candidates over time.

  • Thrive in fast-moving environments where priorities change and ambiguity is high.

  • Take ownership of outcomes, not just activity.

It’s a Plus If You…

  • Have experience at an early-stage startup.

  • Have sourced in competitive markets like NYC.

  • Are familiar with GitHub or other technical talent platforms.

  • Have built sourcing workflows or systems that improved efficiency or output.

Location & Benefits

We're based in NYC and would relocate the right person for this role. We believe in working together in person and hold at least two all-company events per year. We offer health, vision & dental benefits, a 401(k) plan with employer matching, fully paid commuter benefits, and a fully stocked office with paid lunch and dinner.

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