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 .

Grant Writer

Climatefinancesolutions · Remote

ABOUT CFS
Climate Finance Solutions (CFS) is a global consultancy that helps companies and organizations secure large-scale grant funding to develop and scale their high-impact climate solutions. The CFS team has a strong track record of success, having secured over $1.6 billion in grant funding. CFS is mission-driven, aiming to provide equitable access to the climate funding ecosystem. It is focused on supporting high-impact, climate-related ventures, and training and growing high-potential hires to develop the next class of leaders in climate.  

SUMMARY
This position has significant growth potential, and will provide the candidate a unique opportunity to leverage their proven grant writing and management skills to help develop an ambitious venture in an under-resourced part of the climate industry. As detailed below, it is important for the applicant to not only have relevant experience and a strong skill set, but also to want to be part of a business that can deliver on this potential and fulfill the vision of CFS. To that end, the applicant should be mission-driven, a self-starter, and highly capable of executing not only the day-to-day duties, but also capable of driving impactful initiatives throughout the development of the CFS enterprise. In addition to traditional grant-writing duties, CFS is seeking a candidate who can proactively work with clients to refine projects and business strategies to increase likelihood of funding and overall success.


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Work with senior staff, funding director, other grant writers, and the administrative team to bring high-quality proposals through the entire development process: project design and development, document preparation, and submission.
  • Support multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Synthesize complex and diverse information streams to generate proposals, budgets, and supporting documents in response to funding opportunities and in comportment with client requirements.
  • Carry out external research, including from peer-reviewed sources, and gather internal data to provide content for proposals, while striving to continuously build an extensive knowledge base and skill set.
  • Advise clients regarding project development, commercialization planning, business development, fundraising strategies, and organizational development in order to maximize funding opportunities.
  • Liaise with external partners to obtain information, develop projects, and cultivate relationships.
  • Create and maintain an organized content library and development process, while seeking out ways to improve efficiency and quality throughout the organization. 


QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree (or international equivalent) required; degree in scientific/technical field preferred. Priority given to applicants with graduate degrees.
  • Fluency in written English required.
  • Must have a minimum of four years of experience in grant writing.
    • Certifications in pre-award research administration preferred - i.e. GPA, CGP, or CRA/CPRA.
  • Documented history of at least three years of funded grant awards for which candidate was primary writer.
    • Ideally, experience in securing grants with climate-focused federal and state agencies, including, but not limited to, the US Department of Energy (DOE), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental Protective Agency (EPA), National Science Foundation (NSF), California Energy Commission (CEC), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and MassCEC.
  • Significant scientific and/or technical knowledge will be necessary to adequately engage the climate and technical subject areas.
    • Preferred knowledge in hard tech, including, but not limited to, the following: renewables, energy, carbon, batteries/storage, industrial decarbonization, hydrogen, clean fuels, geothermal, grid technologies, cement/concrete, advanced manufacturing, and nuclear.
  • Good oral and written communication skills for working cooperatively with internal teams, clients, and external partners.
  • Must be proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, and have the ability to understand and utilize spreadsheet equations.
  • Ability to maintain project schedules and deadlines.
  • Must be able to work independently and be self-motivated, while thriving in a startup company culture and fast-paced work environment.
  • Cogent, compelling, and organized writing style, as well as outstanding grammar and research skills.
  • Must have the equipment, technical ability, flexibility, and temperament required to work fully remotely with intercontinental teams and clients, including weekday availability to check and respond to project communications.
  • Must be mission-driven and have a clear understanding of the importance of quickly and effectively addressing the climate crisis. 


OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY
Climate Finance Solutions values diversity and is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment. We firmly believe that a broad range of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences is essential for addressing the complex challenges of climate change. We promote climate and social justice through our climate projects and within our own team. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities––including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, veterans, indigenous people, and people with disabilities––to apply to positions within the company. CFS is a member company of Empowering Diversity in Clean Tech (EDICT).


COMPENSATION: $70 - 100 per hour, commensurate with experience
Position Type: Contractor
Location: Remote