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 .

Senior Accountant

Commonfuture · Oakland, California

Overview Founded in 2001, Common Future works to close the racial wealth gap. We are building a future where all people—no matter their race and class—have power, choice, and ownership over the economy. Our current economic system does not work for everyone. Generations of Black and Indigenous communities and other communities of color have been and are currently intentionally locked out of wealth and power. Centuries of policies that systematically favor a select few cause persistent economic inequities that hold us all back. With a multiracial, women-led co-CEO team we are reimagining leadership, prioritizing sustainability, shared leadership and clarified decision making, and reflecting the communities we serve. We are audacious, expansive, and unapologetic thinkers and doers who bring lived experience to the problems we tackle. Our diverse team of strategists, community organizers, financial activists, and policy enthusiasts provides capital, operational support, and strategic partnership to budding solutions addressing racial and economic injustice.  Our culture values include centering equity, being the communities we serve, embracing experimentation, reimagining what’s broken, collectively solving problems, and modeling a new way of working. We strive to be an innovator that prioritizes the well-being of our employees. Read more about us on our Insights page. Job Posted on March 5, 2026 Purpose  The Senior Accountant will support the day-to-day and monthly accounting operations across Common Future’s consolidated entities. The Senior Accountant will lead core accounting processes, maintain an accurate and timely general ledger, ensure compliance with financial policies and internal controls, and partner with colleagues across departments. This role is essential in supporting the Controller in timely close processes, audit readiness, and the continuous improvement of financial systems. This position is ideal for a mission-aligned, detail-oriented accounting professional who thrives in a dynamic environment and brings both precision and initiative to their work. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by March 31, 2026. Applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Recruiter solicitations will not be considered and will not receive a response.