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 Statistical Programmer (contract)

Compasspathways · United Kingdom

Company introduction:

Compass Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS) is a biotechnology company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation in mental health. The Company is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in New York City in the US. We focus on developing novel treatments that have the potential to improve the lives of those who are suffering with mental health conditions and who are not helped by current treatments.  

We are pioneering a new paradigm for treating mental health conditions focused on rapid and durable responses through the development of our investigational COMP360 synthetic psilocybin treatment, potentially a first in class treatment. COMP360 has Breakthrough Therapy designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has received Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) designation in the UK for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) due to the pressing unmet need in this area.

We are currently in phase 3 for TRD, have completed phase 2 studies for both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anorexia nervosa and are planning a further late-stage study in PTSD. We envision a world where mental health means not just the absence of illness but the ability to thrive. - Compass Pathways.

Job overview:

The Senior Statistical Programmer will contribute expert programming skills to deliver accurate, regulatory-compliant clinical data outputs for Compass Pathways development programs. The role requires strong technical proficiency, collaboration across teams, and adaptability to support complex clinical trial requirements.

Location: United Kingdom home based or hybrid in our London Office.

Reports to: Associate Director, Statistics and Data Management.

Type: Fixed-term contract for 9 months.

Roles and Responsibilities
(Include but are not limited to):

  • Leading and coordinating the programming activities within agreed timelines
  • Managing the reporting of studies internally and externally
  • Programming outputs as stated in the analysis plan
  • Working closely with study team members, mainly with the study statistician
  • Reviewing of the Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) and shells
  • Create and review SDTM and ADaM study specifications
  • Ensure programs, datasets, outputs are appropriate for regulatory submission
  • Perform simulations, data modelling and interim analyses
  • Liaise with external vendors on deliverables

Candidate Profile:

  • Extensive years experience in statistical programming
  • CDISC expertise
  • Proficient in programming including performing statistical analyses and creating macros in SAS, preferably R
  • Programming/reporting expertise across all phases of clinical development (efficacy/safety/PK), including ISS/ISE reporting
  • Experience in performing quality control (QC) checks
  • Extensive knowledge in regulatory submission process
  • Good understanding of ICH guidelines and regulations such as 21 CFR Part 11
  • Experience supporting NDA submissions e.g., FDA, EMA, MHRA and addressing regulatory question
  • Ability to solve challenging problems and provide recommendations to mitigate risk
  • Good communication skills - both written and verbal
  • Team work skills - Including cross-functional and within the Statistics and Data Management Team

Benefits & Compensation:

For an overview of our benefits package and compensation information, please visit  "Working at Compass".  

Equal opportunities: 

Reasonable accommodation

We are committed to building a workplace where everyone’s wellbeing matters. If you need reasonable accommodation during the interview process to be at your best, please let our recruiting team know. 

UK applicants

We are proud of our commitment to diversity and equality (pursuant to the Equality Act 2010). We do not discriminate based upon race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or disability.

US applicants

Compass Pathways is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military service, genetic information, familial or marital status, or any other status, category, or characteristic protected by applicable law.

Sponsorship:

Unfortunately, we cannot sponsor employment visas and can only accept applications if you have employment rights in the country to which you are applying.

Data Privacy:

All data is confidential and protected by all legal and data privacy requirements, please see our recruitment Privacy Notice to learn more about how we process personal data.

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