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 .

Technical Content Creator

Distyl · San Francisco

About Distyl AI

Distyl is an applied AI technology company partnering with the world’s most ambitious institutions to rearchitect critical operations for the frontier of AI. Our customers include the largest companies in telecom, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, consumer goods, and global social organizations.

We research and deploy technologies that power AI-native operations — both for our partners and for Distyl itself. Our work spans research into self-constructing systems, the development of the most reliable execution of AI systems, and products that transform mission-critical workflows. As a result, Distyl's technologies affect some of the world's largest operations — from hundreds of millions of consumer interactions to tens of millions of supply chain transactions and millions of patient journeys.

Distyl is backed by leading investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, Coatue, DST Global, and the board-members of 20+ F500s. The results reflect this approach: a 100% production deployment success rate for our customers and one of the few enterprise AI companies to run a profitable business.

What We Are Looking For

Distyl AI is hiring a Technical Content Creator who writes with depth, moves fast, and uses AI as a force multiplier. You'll own our content engine from end to end: long-form technical writing that engineers respect, short-form video that makes top candidates stop scrolling, and a consistent brand voice that makes Distyl impossible to ignore.

This isn't a support role. You'll have a seat at the table, a direct line to our engineering team, and the latitude to build something from scratch.

Key Responsibilities

  • Own and drive the content calendar — ideation, scheduling, publishing, and iteration

  • Maintain a consistent publishing rhythm of 2–4 quality pieces per month across channels

  • Track performance across channels and use data to sharpen what's working

  • Partner with sales to ensure content drives qualified pipeline, not just engagement metrics; track which content and channels generate leads

  • Own and manage a regular Distyl newsletter that keeps our audience of engineers, executives, and prospects engaged with our latest thinking, product updates, and industry perspective

  • Write and edit technical blog posts, white papers, thought leadership pieces, case studies, and presentations

  • Translate complex AI/ML concepts into content that both engineers and executives actually want to read

  • Develop and maintain Distyl's brand tone of voice across all written channels

  • Own Distyl's LinkedIn company page and support executive profiles

  • Produce authentic, DIY short-form video content — filmed on your phone, not a film set

  • Develop creative video concepts and scripts from scratch, and pull in teammates, engineers, or founders to bring ideas to life on camera

  • Build content that drives recruiting interest and brand awareness among technical audiences — attracting top-of-funnel candidates is a real goal, not an afterthought

  • Experiment relentlessly

  • Support events and conferences to build relationships with the technical community

  • Own and manage Distyl's video presence end to end — from short-form social clips to longer-form technical explainers — scripting, filming, and editing

  • Partner directly with our PR agency to align content with media strategy, support campaign execution, ensure a consistent narrative across owned and earned channels, and draft press releases and media pitches

  • Ghostwrite executive content across formats — LinkedIn posts, op-eds, bylined articles, award submissions, and speaking abstracts — for the CEO, co-founder, and other executives; you can capture a founder's voice and make it sound effortless

  • Develop and nurture direct relationships with journalists and analysts covering AI and enterprise tech

Who You Are

  • 3–7 years of experience in content creation, technical writing, social media, or a related role

  • Agency, startup, media, or independent creator backgrounds all welcomed — what matters most is your body of work, not your title history

  • Hands-on social media experience — whether that's a personal presence or owning a company's social profile, you know what it actually takes to grow an audience and make content perform in the wild, not just in theory

  • Prior experience in a technical domain (engineering, data, AI/ML) is required

  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Computer Science, or a related field is a plus

  • Exceptional writer — clear, opinionated, and technically credible

  • Ability to write in someone else's voice — you can capture a founder's tone and make it sound effortless

  • Strong AI fluency: you use AI tools daily and know how to get the most out of them without losing your voice

  • Comfortable going deep on technical subject matter and making it accessible

  • Self-directed and fast — able to ship without heavy oversight

  • Portfolio of writing that demonstrates range: technical depth alongside clear, compelling narrative

  • Ability to quickly iterate and adapt to new tools

  • Work samples or portfolio required

  • Nice to have: existing relationships with reporters and editors covering AI, enterprise tech, or business media

What We Offer

  • The base salary range for this role is $100K – $150K, depending on experience, location, and level. In addition to base compensation, meaningful equity, along with a comprehensive benefits package

  • 100% covered medical, dental, and vision for employees and dependents

  • 401(k) with additional perks (e.g., commuter benefits, in‑office lunch)

  • Access to state‑of‑the‑art models, generous usage of modern AI tools, and real‑world business problems

  • Ownership of high‑impact projects across top enterprises

  • A mission‑driven, fast‑moving culture that prizes curiosity, pragmatism, and excellence

Distyl has offices in San Francisco and New York. This role follows a hybrid collaboration model with 3+ days per week (Tuesday–Thursday) in‑office.