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 .

Project Architect, Mission Critical

Dlrgroup · Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Chicago, Illinois, United States; Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States; Denver, Colorado, United States; Los Angeles, California, United States; Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States; New York, New York, United States; Riverside, California, United States; Sacramento, California, United States; San Diego, California, United States; San Francisco, California, United States; Seattle, Washington, United States; Sonoma, California, United States; Washington, D.C.

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

The National Mission Critical team has an opening for a Mission Critical Project Architect.

Position Summary: 

As an Architect at DLR Group, you will be responsible for managing all aspects of project document development and coordinating with all project team members to maintain the quality of the work product within the established project schedule for large, complex data centers, emergency call centers, industrial, and manufacturing projects. As part of our integrated design teams, you create buildings that elevate the human experience through design. You will partner directly with the Project Manager to ensure the financial health of the project, the quality of project documents, claim prevention, team collaboration, and communication. Additionally, you will lead the cross-functional design disciplines in developing technical solutions. 

If you are a collaborative thought leader with a strategic mindset, this might be the position for you. DLR Group is 100% employee-owned and, as such, you’ll enjoy the opportunity to have ownership in the Firm. We rely on all our employee-owners to apply their financial acumen to grow the Firm profitably. 

What you will do: 

  • Have a comprehensive understanding of and the ability to coordinate and lead the design disciplines in developing technical solutions.
  • Provide mentorship to other architectural staff.
  • Have extensive knowledge of all aspects of professional practice from conceptual design through project close-out.
  • Be able to work and present ideas in a team environment as well as self-manage and self-motivate in a creative environment.
  • Possess a high level of technical proficiency in the production of drawings.
  • Lead the project team in the adherence to all practice standards.
  • Supervise the design and technical development of the project.
  • Work directly with Project Managers, Designers, and Engineers in the conceptual development of project documents. 

Required Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor's Degree in Architecture or Design.
  • 10+ years of experience as a Project Architect
  • 5+ years working on Data Center projects.
  • Working knowledge of the design and construction process and the ability to understand and communicate with professionals of other disciplines.
  • Proficient in the use of REVIT and CAD computer modeling and rendering software.
  • The ability to travel occasionally to support project tasks. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

  • Professional Licensure.
  • LEED Accredited Professional and previous experience participating in the LEED or other green rating system process.
  • Experience and interest in sustainable building design. 

*TO BE CONSIDERED, PLEASE SUBMIT CURRENT PORTFOLIO/WORK SAMPLES IN PDF FORMAT*

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities. Compensation considerations are based on location, experience, and skills. The suggested pay range for this position is:

Pay Range
$125,000—$165,000 USD

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/M/F/Veteran/Disabled employer.

 

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