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 .

Engagement Ambassador - New York University

Encoura · New York City, NY

Role Overview:
Encoura is hiring students to work as Engagement Ambassadors at the New York University Engagement Center. Engagement Ambassadors conduct meaningful digital and traditional interactions with alumni, parents, and friends. The part-time Engagement Ambassador may contact prospects using text, video, or phone while conducting themselves as a professional representative of one of Encoura's partner institutions.

Engagement Ambassadors can gain experience in marketing, networking, fundraising and sales negotiations while working at the Engagement Center. If you’re looking for a rewarding part-time position that boosts your resume and communication skills, see below to learn more and apply today!

A Day in the Life: 

  • Contact donors and prospects to collect donations, verify information, and share institutional updates.
  • Capable of following a script when reaching out to prospects.
  • Accurately enter data into our computer system.
  • Meet or exceed goals as outlined by your manager.
  • Work a minimum number of 3 shifts each week (10.5 hrs per week).
  • Pass new hire and compliance trainings.

About You:

  • Current student at New York University.
  • Demonstrated strong command of English (both verbal and written).
  • Capable of effectively communicating with a variety of individuals.
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
  • Must be able to operate in an office setting and routinely use standard office equipment such as computers, phones, etc.
  • Must be able to work in an environment where the noise level is moderate.
  • This is largely a sedentary role; Infrequent light physical effort is required (minimum of five pounds).

The entry-level wage for this role starts at $17.00 / hour with the opportunity for longevity-based merit increases. The upper wage range is based on longevity, locality, and performance. Employees new to Encoura should expect to start at the entry-level wage. This ongoing part-time position does not qualify for health benefits.  Encoura complies with all state and local laws that require specific forms of paid time off.

Center Hours:

  • Monday - Thursday                          5:00 - 8:30 pm Eastern Time (ET)
  • Friday and Sunday                           1:30 - 5:00 pm ET

Directions:

NYU Phonathon (Engagement Center) - located on the lower level
110 E 14th St. New York, NY 10003

Questions - reach out to:

Alexandra O'Sullivan
Engagement Center Manager
212-998-6881
[email protected]

About Us 

Encoura’s mission is to empower students and institutions to create meaningful connections so everyone can make the most informed decisions to achieve their goals. Since 1972, the Company has evolved its products and services to better represent the link between students and higher education institutions and to create the highest probability of student success.  

Encoura’s expertise now spans enrollment, research, marketing, student success, and advancement and provides an unmatched combination of higher education experience and innovative solutions for colleges and universities. The Company also offers Encourage® — the nation’s largest free college and career planning program used by millions of high school students and educators nationwide.  

It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. All applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.  

Encoura endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability and need an alternative method for applying, please contact the Talent Team.  

Applicants from California, please review the CA HR Privacy Notice.  

To review our privacy policy, please click this link: https://encoura.org/privacy-policy/  

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