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 .

Sales Development Representative

Equativ · Chicago

About the Team
The Inside Sales, Partnerships team in North America is made up of energetic and results-motivated people that bring our media services and ad tech products to the market each day.  At Equativ you will enjoy a welcoming casual environment, great benefits, and the ability to interact with and learn from leaders in the community. We work hard and care about our most prized asset - our people.

The Role
This department is the entry point of the sales cycle.  As the intermediaries between prospects, clients and Upper Sales Management, Inside Sales is not only charged with drumming up new business, but also bringing back to life accounts that have gone silent. 

Key day-to-day responsibilities 
Helping out on the Demand Side of the business, the overall responsibilities of the Inside Sales team can be broken down into 5 categories:
About the Team
The Inside Sales, Partnerships team in North America is made up of energetic and results-motivated people that bring our media services and ad tech products to the market each day.  At Equativ you will enjoy a welcoming casual environment, great benefits, and the ability to interact with and learn from leaders in the community. We work hard and care about our most prized asset - our people.

The Role
This department is the entry point of the sales cycle.  As the intermediaries between prospects, clients and Upper Sales Management, Inside Sales is not only charged with drumming up new business, but also bringing back to life accounts that have gone silent. 

Key day-to-day responsibilities 
Helping out on the Demand Side of the business, the overall responsibilities of the Inside Sales team can be broken down into 5 categories:
What Makes this Job Interesting?
Uncapped commission potential with long-term earning potential.
Sales training and programmatic market education.
Upward mobility based on merit and demonstrated ability.
Navigate your career or transition into sales.

This is a unique opportunity to join a dynamic company in hyper-growth. Are you ready to seize a great opportunity to contribute to Equativ’s growth? Come learn more about our exciting sales accelerator program we've developed.

You like the idea of joining a company where the team works hard, appreciates the value of a balance between work life and personal life, wants to build a meaningful career and has fun while doing it. You appreciate an engaged manager who is invested in your success. You want to work with people who value “the real you,” your insights, opinions, and unique personality. Reach out to us, Let's get you on the team!

Compensation
The annual base salary range for this position is $45,00 - $55,000 . Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Equativ considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and business considerations when extending an offer.


👋 About us 
Equativ, a leading independent ad platform, brings scale and simplicity to digital advertising.

Following its recent merger with Sharethrough and the acquisition of Kamino Retail, advertisers, media owners, and technology partners rely on Equativ’s advanced SSP, curation, and retail media services and technology to achieve maximum business outcomes.

With a focus on privacy-first programmatic video, CTV, and data-driven solutions, Equativ enables clients to activate across the digital ecosystem while protecting consumer privacy.

The company’s global expertise is also backed by a team of over 750 employees across 19 countries.

As a proud recipient of the HappyIndex@Work label, Equativ is committed to providing a dynamic, flexible workplace where employees thrive, grow, and excel in both their professional and personal lives.
Come and lead the charge with us in building a transparent ecosystem based on quality!

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Equativ is an equal opportunity employer. Equal access to employment, services, and programs are available to everyone, regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. If you require reasonable accommodation throughout the application and/or interview process, please contact the recruitment team at [email protected]
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