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 .

Director of Development

Firstprinciples · Anywhere - Remote

About FirstPrinciples:
FirstPrinciples is a non-profit organization building an autonomous AI Physicist to understand the nature of reality: the underlying structure, governing principles, and fundamental laws of our universe. We're developing an intelligent system that can explore theoretical frameworks, reason across disciplines, and generate novel insights to tackle the deepest unsolved problems in physics. By combining AI, symbolic reasoning, and autonomous research capabilities, we're developing a platform that goes beyond analyzing existing knowledge to actively contribute to physics research. Our goal is to accelerate progress on the questions that have captivated humanity for centuries.

We operate as a global nonprofit organization, with a Canadian foundation, a US-based 501(c)(3).

Job Description:
We're seeking an exceptional development & fundraising leader with the vision, network, and deal-making prowess to secure the resources needed to revolutionize scientific discovery. As our Director of Development, you'll craft and execute a bold funding strategy that attracts visionary philanthropists, forward-thinking foundations, and ambitious government partners. This role is perfect for someone who can translate groundbreaking scientific potential into compelling funding opportunities and has a track record of closing transformational deals.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Fundraising Leadership:

  • Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy targeting multi-million dollar commitments from diverse funding sources.
  • Build a portfolio approach balancing major gifts, foundation grants, government funding, and innovative financing mechanisms.
  • Create compelling narratives that position FirstPrinciples as the highest-impact funding recipient in the future of science.
  • Design metrics and accountability frameworks that demonstrate tangible progress toward scientific breakthroughs.

Major Donor Cultivation & Stewardship:

  • Identify, cultivate and build deep long-term relationships with high-net-worth individuals, science foundations, research institutions, philanthropists, government funding agencies and institutional donors.
  • Lead and organize exclusive donor engagement initiatives, exclusive funder events, and private donor roundtables.
  • Develop impact reports showing how donor contributions directly accelerate specific scientific discoveries.

Institutional Funding Excellence:

  • Identify and secure large-scale, multi-year grants from major science foundations (e.g., Simons Foundation, Kavli Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, etc.).
  • Navigate complex government funding mechanisms (NSF, DARPA, NSERC, ERC, Horizon Europe) to access research grants.
  • Structure and negotiate complex agreements that align donor incentives with FirstPrinciples’ mission to accelerate scientific discovery.
  • Expand FirstPrinciples' access to government research funding, impact-driven venture funding, and global science funding programs.

Deal Architecture & Negotiation: 

  • Structure and negotiate funding agreements and deal structures with sophisticated funders.
  • Manage due diligence processes with new funders and foundation partners.
  • Create funding syndicates that bring together multiple funders around shared scientific missions.

Scaling Growth & Team Development:

  • Over time, build and lead a world-class fundraising team, including grant writers, donor relations managers, and institutional fundraising specialists.
  • Work closely with FirstPrinciples’ leadership team to align funding strategies with overall growth objectives.
  • Design scalable fundraising processes, CRM systems, and funder engagement strategies.
  • Foster a culture of urgency, excellence, and scientific passion within the development team

Qualifications:

  • Proven success in enterprise-level sales, account management, business development, or strategic fundraising, ideally with experience in high-growth startups, deep-tech, or scientific/AI-related industries.
  • Track record of closing large, complex deals (multi-million, multi-year commitments) with urgency and persistence.
  • Strong existing network of funders, science philanthropists, and AI/physics research investors.
  • Experience in fundraising for scientific institutions, AI research labs, or breakthrough technology initiatives.
  • Familiarity with research institutions, scientific discoveries, and the AI funding landscape.
  • Demonstrated passion for physics and for making scientific knowledge accessible and impactful.

Application Process:

  • Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume, a cover letter detailing their qualifications and vision for the role, and references. Please include "Director of Development" in the cover letter.

Join us at FirstPrinciples and be a part of a transformative journey where science drives progress and unlocks the potential of humanity.

View full listing