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 .

Senior System Analyst

Flex · Malaysia, Penang

Flex is the diversified manufacturing partner of choice that helps market-leading brands design, build and deliver innovative products that improve the world. 

A career at Flex offers the opportunity to make a difference and invest in your growth in a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment. If you are excited about a role but don't meet every bullet point, we encourage you to apply and join us to create the extraordinary.

Job Summary

To support our extraordinary teams who build great products and contribute to our growth, we’re looking to add a Senior System Analyst located in Prai, Penang.

Responsible for administering and maintaining the organization’s information systems to ensure they function reliably and align with user needs.
 

Accountable for providing technical support and implementation for one or more business applications, including underlying hardware and operating systems. Ensures ITIL practices are consistently followed and that IT services are aligned with business requirements. While maintaining system stability is the primary focus, this role also involves system architecture, design, installation, and setup of IT infrastructure.

What a typical day looks like:

  • Support the IT system development projects team for the business.
  • Analyze, design, code, and test new systems and system enhancements in line with the deliverables of the IT projects.
  • Install, configure, administer, and maintain most complex information systems and associated hardware, in accordance with technical specifications, so that the organization’s information systems function reliably.
  • Working with the users to enable you to effectively gather their requirements and allow you to prepare detailed program specifications and then coordinate system implementation.
  • Communicate with system users; and investigate, trouble-shoot, and resolve system problems so that user problems are resolved quickly and satisfactorily.
  • Develop a testing schedule that fits around the business requirements as well as producing an applicable user manual.
  • Provide training and help with bedding in any system development or enhancements made.
  • May coach or provide guidance to lower-level support analysts.
     

The experience we’re looking to add to our team:

  • Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field
  • Minimum 4–5 years of experience in Business Analyst / IT Analyst role
  • Experience in system implementation or support
  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
  • Familiar with ITIL practices is an added advantage

What you’ll receive for the great work you provide:

  • Full range of medical benefits, dental, vision
  • Life Insurance
  • Paid Time Off
  • Allowances & Bonuses*

NB09

AA98

Job Category

IT

Required Skills:

Optional Skills:

Flex is an Equal Opportunity Employer and employment selection decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We do not discriminate based on: age, race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, pregnancy status, or any other status protected by law. We're happy to provide reasonable accommodations to those with a disability for assistance in the application process. Please email [email protected] and we'll discuss your specific situation and next steps (NOTE: this email does not accept or consider resumes or applications. This is only for disability assistance. To be considered for a position at Flex, you must complete the application process first).