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

Focal Systems · San Francisco

Focal makes outdoor electric heaters for restaurant groups and hospitality operators — so outdoor spaces stay welcoming, comfortable, and open for business year-round. We have a product that works, early customers across the Bay Area, and a clear path to scaling into larger accounts and new geographies. Now we're building the team to make that happen.

This is an SDR role with real ownership. You'll research and qualify target accounts, run first-touch outreach, and hand off warm, well-prepped leads to the sales team. Outreach is personalized and account-specific — you'll have real context on every conversation you start.

What You'll Work On

Account Research & List Building

  • Identify and prioritize restaurant groups, hotel operators, and hospitality venues that match our customer profile — starting in the Bay Area, expanding across California and beyond as we scale

  • Look beyond direct accounts too — general contractors, designers, and project managers who work across multiple restaurants and hospitality venues can be some of the most valuable relationships to build.

  • Find the right decision-makers at each account — VP Operations, Facilities Director, GM, or Owner — and build out verified contact information

Outbound Outreach

  • Run personalized first-touch outreach through the right channel for each account — this isn't a spray-and-pray role, every account gets a tailored approach

  • If you're Bay Area-based, we encourage in-person outreach where it makes sense — a well-timed walk-in to a restaurant is often more effective than a cold email

  • Book intro meetings and qualify prospects against our criteria before handing off to sales

Market Intelligence

  • Monitor signals for new restaurant construction and build activity — permit filings, architect announcements, group expansion news

  • Flag early-stage opportunities where Focal can get into conversations before a space is built out

  • Keep a current picture of who's opening what, where, and when across our target geographies

Pipeline & CRM

  • Log all activity and account status in CRM; keep records clean and attribution accurate

  • Prepare account briefs and context so every handoff to sales is warm and well-informed

  • Contribute to a consistent view of pipeline health and what's coming down the line

Who You Are

We're looking for someone who is

  • Comfortable initiating — you don't wait to be introduced, you find the right person and reach out

  • Meticulous about research — outreach is only as good as the intel behind it

  • A clear, concise writer — personalized messages that get responses

  • Organized and self-directed; you manage a full outreach cadence without being chased

  • Genuinely curious about the restaurant and hospitality scene in the Bay Area and beyond

  • Comfortable building process in a scrappy environment — this is an early role at an early company

Background

  • 1–3 years in an SDR, BDR, outbound sales, or similar role — or strong evidence you can do the job

  • CRM experience helpful (Attio, or similar)

  • Familiarity with LinkedIn Sales Navigator, enrichment tools (Apollo, ZoomInfo, Clearbit), or construction tracking tools is a plus

Why Focal

A market built on real experiences.

Restaurant groups and hospitality operators are in the business of bringing people together. You'll get to work with operators who care about creating great experiences, at any scale.

You're in early.

Every meeting you book is a direct contribution to revenue. This isn't a number in a funnel report — you'll see your work turn into real customers.

Small team, direct feedback.

You'll work closely with the leadership team. No layers, no bureaucracy. Good work is visible immediately.

Compensation & Details

Commitment

Contract, and open to full-time as fit evolves

Compensation

Flat fee structure (not hourly) + variable comp tied to qualified pipeline and meetings booked

Location

Remote – Bay Area preferred. Our office is in San Francisco.

Start Date

Immediate — looking to move quickly

Benefits

Benefits available for full-time employees — possible future state

How to Apply

Send a short note and your resume to [email protected]. Tell us briefly why you’re excited about this role, what kind of research or outbound work you've done before, and name one Bay Area restaurant group or hotel you think would be a strong Focal account and why. We move fast — first conversations happen within a week of applying.