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 .

Media Director

Giantspoon · New York or Los Angeles

We are seeking a Media Director who can command a team of media strategists into a future-proofed media landscape. Someone who can demonstrate and lead strategic and creative planning skills through data and cultural driven insights for our clients. We are looking for a client-facing, articulate leader who possesses the fundamentals of integrated media, with expertise in both traditional and non-traditional media across channels like Digital, TV, OTT, streaming and knowledge of performance platforms - with the ability to apply that knowledge to an advanced strategic viewpoint. Someone who can also identify custom content opportunities, and lead the charge to be first to market in our execution. 

At Giant Spoon, we don’t issue RFPs. We encourage our clients to prioritize impact over impressions, and to reimagine what “media” means in a mobile-first video-dominated world. We believe that media partnerships - true partnerships and not just transactions - are both effective for brands and more interesting for consumers than the one-way legacy approach. 

We are looking for individuals who are passionate about the details. Qualified candidates take pleasure in getting to “do it all” at Giant Spoon, supporting on projects that blur the lines between media, strategy, intelligence and creative. Candidates are exposed to the best of both worlds, a double-major of sorts: they dream up phenomenally creative ideas, but also gain foundational experience in how the world of media operates. They should be prepared to get their hands dirty in all stages of the process, acting as a utility player to provide support to the broader team. 

The ideal candidate is constantly looking for ways to make operations more efficient, opportunities to improve the model or framework they are working with. Someone that will network with partners far and wide, from corporations to startups. We want go-getters. We want candidates with high expectations for themselves, hungry for the next opportunity to learn and grow. 

Ideally, this person will work out of our NY office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. We are also open to applications for our LA office. This role is not eligible for remote work.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee management of media programs including but not limited to content partnerships, video (TV, digital, video, OTT) strategy and distribution, emerging media, social and more
  • Accountable client-facing lead on day-to-day media projects and presentation delivery — commanding presence and confidence a must. 
  • Planning team lead, overseeing team of media planners and partnering with interdisciplinary teams across strategy, creative and analytics
  • Develop and implement brand-specific processes that create efficient day-to-day team operation
  • Effectively delegating amongst team members, with ease of management both up and down
  • Oversee buttoned-up handling of client’s business documents, workflow and management style
  • Lead on brand financials and budget management
  • Lead contact for brand partners with regular pulse on and familiarity with key stakeholder capabilities, new developments and opportunities
  • Cultivate and foster strong relationships with networks, platforms and other video partners 
  • Own agency perspective on where/how media strategy fits into larger comms planning approaches

Requirements

  • 8+ years in integrated media planning with knowledge of omni-channel media planning and buying, strong expertise in TV/video strategy and buying as well as custom content and partnerships, ideally in an agency environment
  • Experience in presenting and owning conversations with senior clients both directly and as part of an inter-agency environment 
  • Expert in media planning, reporting and management tools such as Nielsen, GWI, Google Analytics, CM360, eMarketer for application/analysis 
  • Track record of applying cultural trends and new media opportunities to client business
  • Emphasize creative approaches that breakthrough industry norms and eye award-winning opportunities 
  • Resourceful, proactive and buttoned-up management skills; comfortable with delegation 
  • Experience identifying new media opportunities and turning it into first-mover opportunities 
  • Experience in social media planning, buying (direct and third party) and reporting across multiple platforms 
  • Digitally connected, passionate about technology and innovation with an insatiable curiosity for how it applies to our industry 
  • Ready to take on never-done-before challenges as an opportunity to help grow the team, agency, and our client work
  • Ongoing pulse on industry trends and cultural application to media, curious about what’s next
  • People person, vocal in opinion, articulate with rationale, resourceful and action-oriented
  • Must love never-done-before challenges, shifting deadlines and setting high bars of achievement

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $135,000 - $170,000. Salary is determined based on a wide range of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, job duties, and geographic location. For this role, we also offer programs such as medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and various other benefits and perks.

Giant Spoon is an agency that strives to build an inclusive workplace dynamically rooted in our differences. What makes you, you, is your greatest asset here. No matter your race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, protected veteran status, disabled status, genetic information, or other protected category—feel comfortable (and excited) to bring your full self and make smart, impactful work.

For applicants who are California residents, please see our Privacy Policy here which describes our privacy practices with respect to our collection of Personal Information as required under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA).