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 Engineer

Gravwell · Remote - US

Who We Are

Gravwell is a full-stack security and observability platform built for people who need answers from their data—fast. Whether you're hunting threats, investigating incidents, or validating system health, Gravwell gives you the tools and performance to stay ahead. We're on a mission to simplify the SIEM experience without sacrificing power or flexibility.

About the Role

Gravwell is seeking a talented, driven Sales Engineer to join our growing go-to-market team. As a Sales Engineer, you'll serve as the technical backbone of the sales process — partnering closely with Account Executives to understand customer challenges, deliver compelling product demonstrations, and architect solutions that drive business outcomes. You'll act as a trusted advisor to prospects and customers across industries, helping them unlock the full value of the Gravwell platform.

What You'll Do

You'll be at the intersection of technology and business, helping prospects and customers understand how Gravwell can solve their most pressing challenges. Day-to-day, you'll work alongside Account Executives in a fast-moving sales environment, acting as the technical voice of the deal from first call to close. Expect a mix of discovery conversations, hands-on demos, deep-dive POCs, and strategic customer relationships — no two days look quite the same.

Your Responsibilities

  • Partner with Account Executives throughout the full sales cycle, from discovery through close, providing technical expertise and guidance.
  • Lead in-depth product demonstrations and proof-of-concept (POC) engagements tailored to customer use cases across security, observability, and IT operations.
  • Understand customer environments and translate technical requirements into compelling Gravwell solutions.
  • Respond to RFPs, RFIs, and security questionnaires, crafting detailed technical responses.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with technical stakeholders, including IT architects, security analysts, and DevOps teams.
  • Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering to relay customer feedback and influence the product roadmap.
  • Contribute to internal enablement by developing demo environments, technical collateral, and best practices documentation.

What We're Looking For

  • 3–5+ years of experience in a Sales Engineering, Solutions Engineering, or similar customer-facing technical role.
  • Hands-on experience with Splunk or comparable platforms such as Elastic, Datadog, or IBM QRadar.
  • Strong understanding of at least one of the following domains: Security Operations (SIEM, SOAR, threat detection), IT Operations, or Observability.
  • Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and executive audiences.
  • Experience with scripting or data manipulation (Python, SPL, JSON).
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced, quota-driven environment.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to Have

  • Splunk Core Certified Power User or Enterprise Security certifications.
  • Experience with cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
  • Background in cybersecurity or network operations.

Why Gravwell?

  • Work where your impact is direct, visible, and appreciated
  • Full autonomy and trust to solve problems that we may not have known we had
  • Flexible remote work setup with a strong support culture
  • Access to mission-critical projects and real-world security data
  • Help build a better analytics experience

Compensation

On Target Earnings: $220,000 - $250,000

Don’t meet every single requirement?

That’s okay. We believe great teammates can learn new skills. If you bring curiosity, a strong work ethic, and a collaborative mindset, we can teach the rest. Gravwell is built by people who love solving problems together—we’d love to meet you.

Remote Position (United States)

Gravwell provides our employees with the flexibility to be creative and successful no matter where they are located. We have a flexible approach to work, meaning you can work from home, regardless of where you live within the United States. Gravwell provides flexible benefits and a collaborative work environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Gravwell is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status. Gravwell is a progressive, open-minded workplace where we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.

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