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 .

Produce - Perishables Rep - Part time

Heb · Houston, Texas, United States

Responsibilities Job Summary: As a Perishable Representative, you are responsible for providing a well-stocked and well-maintained department while providing superior customer service. You will prepare, package, and merchandise fresh product on a daily basis, while maintaining all department and food safety / sanitation standards. Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions: • Customer Service: Provides superior customer service Takes orders from customers by telephone or in person Answers customer questions regarding products and assists them with selections • Food Service: Prepares, packages, and merchandises fresh product Slices, packages, labels, and rotates products Scans in items on Telxon for production Assists in technical areas as needed • Sales: Merchandises product effectively Uses suggestive selling techniques to meet customer needs and build department sales Makes regular announcements related to freshly-produced items, and to increase sales • Food Safety / Sanitation: Cleans and sanitizes display cases; properly operates / maintains equipment Complies with H-E-B food safety and sanitation standards Complies with departmental SOPs and store operating procedures • Additional Department-Specific Responsibilities: Aguas: Peels, cuts, and chops fresh fruits and vegetables Prepares fresh specialty drinks and food products specific to the Aguas department • Floral: Designs floral arrangements; provides a variety of fresh, quality products Designs and executes merchandising programs Tracks seasonal record when appropriate • Market: Cuts, trims, and prepares meat for service meat counter and self-service counter Ensures proper product rotation and storage Maintains coolers and freezers Weighs, prices, and packages selections Operates power meat prep and process equipment • Produce: Stocks and rotates product to ensure freshness Assists floral department when needed Communicates product knowledge to customers by explaining and providing samples Cuts, wraps, and prices produce to be placed on sales floor Maintains signing program • Seafood: Knowledgeable about various fish and shellfish Weighs, prices, and packages selections Maintains coolers and freezers The responsibilities and essential functions outlined above describe the general nature and level of work assigned to this position. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Duties and responsibilities may be modified at any time based on business needs. Employees may be required to perform other job-related tasks as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodations. Qualifications & Key Requirements: Work Experience: Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Customer service and communication skills - Required Computer systems knowledge (Telxon, ACR, label machine) - Required Strong customer service skills - Required Communication and interpersonal skills - Required Reading and writing skills - Required Planning and organizing skills - Required Education: HS Diploma or GED (or equivalent) - Required Licenses/Certifications: Completion of Company Orientation and Safety Training - Required Physical Demands & Working Conditions: Function in a fast-paced, retail environment Work with Customers, staying attentive to their needs Perform the following, based on your Department Market: * Constantly* reach at waist * Frequently stand, walk, pivot, push / pull arms, grasp, cervical flexion * Frequently be exposed to wet, cold conditions * Occasionally reach overhead, reach at shoulder, reach at knee, reach at floor, bend, stoop, squat, crouch, kneel, stair climb, twist, pinch, perform fine motor movements * Occasionally be exposed to hot conditions, ambient temperatures, loud noise * Demonstrate the ability to lift 90 lbs, and manage in excess of 90 lbs** Seafood: * Constantly* reach at waist * Frequently stand, walk, pivot, push / pull with arms, grasp * Frequently be exposed to wet, cold conditions * Occasionally reach overhead, reach at shoulder, knees, and at floor, bend, stoop, squat, crouch, kneel, stair climb, twist, pinch, perform fine motor movements, cervical flexion * Occasionally be exposed to hot conditions, ambient temperatures, loud noise * Demonstrate the ability to lift 50 lbs, and manage in excess of 50 lbs** While there may be exceptions, the measurements noted are generally defined as--Constantly: 5.5+ hours per 8-hour day; Frequently: 2.5 - 5.5 hours per 8-hour day; Occasionally: 0 - 2.5 hours per 8-hour day It is Partners' responsibility to never lift beyond their own safe lifting limit. If an item is too heavy to lift, push or pull, and / or carry, the Partner must break the box down into lighter, smaller, more manageable components, or ask for assistance from another Partner or a manager. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Partner encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Last revised: 5/1/2014