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 .

Application Security Professional

HelloKindred · Knutsford, England, gb

Anticipated Contract End Date/Length: September 30, 2026
Work Set Up: Hybrid

Our client in the Information Technology and Services industry is looking for an Application Security Professional to strengthen secure software development practices across the application lifecycle. The role focuses on embedding security into design, development, and deployment processes by performing secure code reviews, threat modelling, and security testing. This position plays a key role in integrating security into DevSecOps pipelines, establishing secure coding standards, and ensuring applications are designed and maintained with strong security controls across modern cloud and enterprise environments.

What you will do:

  • Perform secure code reviews to identify vulnerabilities and ensure adherence to secure development practices.
  • Conduct SAST and DAST analysis to detect application security risks during development and testing stages.
  • Execute threat modelling activities to identify potential attack vectors and strengthen application security design.
  • Support integration of DevSecOps practices within CI/CD pipelines and development workflows.
  • Define and promote secure coding standards across development teams.
  • Provide security guidance and training to developers to improve secure development capabilities.
  • Review application and system architectures to validate the implementation of appropriate security controls.
  • Collaborate with development, DevOps, and security teams to address identified vulnerabilities and improve application resilience.

Who is HelloKindred?

HelloKindred are specialists in staffing marketing, creative and technology roles, offering a range of talent solutions that can be delivered on-site, remotely or hybrid.

Our vision is to make work accessible and people’s lives better. We do this by disrupting traditional employment barriers – connecting ambitious talent to flexible opportunities with trusted brands.

  • Strong knowledge of application security principles including the OWASP Top 10.
  • Experience using SAST and DAST security testing tools.
  • Understanding of API security and modern cloud application architectures.
  • Experience working within Agile and DevOps delivery environments.
  • Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps security integration.
  • Ability to conduct threat modelling and secure code review processes.
  • Strong analytical and problem solving skills for identifying and resolving application vulnerabilities.
  • Effective communication and collaboration skills to work with cross functional engineering teams.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Candidates must be legally authorized to live and work in the country where the position is based, without requiring employer sponsorship.

HelloKindred is committed to fair, transparent, and inclusive hiring practices. We assess candidates based on skills, experience, and role-related requirements.

We appreciate your interest in this opportunity. While we review every application carefully, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

HelloKindred is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

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