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 .

Principal Industry Strategist

Himarley · Hybrid - Boston, MA

At Hi Marley, we’re not just a technology company—we’re on a mission to revolutionize the insurance industry with our conversational platform that makes communication simple, efficient, and delightful. Built for carriers, powered by SMS, and designed by insurance experts, Hi Marley connects people through seamless, friendly conversations that save time, money, and hassle. Our platform helps insurance carriers strengthen customer relationships while streamlining operations. With a focus on collaboration, coaching, and powerful analytics, we deliver the insights insurance teams need when they need them—creating a smooth, frictionless experience for customers along the way.

As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a Principal Industry Strategist to lead Hi Marley in developing innovative communication solutions for Customer Service in P&C insurance. You’ll bring expertise in Policy & Billing Service operations, strategy, and metrics, as well as a deep understanding of the customer and employee challenges that are ripe for improvement. 

This role serves as both an internal and external industry authority—leading discovery with our customers, identifying high-value problems worth solving, shaping product direction, and driving thought leadership that positions Hi Marley at the forefront of P&C innovation. The Industry Strategist informs strategic decision-making through market insight, competitive intelligence, and structured evaluation of opportunities. The ideal candidate brings a strong blend of customer empathy, industry fluency, and analytical rigor to influence Hi Marley’s roadmap, accelerate strategic account impact, and elevate our industry relevance 

This role owns the identification, framing, and prioritization of high-value industry problem spaces that guide Hi Marley’s long-term product investment strategy, roadmap direction, and market positioning. Operating with a multi-year horizon, the Principal, Industry Strategy serves as Hi Marley’s primary industry authority for Customer Service in P&C insurance and shapes what problems the company chooses to solve next. We thrive on teamwork and shared enthusiasm, which is why this role involves joining us in the office for two days each week. 
 
What You’ll Do: 

  • Own and lead structured industry discovery with insurance carriers, establishing the source of truth for which problems represent the highest customer and enterprise value.
  • Define and recommend major product investment bets in partnership with Product and leadership, grounded in industry insight, ROI frameworks, and validated demand.
  • Develop and maintain repeatable frameworks for evaluating industry opportunities, customer problems, and ecosystem partnerships to inform ongoing product and GTM prioritization.
  • Serve as Hi Marley’s primary external industry authority for Service and Billing, shaping narratives with analysts, industry bodies, and strategic partners, brought to life through publications and conferences
  • Influence long-range product and ecosystem strategy by translating market trends, customer insight, and competitive intelligence into clear strategic direction rooted in meaningful Hi Marley differentiation.
  • Establish and scale cross-functional fluency in customer service challenges and Hi Marley’s Service solutions—shaping how Product, Marketing, and Sales understand, position, and sell our Service offering. 

What We’re Looking For: 

  • 8-10+ years of experience in P&C insurance strategy, product strategy, or industry advisory roles, with a proven track record of shaping product direction and influencing enterprise-level investment decisions.
  • Deep expertise in P&C insurance service operations, strategy, and performance metrics, with an ability to translate industry knowledge into actionable product and GTM guidance.
  • A naturally curious, open-minded problem solver who challenges assumptions, explores alternative perspectives, and relentlessly seeks to understand the “why” behind customer pain points.
  • Someone who thrives in customer-facing environments—earning trust quickly with executives and frontline teams alike through credibility, active listening, and clear communication.
  • A strategic thinker and storyteller who can craft concise, compelling narratives that connect industry needs, Hi Marley’s capabilities, and long-term innovation opportunities.
  • Strong analytical rigor, using data, ROI frameworks, and structured reasoning to evaluate opportunities and shape product investment decisions.
  • Sharp intuition and pattern recognition—able to quickly identify true value, distinguish signal from noise, and guide the team toward the highest-impact problems.
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