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 .

Pre-Sales / Solutions Consultant

Hook · London

About Hook

We’re building the future of customer growth. At Hook, we use AI and Machine Learning to help businesses predict revenue with accuracy, drive customer loyalty, and capture massive value from their existing customers.

We’re a Series A company who ranked 33 out of 100 on the Sifted fastest growing startups and we have raised $multi-million in funding from some of the top investors in Europe and the US (e.g. Balderton Capital and Lightspeed) and have an enviable list of customers that we’re working with including some of the fastest growing companies in the world. We’re looking for ambitious people that want to be part of our meaningful vision of changing how businesses engage with their customers, and of building one of the world’s leading workplaces for great people along the way.

The Role

We’re looking for a technically strong and customer focused Pre-Sales Solutions Engineer to join our team. This role blends engineering depth with commercial problem solving. You’ll work closely with prospects throughout the sales cycle, helping them validate Hook’s technical capabilities, understand our APIs and data architecture, and ensure a seamless path from discovery to implementation.

You’ll be hands-on with integrations, API exploration, proof of concepts, and technical scoping. You’ll take the lead on security reviews, RFPs, technical documentation, and Statements of Work, acting as the bridge between our Sales, Customer Success, Product, and Engineering teams.

This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys writing code, understanding how systems fit together, and translating technical detail into clear business value.

What You’ll Be Doing

  • Lead technical discovery sessions with prospects, diving into their data sources, workflows, and integration requirements.

  • Explore and demonstrate Hook’s APIs, data models, and architecture in a way that clearly shows value and feasibility.

  • Build lightweight proofs of concept or sample integrations to help prospects validate technical fit.

  • Own RFPs, due diligence, security reviews, and technical questionnaires in partnership with Sales, Product, and Engineering.

  • Scope complex enterprise solutions and prepare high quality Statements of Work that outline technical requirements and delivery expectations.

  • Act as the technical point of contact during the sales cycle, ensuring prospects have clarity on data flows, implementation steps, and integration constraints.

  • Drive smooth handovers between Sales and Customer Success by documenting technical decisions and ensuring alignment on delivery plans.

  • Create and maintain pre-sales materials including architecture diagrams, integration guides, sample code snippets, and technical playbooks.

  • Provide ongoing feedback to Product and Engineering based on customer use cases, gaps, and market insights.

Who We’re Looking For

  • Strong engineering or technical background with hands-on experience coding with APIs or integrating software systems.

  • Ability to read and write code across common languages such as Python or JavaScript.

  • Clear understanding of web technologies, REST APIs, authentication methods, and data pipelines.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts simply and persuasively.

  • Experience supporting SaaS or data-focused products in a customer-facing role such as pre-sales, solutions engineering, or technical consulting.

  • Highly organised with strong attention to detail when handling multiple workstreams.

  • Comfortable working closely with Sales, Product, Engineering, and Customer Success teams.

  • Naturally curious, proactive, and energised by working in a fast-moving startup environment.

Benefits

🏖️ 27 days holiday (option to buy and sell holiday) + bank holidays

📈 Generous stock options

🏥 Private health insurance so you can get the best care you need

🧘 Flexible monthly wellness allowance that you can use monthly on things like gyms, yoga, mental health & healthy food

📚 Annual learning & development budget for every employee

🏢 Flexible working - we’ll all come together three days a week but otherwise you can work from home or come into our awesome office in Liverpool Street

💻 The best equipment for everyone to work with

Our founder and team are incredibly passionate about creating a company culture that is diverse, inclusive, productive and enjoyable for all our colleagues. As part of a growing start-up team, we expect a lot from you and will work hard to make sure you have everything you need to be at your best.