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 .

Director, Security & Compliance

Instabase · San Francisco, CA

At Instabase, we're passionate about democratizing access to cutting-edge AI innovation to enable any organization to solve previously unsolvable unstructured data problems in their industry.  With customers representing some of the largest and most complex organizations in the world, and investors like Greylock, Andreessen Horowitz, and Index Ventures, our market opportunity is near infinite.

Instabase offers a consumption-based pricing model where customers can pay only for what they use, aligning directly with the value our products deliver. It empowers our clients to explore our AI Hub platform features extensively, enabling them to uncover crucial business insights. This customer-centric model allows Instabase to glean insights from diverse use cases and behaviors, ensuring we deliver top-tier solutions that provide unmatched advantages for everyday business operations.

With offices in San Francisco and Bengaluru, Instabase is a truly global company. We are people-first, and we've built a fearlessly experimental, endlessly curious, customer obsessed team who work together and help organizations around the world turn their unstructured data into insights instantly.

As Director, Security & Compliance, you’ll be responsible for building and managing out our Security and GRC (Governance, Risk, IT and Compliance) program, driving strategy and execution of Instabase security and compliance initiatives. This role will also lead the company’s IT function, ensuring secure and compliant internal systems.

What you’ll do

  • Formulate and drive GRC roadmap, security policies, vendor security reviews and security training
  • Initiate, own and lead new security & compliance programs and audits GDPR, SOC2, HIPAA and ISO 27001
  • Establish and continuously improve standards, processes, tooling and procedures for audit and compliance management
  • Collaborate and work cross-functionally across the company to deliver successful security compliance programs, partnering with Engineering, Product, GTM, Legal and HR teams
  • Oversee IT operations, internal systems, and access controls in alignment with security best practices
  • Work with external auditors to achieve security compliance certifications and reports
  • Regularly report on status, operational metrics and KPI’s, providing transparency to company Leadership and internal stakeholder teams

About you:

  • Extensive experience in security compliance, successfully leading compliance projects, risk assessments and audits
  • FedRAMP (NIST 800-53), GDPR, SOC2, HIPAA and ISO 27001 auditing and implementation experience
  • Experience working with Engineering teams within the modern cloud / SaaS technology space
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Nice to have’s:
    • Past experience at a Big Four consulting firm and/or reputable SaaS provider
    • Engineering or Computer Science background

Compensation: The base salary range for this role is $250,000 to $ 300,000 + bonus, equity, and US Benefits. The actual pay may vary based on factors such as location, experience, and skills.

US Benefits:

  • Flexible PTO: Because life is better when you actually live it!
  • Comprehensive Coverage: Top-notch medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • 401(k) with Matching: We’ve got your back for a secure future. 
  • Parental Leave & Fertility Benefits: Supporting you in growing your family, your way.
  • Therapy Sessions Covered: Mental health matters— 10 free sessions through Samata Health.
  • Wellness Stipend: For gym memberships, fitness tech, or whatever keeps you thriving.
  • Lunch on Us: Enjoy a lunch credit when you're in the office.

#LI-Hybrid

Instabase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status. Research shows that in order to apply for a job, women feel they need to meet 100% of the criteria while men usually apply after meeting about 60%. Regardless of how you identify, if you believe you can do the job and are a good match, we encourage you to apply.

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