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 .

Tech Lead, Mexico City

Ion · Mexico City

About Lab49
Lab49 is an NYC-based award-winning specialist consultancy that creates bespoke technology in partnership with the world’s leading financial institutions. Founded in 2002 to bring Silicon Valley engineering practices to Wall Street, we’ve delivered hundreds of high-impact projects across global investment banks and buyside firms, spanning distributed systems, high performance automation, enterprise UX, cloud, and data driven platforms.

At Lab49, engineers work directly with clients to design and deliver production systems. We combine technology, design, and business to solve real problems where quality, performance, and clarity matter.

Lab49 is seeking a Tech Lead to spearhead the full stack technical implementation of digital products for our clients in the finance industry, guiding engineers and collaborating with designers and product teams to translate interactive design concepts into scalable, production-ready applications. You will report to the global head of UI engineering.

The Role
As a Tech Lead, you are a true project leader. You own the technical direction and delivery of client engagements, while multiplying the effectiveness of the engineers around you. 

This is a hands on leadership role: you will design systems, write code when it matters most, guide architectural decisions, and ensure the team delivers high quality outcomes even when you are not at the keyboard. 

You will work closely with client stakeholders, designers, product partners, and Lab49 leadership to ensure solutions are technically sound, aligned to business objectives, and delivered with excellence.

This is a hybrid role with 1-3 days per week at the office in central Mexico City (Insurgentes Sur).
About Lab49
Lab49 is an NYC-based award-winning specialist consultancy that creates bespoke technology in partnership with the world’s leading financial institutions. Founded in 2002 to bring Silicon Valley engineering practices to Wall Street, we’ve delivered hundreds of high-impact projects across global investment banks and buyside firms, spanning distributed systems, high performance automation, enterprise UX, cloud, and data driven platforms.

At Lab49, engineers work directly with clients to design and deliver production systems. We combine technology, design, and business to solve real problems where quality, performance, and clarity matter.

Lab49 is seeking a Tech Lead to spearhead the full stack technical implementation of digital products for our clients in the finance industry, guiding engineers and collaborating with designers and product teams to translate interactive design concepts into scalable, production-ready applications. You will report to the global head of UI engineering.

The Role
As a Tech Lead, you are a true project leader. You own the technical direction and delivery of client engagements, while multiplying the effectiveness of the engineers around you. 

This is a hands on leadership role: you will design systems, write code when it matters most, guide architectural decisions, and ensure the team delivers high quality outcomes even when you are not at the keyboard. 

You will work closely with client stakeholders, designers, product partners, and Lab49 leadership to ensure solutions are technically sound, aligned to business objectives, and delivered with excellence.

This is a hybrid role with 1-3 days per week at the office in central Mexico City (Insurgentes Sur).
Why Lab49?
At Lab49, you’ll work on complex, meaningful problems with talented engineers, designers, and consultants. You’ll gain broad exposure to technologies, business domains, and client environments as you grow your career.
We value curiosity, judgment, and ownership. If you care about quality, enjoy helping others succeed, and want your work to have real impact, Lab49 is a place where you can thrive.

What You’ll Be Doing

  • Technical Leadership & Delivery
  • Lead the design and delivery of modern, production grade web applications using contemporary UI technologies and frameworks.
  • Architect solutions that balance user experience, performance, scalability, and delivery constraints.
  • Set technical direction and standards, ensuring consistency, quality, and long term maintainability across the system.
  • Actively manage software quality, testing strategy, and delivery velocity, even when you’re not directly writing code.

  • Team Leadership & Leverage
  • Lead and mentor engineers across one or more workstreams, helping them grow technically and professionally.
  • Delegate effectively, manage priorities, and create clarity so the team can execute with confidence.
  • Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  • Serve as a role model for how to think, communicate, and act as a senior consultant and engineer.

  • Client & Stakeholder Partnership
  • Partner directly with client stakeholders as a trusted technical advisor.
  • Translate business and user objectives into clear technical strategies and delivery plans.
  • Communicate trade‑offs and recommendations clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
  • Build strong, durable client relationships that support successful delivery and future work.

  • Practice Contribution
  • Contribute to the growth and maturity of Lab49’s Interactive Practice by sharing expertise, shaping standards, and mentoring future leaders.
  • Support business development efforts by contributing to pitches, solution design, and technical storytelling where appropriate.
  • What Success Looks Like

  • In your first 6–12 months, success means:
  • Your teams consistently deliver high quality software that meets user and client objectives.
  • Engineers around you are growing, more autonomous, and more effective because of your leadership.
  • Clients trust your judgment and rely on you for technical direction and clarity.
  • You demonstrate strong ownership of outcomes, not just tasks, and proactively address risks before they become issues.
  • You can step back from the keyboard when needed without delivery or quality suffering.
  • What You Should Have

  • 10+ years of experience designing and building complex, commercial grade software systems.
  • 5+ years leading Agile teams or acting in a technical leadership role.
  • Deep expertise in JavaScript/TypeScript and React (7+ years of experience)
  • Strong understanding of end-to-end web application architecture, APIs, data flow, and performance considerations.
  • Solid grasp of SDLC practices, CI/CD, automated testing strategies, and quality management.
  • Strong written and verbal English skills (C1+ is a must)
  • Proven experience working directly with clients in consulting, financial services, or similarly complex environments.
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence technical and non‑technical stakeholders
  • Bonus Points

  • Backend engineering experience with .NET (preferred), Java, or Python.
  • Experience with cloud platforms such as Azure (preferred) or AWS
  • Experience working with financial products, platforms, or data intensive systems.
  • Demonstrated involvement in community building, mentoring, or internal practice leadership.