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 .

Courtesy Clerk/Grocery Bagger

Kroger · Birmingham, MI, United States

Create an outstanding customer experience through exceptional service. Establish and maintain a safe and clean environment that encourages our customers to return. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety of others.

Responsibilities

Essential Job Functions:

·       Courtesy Clerk/Grocery Bagger is responsible for bagging groceries at check out for customers

·       Associate will strive for at least five items in the bag while ensuring that contents or items are not damaged.

·       Courtesy Clerk/Grocery Bagger follows best practices for bagging items in various types of bags (reusable/plastic/paper).

·       Associate will assist in removing customer's merchandise from bottom of bascart for checkout.

·       Courtesy Clerk/Grocery Bagger will offer to help customers with loading bags into their car.

·       Perform basic shelf conditioning.

·       Inform customers of grocery specials.

·       Return merchandise to store shelves.

·       Gather bascarts and return them to designated areas.

·       Clean spills, collect and pick up trash inside store and parking lot.

·       Clean all areas inside and outside of store.

·       Handle and assemble seasonal merchandise.

·       Understand the store's layout, locate products, and conduct price checks for cashiers.

·       Reinforce safety programs by complying with safety procedures and identify unsafe conditions, accidents, or issues and notify store management.

·       Adhere to all food safety regulations and guidelines.

·       Practice preventive maintenance by properly inspecting equipment and notify appropriate department or store manager of any items in need of repair.

·       Create an environment that enables customers to feel welcome, important and appreciated by answering questions regarding products sold within the department and throughout the store

·       Adhere to all local, state and federal laws, and company guidelines.

·       Ability to work cooperatively in high paced and sometimes stressful environment.

·       Ability to manage conflict in a reasonable, nonconfrontational and cooperative manner.

·       Ability to act with honesty and integrity regarding customer and business information.

·       Ability to follow directions and seek assistance when necessary to resolve customer and business issues.

·       Provide support and assistance through direct interaction with minors, individuals with special needs, and older adults.

·       Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Qualifications

Minimum Position Qualifications:
  • Customer Service skills
  • Effective communication skills
Desired Previous Job Experience
  • Retail Experience is preferred but not necessary

 

We continuously accept applications for roles like the one posted. Our team regularly reviews submissions and will contact applicants should a position become available that aligns with the applicant’s qualifications and our organizational priorities.

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