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 .

Account Executive In Training

Levitate · Raleigh, NC

At Levitate, we’re on a mission to make a real impact - for our customers, our team, and the world around us. We believe the best work comes from people who are curious, driven, and excited to grow. Our five core values guide everything we do, and we look for teammates who embody the traits that make those values come to life:

  • Creating Magic ✨ You have the persistence and grit to turn ambitious ideas into remarkable outcomes.
  • Showing Customer Empathy ❤️ You bring humble confidence, listening deeply, and putting customers first.
  • Making Data-Driven Decisions 📊 You pair creativity with insights to make smarter, faster choices.
  • Focusing on Solutions, Not Problems 🔍 You approach challenges with positivity and critical thinking, always looking for the way forward.
  • Making Small Improvements Every Day 🌱 You embrace coachability and lean into discomfort to grow, improve, and drive lasting change.

Here, you won’t just do a job, you’ll help create meaningful experiences, solve real problems, and shape the future of our company.

We are looking for competent and ambitious SDRs and BDRs who are ready for their first Account Executive role, or AEs who are looking to advance their careers quickly. You will spend your first 90 days in our Account Executive training program, where you’ll learn everything you need to know in order to be directly responsible for the expansion of our customer base. 

In the Account Executive In Training role you will outbound prospect into Small Medium Businesses (SMBs) across the US. Your goal will be to book appointments for yourself, perform demos, and close your own deals, all while honing the skills needed to close for others in the future. It is a fast-paced role, so you’ll need to be awesome to keep up. Our ideal candidates have a strong desire to succeed, a go-getter mentality, the mental toughness to handle the grind, and genuine coachability. 

We offer one of the fastest promotion paths in the industry, with promotion steps and raises in 4 month increments, allowing opportunity for overachievers to quickly advance. Commission is paid monthly on an accelerated basis, where dollars sold past your monthly quota multiply in your payout when you overattain, allowing for multipliers of 3x up to 5x as you continue to overattain.

Ramp responsibilities:

  • Drive top-of-the-funnel lead generation by setting up 40-60 outbound appointments per month for senior account executives while you learn the product and build consistency
  • Outbound cold call phone prospecting to maintain a full pipeline of deals
  • Daily/weekly trainings on learning to close deals, how to position the product, and verticalized value proposition

Responsibilities

  • Drive top-of-the-funnel lead generation by setting 40 appointments per month and performing 20 - 30 product demos per month
  • Update and manage all sales activities, opportunities, and account information in CRM
  • Consistently achieve and exceed monthly sales quota

Qualifications

  • At least 6 months of current experience in an SDR or BDR role with applicable skills and knowledge of outbound cold-calling 
  • Effectively manage quick context switching - easily move between different lead types, confirming, rescheduling, re-engaging after breaks
  • Strong desire to succeed and hunter mentality
  • Ability to keep a positive mindset
  • Organization skills - managing reschedules and no-shows, clean notes on demos, updating leads
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Sense of ownership and pride in your performance and its impact on company’s success
  • Proven openness to coaching and receiving feedback
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. You have the ability to craft clear, concise emails to prospects
  • A love of sharing ideas and best practices
  • The ability to learn technology basics and apply them to business situations

Our commitment to our staff is showcased not only through our strong company culture, but also through our employee-centric benefits and programs including:

  • Daily catered lunches from locally-owned restaurants and diverse snack offerings 
  • Employee-led groups (run club, disc golf club, and book club, just to name a few) that bring employees with similar hobbies and interests together to inspire and build relationships
  • Plentiful opportunities to volunteer with and contribute to local organizations that align with the passions of our staff
  • Flexible PTO to facilitate strong work-life balance 
  • Paid parental leave that provides employees with support and flexibility as they grow their families
  • Extensive benefit options including healthy lifestyle reimbursement, 401(k) matching, HSA/FSA, dental, vision, and mental health coverage, and much more
  • Culture Crew and Emerging Leader programs to foster employee leadership development, inclusivity, and connection through year-round trainings and events