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 .

Creative Strategist

Manychat · Austin, TX

WHO WE ARE 🌍

We help creators get more out of every conversation with Instagram-focused automations and support for other channels like Messenger, WhatsApp, and TikTok. The result? Better engagement, more sales, and real, sustainable growth.

With a diverse team of 350+ people spread across three continents, we’re building the leading Chat Marketing platform that is used — and loved — by more than 1.5 million customers worldwide.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR 🌟

We’re looking for a Creative Strategist to help scale Manychat’s creative output across paid acquisition channels.

This role is ideal for someone who sits comfortably between creative and performance. You love turning strategy into execution, thrive in fast-moving environments, and know how to ship, test, learn, and iterate with both quality and urgency.

You’ll partner closely with our Creative Strategy Lead to run the day-to-day execution of creative testing, ensuring ideas move quickly from brief to live campaigns and that learnings are consistently captured and applied.

YOUR FUTURE TEAMMATES 👋

Meet the Marketing team:

We're the voice of Manychat. A voice that's loud, creative, opinionated, and weird in the best possible way. We combine passion, data, and storytelling to cut through the noise and fuel mad growth.

WHAT YOU’LL DO 🚀

  • Own the execution of creative testing across paid channels, primarily Meta, YouTube, and TikTok in close partnership with the Paid Media team.
  • Translate creative strategy into clear briefs, scripts, and test plans for production.
  • Lead creative production workflows end-to-end—routing assets, managing timelines, and running feedback cycles to keep work moving.
  • Own the creative vision behind each asset and bring it to life by collaborating with video editors, graphic designers, content creators, and other partners.
  • Manage review cycles and ensure internal stakeholders remain aligned to creative briefs and objectives.
  • Manage UGC and IGC workflows end-to-end, including creator coordination, asset intake, revisions, and approvals.
  • Maintain creative testing trackers, naming conventions, tagging, and documentation.
  • Review performance with Paid Media and surface clear insights and recommendations for further iteration.
  • Research new creative formats, platform trends, and best practices to inform future testing.

TO SHINE IN THIS ROLE 💥

You’ll need:

  • 5+ years of experience in creative strategy, performance marketing, paid social, or a related field.
  • Strong understanding of creative testing frameworks and performance metrics—this is not an entry-level role. You’ve created ads, launched them, seen success (and failure), and can clearly articulate why.
  • Hands-on experience working with UGC, content creators, and short-form video content.
  • Excellent project management skills with strong attention to detail.
  • A proactive, clear communicator with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
  • A self-starter mentality with a bias toward action and follow-through.
  • Comfort working cross-functionally with creative, performance, and production teams.
  • A data-informed mindset paired with speed, curiosity, and creative judgment.

WHAT WE OFFER 🤗

We care deeply about your growth, well-being, and comfort:

  • 📚 Annual professional development reimbursement for conference tickets, online courses, and other relevant resources to help you grow.
  • 💙 Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents.
  • 🪴 Hybrid work and generous leave options to prioritize your work-life balance.
  • 🍽️ In-office perks, including free meals and snacks.
  • 🤝 Company-funded sport activities, annual offsites and team-building events.

Manychat is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We do not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual preference, sexual identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, military status, or any other characteristic protected by local law or ordinance.

This commitment is also reflected through our candidate experience. If you have individual needs that may require an accommodation during the interview process, please indicate this in your application. We will do our best to provide assistance throughout your interview process to ensure you’re set up for success.

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