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 .

Principal, Technical Program Management

Mastercard · Dublin, Ireland

Our Purpose

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

Title and Summary

Principal, Technical Program Management

About the Role
The File Transfer platform is a core shared service at Mastercard, enabling secure and reliable movement of critical data across internal and external products, including Tier‑1 business flows. The platform is undergoing a multi‑year transformation, balancing stabilization of legacy capabilities with modernization and scale‑out to meet future regulatory, regional, and business needs.
As a Principal Technical Program Manager, you will lead complex, cross‑organizational technical programs across the File Transfer ecosystem. This role operates with high autonomy and is accountable for execution clarity, risk management, and delivery outcomes across multiple teams and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Own and drive large‑scale technical programs spanning platform stability, modernization, customer migration, and target‑state evolution.
Lead end‑to‑end program execution, including planning, dependency management, milestone tracking, and delivery governance across multiple engineering teams.
Act as a primary integrator across Engineering, Product, Operations, Security, and Risk to ensure alignment and execution of complex initiatives.
Identify, assess, and actively manage technical and delivery risks, including platform resiliency, legacy dependencies, and migration sequencing.
Establish and maintain program operating mechanisms, including RAID logs, execution dashboards, and executive‑level status reporting.
Coordinate cross‑functional delivery for proofs‑of‑concept, platform evaluations, and target‑state initiatives.
Drive continuous improvement in execution discipline, predictability, and outcome‑focused delivery across the organization.


All About You

Proven experience leading enterprise‑scale technical programs with multiple teams and complex dependencies.
Strong technical fluency, enabling effective engagement with engineering leaders on system behavior, integration patterns, and operational risk.
Demonstrated ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments and influence outcomes without direct authority.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical delivery into clear, executive‑ready narratives.
Strong risk mindset, with experience delivering in regulated or mission‑critical environments.


Preferred Qualifications

Experience in Technical Program Management at a senior or principal level.
Background supporting platform modernization, legacy‑to‑modern migration, or infrastructure transformation initiatives.
Familiarity with Agile and Lean delivery models, including dependency management and delivery governance.
Experience working on 24x7 platforms or services with high availability and reliability requirements.
Domain experience in file transfer, data movement, or integration platforms is a plus.

Corporate Security Responsibility


All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

  • Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;

  • Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;

  • Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and

  • Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.