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 .

Senior Project Manager - Data Center

Mcadams · Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

McAdams is a full-service land planning, landscape architecture, civil engineering, transportation, and geomatics firm located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Florida. We seek to partner with our clients to create meaningful experiences through inspired design. Our employees are what make McAdams different. We bring experiences to the forefront of everything we do, and to do that takes special people.

Position Overview 

McAdams is looking for a seasoned Senior Project Manager with deep expertise in data center site development to lead complex, multi-disciplinary projects from early feasibility through design and construction support. This is a high-impact role for a leader who can blend technical excellence, project delivery, and market growth—driving results for premier clients while helping scale McAdams’ expanding Data Center practice. 

At McAdams, we invest in growth-minded leaders who are eager to build, innovate, and elevate those around them. You will have the autonomy to shape strategy, influence market direction, and expand capabilities—supported by a collaborative leadership team, robust internal resources, and a strong platform for long-term career development. This is an opportunity for a leader who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment, values continuous improvement, and is motivated by creating lasting impact in the communities we serve. 

Key Responsibilities 

  • Lead site/civil design for data centers and other complex developments, including institutional, commercial, and mixed-use projects. 
  • Direct all phases of design—site layout, grading, drainage, utilities/infrastructure, and erosion & sediment control—from concept through completion. 
  • Manage budgets, schedules, risk, and deliverables, ensuring alignment with client expectations and McAdams’ performance standards. 
  • Prepare and/or review technical deliverables, including feasibility studies, stormwater management plans, utility reports, specifications, and related documentation. 
  • Build trusted client partnerships and proactively identify new opportunities—especially within the hyperscale and colocation data center market 
  • Lead permitting efforts, working with local agencies and municipalities to ensure timely approvals and compliance with applicable regulations. Address agency comments and facilitate site permitting processes.
  • Support proposal development, interviews, and strategic growth initiatives to expand market presence. 
  • Mentor and develop team members, fostering a high-performance, collaborative culture. 
  • Perform additional responsibilities as needed in support of project and firm success. 

Skills + Experience  

  • Four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering Technology, or related field required EI required; PE or on track to obtain PE strongly preferred  
  • Demonstrated success delivering hyperscale and colocation data center projects, from early planning and pre-design through detailed design and construction support. 
  • 10+ years of site/civil engineering experience, including a strong data center portfolio. 
  • Energized by traveling to build the practices and advance projects. 
  • Strong working knowledge of local land use regulations, entitlement, and permitting processes. 
  • Excellent client-facing communication, relationship management, and business development capabilities. 
  • Proficiency in AutoCAD and Civil 3D. 
  • Expertise in stormwater management, hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, and SWPPP compliance. 
  • Exceptional technical writing and presentation skills. 
  • Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and team development experience. 
  • Professional organization involvement.

Work Environment + Physical Demands 

The characteristics described below are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of this position. When properly requested and when feasible (without undue hardship to the company), reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. 

  • Work will primarily be in an office setting with limited opportunities to be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, however when conducting field work, exposure to outside environmental conditions should be expected.  
  • Work will be primarily working with fingers by picking, pinching, typing, and grasping often with repetitive motion.  
  • Must have visual acuity for viewing a computer screen, the ability to talk, hear and sit for extended periods of time.
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