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 .

Technical Consultant (m/w/d)

NTT Data · Zurich, Zurich

Make an impact with NTT DATA
Join a company that is pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We are renowned for our technical excellence and leading innovations, and for making a difference to our clients and society. Our workplace embraces diversity and inclusion – it’s a place where you can grow, belong and thrive.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Brings subject matter expertise related multi-technology infrastructure design best practice.
  • Works in partnership with internal stakeholders on the development of the architectural approach for one or more layer of a solution.
  • Participates in the investigation, planning, coordination, and preparation of feasibility studies relative to new computer-based systems and modifications to existing systems.
  • Works on strategies and solutions that define meta-architectural designs for solutions, addressing the styles, mechanisms and principles that combine to formulate the architectural vision for a specific environment.
  • Collaborates with stakeholders on the development of new services to take to market, information on relevant vertical markets and keep up to date on developments in specific technology domains.
  • Participates occasionally in the pre-sales process but primarily acts as Technical Consultant.
  • Engages with clients directly and collaborates with sales on selling solutions and services.
  • Participates in the delivery of business development processes including opportunity identification, presales, scoping, deal closing and driving delivery.
  • Designs principal methodologies to perform a detailed analysis of the client requirements.
  • Presents clients with solutions and convinces and persuades internal and external stakeholders of the right course of action.


Knowledge and Attributes:

  • Ability to focus on detail with an understanding of how it impacts the business strategically.
  • Excellent client service orientation.
  • Ability to work in high-pressure situations.
  • Ability to establish and manage processes and practices through collaboration and the understanding of business.
  • Ability to create new and repeat business for the organization.
  • Ability to contribute information on relevant vertical markets
  • Ability to contribute to the improvement of internal effectiveness by contributing to the improvement of current methodologies, processes and tools.


Academic Qualifications and Certifications:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Information Technology and/or Business Management or a related field.
  • Scaled Agile certification desirable.
  • Relevant consulting and technical certifications preferred.


Required Experience:

  • Fluent in German is mandatory
  • Seasoned demonstrable experience in a similar role within a large scale (preferably multi- national) technology services environment.
  • Seasoned multi-technology infrastructure design experience.
  • Seasoned demonstrable level of expertise coupled with consulting and client engagement experience, demonstrating good experience in client needs assessment and change management.

Workplace type:

Hybrid Working

About NTT DATA
NTT DATA is a $30+ billion trusted global innovator of business and technology services. We serve 75% of the Fortune Global 100 and are committed to helping clients innovate, optimize and transform for long-term success. We invest over $3.6 billion each year in R&D to help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future. As a Global Top Employer, we have diverse experts in more than 50 countries and a robust partner ecosystem of established and start-up companies. Our services include business and technology consulting, data and artificial intelligence, industry solutions, as well as the development, implementation and management of applications, infrastructure, and connectivity. We are also one of the leading providers of digital and AI infrastructure in the world. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group and headquartered in Tokyo.

Equal Opportunity Employer
NTT DATA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer with a global culture that embraces diversity. We are committed to providing an environment free of unfair discrimination and harassment. We do not discriminate based on age, race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, disability, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected category. Join our growing global team and accelerate your career with us. Apply today.

Third parties fraudulently posing as NTT DATA recruiters 

NTT DATA recruiters will never ask job seekers or candidates for payment or banking information during the recruitment process, for any reason. Please remain vigilant of third parties who may attempt to impersonate NTT DATA recruiters—whether in writing or by phone—in order to deceptively obtain personal data or money from you. All email communications from an NTT DATA recruiter will come from an @nttdata.com email address. If you suspect any fraudulent activity, please contact us.

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