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 Process Engineer

Nitricity · San Francisco Bay Area

Company Overview

Nitricity is a startup addressing climate change, and we are looking for your help! We are innovating in an essential chemical industry that supports global food systems. The bedrock of modern agriculture is the production, distribution, and application of the essential nutrients found in fertilizers. However, nitrogen fertilizer is currently made in coal- and gas-fired facilities located hundreds to thousands of miles away from farmers who need it. The $120B industry is responsible for as much as 6% of global CO2eq emissions. Nitricity Inc. has developed a new technology that produces fertilizer using air, water, and renewable electricity (e.g., solar). Growers will have access to a more reliable, low-cost, and environmentally friendly fertilizer supply. We are actively growing our team to help us turn this vision into a reality. 

Position Description

The Senior Process Engineer will be part of Nitricity’s core product engineering team to develop Nitricity’s breakthrough renewable fertilizer production prototype systems into megawatt-scale chemical production facilities. This will entail working with a team of experts in chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineering to build a system and optimize a process that will revolutionize fertilizer. The Senior Process Engineer will report to Nitricity’s VP of Engineering and apply their engineering expertise to solve engineering roadblocks and accelerate development toward the commercial product.

Responsibilities

  • Design, configure, and optimize Nitricity’s industrial chemical fertilizer processes from inception through to start-up and certification.
  • Work with Nitricity-affiliated contractors and engineering firms to accelerate product and subsystem development.
  • Assess, design, run, test, and upgrade systems and processes. This will include assessment of work by third-party contractors and engineering firms.
  • Develop best practices, routines, and innovative solutions to improve production rates and quality of output. Provide process documentation, technical specifications, and operating instructions.
  • Perform process simulations, risk assessments, and manage cost and time constraints.
  • Select equipment, components and instruments for systems.
  • Work to ensure the timely scale-up of system processes.
  • Train other process engineers in industrial process engineering.
  • Develop the operating processes, procedures, and parameters for the chemical plant Nitricity is designing.
  • Develop all required documentation for operations, safety, and chemical management.
  • Create and maintain Mass and Energy balance for production processes.
  • Create and maintain P&IDs for production processes.
  • Create and maintain Process Flow Diagrams for production processes.
  • Create and maintain Design Basis for production equipment and facilities.
  • Create and maintain a Control Philosophy for production processes. Work with the controls team to develop the controls programming needed to run the plant.
  • Lead HAZOP reviews and implement best-practice solutions.
  • Work with the engineering and operations teams to achieve the needed processes.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering (ChE), master's preferred
  • 5-8 years of experience developing large chemical processes
  • 5-8 years of experience with gas flow, and thermal management technologies
  • Experience with AutoCAD 2D.
  • Expertise with process simulation software tools, Pro Sim
  • Work well in focused teams with multiple disciplines
  • Versatility to thrive in a start-up environment
  • Teamwork, communication, and organizational skills
  • Enthusiasm for high-impact, hard tech solutions
  • Work experience at or with EPCs
  • Work experience with Permitting and Construction Documents, familiar with National Codes and Standards for Chemical Factory Piping and Equipment.

Benefits

  • $135,000/yr - $155,000/yr
  • Medical and dental insurance
  • 3 weeks paid time off
  • 7 company holidays and 4 floating holidays
  • Competitive salary and equity package
  • 401(k) plan 
  • Commuter Benefits