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 Vice President, ​Government & Community Relations

Nycedc · New York, New York, United States

Our Vision: To make New York City the global model for inclusive innovation and economic growth, fueled by the City’s diverse people and businesses.   

Our Mission: Creating a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. 

POSITION OVERVIEW: 

The Senior Vice President (SVP), Government and Community Relations leads short- and long-term government & community affairs initiatives across the full spectrum of NYCEDC’s activities; and serve as a chief strategist to the President’s Office on Government and Community Relations. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  • Set operational standards, goals, and strategic initiatives for the Government & Community Relations department 
  • Supervise staff to develop, coordinate, and implement political and community-sensitive development strategies designed to facilitate the successful completion of NYCEDC initiatives 
  • Develop strategies to influence recognition and build a broader profile and reputation for the company 
  • Build and enhance external relationships with a variety of stakeholders and elected officials and staff 
  • Collaborate with the various business units within NYCEDC to develop and implement short-term and long-term strategies, including securing any necessary public approvals for projects 
  • Coordinate the goals and priorities of individual business units within NYCEDC to ensure NYCEDC is consistent in its communications with governmental and non-governmental entities alike 
  • Manage external engagement resources as needed on high level NYCEDC projects to ensure goals are met  
  • Participate in fostering an integrated communications/ event and project planning approach within the External Affairs division 
  • Manage and coach employees; ensure all employees are oriented to their position and provided with appropriate training, development, and continuing education. Monitor performance and provide coaching & feedback on an ongoing basis 
  • Prepare concise, accurate project briefs for budget meetings 
  • Facilitate strong inter-agency communication 
  • Ensure that NYCEDC projects and priorities reflect and complement the priorities of the Office of the Mayor, particularly adjusting project positioning to reflect administration shifts 
  • Enhance NYCEDC’s image and reputation through effective community outreach 
  • Collaborate with NYCEDC Public Affairs and NYCEDC Office of the President to assist in the preparation of senior staff for community events, City Council hearings, and other presentations as required 
  • Other duties as assigned 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in a related field such as communications, journalism, political science or marketing 
  • At least 10 years of relevant professional experience, including political campaign, journalism, government affairs or public relations 
  • Demonstrated competencies in analytical, planning, and problem-solving skills, negotiation, writing, public speaking, team building and staff development, judgment and decision-making 
  • Proven ability to lead, interact with and coordinate consistent messaging and relationships across diverse and multidisciplinary internal departments, other city agencies and/or external partners 
  • Experience managing direct reports, colleagues and/or consultants as assigned, short or long term as needed 
  • Demonstrated presentation skills, including experience engaging effectively with diverse constituencies, including community and government leaders, and other stakeholders 
  • Demonstrated experience developing and implementing communications strategies 
  • Experience leveraging subject matter research and internal/external relationships to support project work and other campaigns 
  • Extensive experience with New York City land use and public approval processes is critical, as is experience with New York City and New York State legislative and budget processes 
  • Strategic and analytical thinker, capable of seeing and understanding broad and differing perspectives as well as the implications of the big picture 
  • Experience managing and coaching staff 
  • Experience building coalitions among groups with diverse interests 
  • Ability to anticipate problems and devise creative solutions 
  • Comfort interacting with senior management, mayoral officials, and business leaders 
  • Strong written and verbal communications skills 
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail 
  • New York City residence is required within 180 days of hire 
Salary Range
$175,000—$180,000 USD

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