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 .

Private Debt Associate

Octus · Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia

Data Operations

Octus

Octus is a leading global provider of credit intelligence, data, and analytics. Since 2013, tens of thousands of professionals across hedge fund, investment banking, management consulting, and law firm verticals have come to rely on Octus to make better, faster, and more confident decisions in pace with the fast-moving credit markets.
For more information, visit: https://octus.com/

Working at Octus

Octus hires growth-minded innovators and trailblazers across the globe to drive our business and culture. Our core values – Action Oriented, Customer First Mindset, Effective Team Players, and Driven to Excel – define an organizational ethos that’s as high-performing as it is human. Among other perks, Octus employees enjoy competitive health benefits, matched 401k and pension plans, PTO, generous parental leave, gym subsidies, educational reimbursements for career development, recognition programs, pet-friendly offices (US only), and much more. 

Role

At FinDox, we power better, faster investment decisions for finance professionals. We develop and implement technology to make it easier for professionals to access and analyze the vast world of financial data and documents while protecting data privacy and enforcing compliance regulations.

We take corporate responsibility seriously and are excited that our platform enables our clients to gain unique insights into what private companies do to protect the environment and address social needs and responsibilities.

As a Private Debt Associate, you will be responsible for supporting the everyday operations of our company. You will report to the Head of our Private Debt team and will assist in building processes and structure around a largely untapped segment of the FinDox business. You will also work closely with other product teams as well as with our development team to ensure client success and to continually improve our system’s efficiency.

Responsibilities

  • Maintain and update document control systems and databases
  • Support with daily operational tasks such as support and email processing
  • Establish and continually improve processes related to the private debt deal workflow
  • Work with other FinDox teams to build cross-functional efficiencies and communication lines

Qualifications

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Organization and time management skills
  • Web savvy and strong aptitude with learning new systems/technology
  • Finance/business background a plus but not required
  • Ability to work East Coast hours
  • 1-5 years of work experience
  • Four Year Degree preferred

Equal Employment Opportunity

Octus is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We strive to create an inclusive and diverse work environment where all individuals are valued, respected, and treated fairly. We believe that diversity enriches our workplace and enhances our ability to innovate and succeed.

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