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 .

Small Business President (Always Accepting Applications)

Ownershift · United States

Ownershift is a for-profit, purpose-driven acquisition platform that purchases high-quality, long-tenured small businesses from retiring owners and implements broad-based employee ownership programs upon closing, enabling employees to directly participate in business success. Our goal is to become the preferred buyer for retiring owners by offering quick, efficient acquisitions and facilitating employee ownership legacies. This creates a win-win for retiring owners, employees, communities, and investors, ensuring secure financial positions and legacies for owners, financial participation and wealth creation paths for employees, retention of valuable businesses for communities, and strong financial returns for investors.

Job Summary: 

We’re seeking a dynamic Small Business President of an Ownershift company, to play a crucial role in facilitating a successful transition to employee ownership, driving steady growth, and boosting profitability. An Ownershift company can range in size from 10-40 employees, producing an average profitability of $1 million. This individual will oversee all aspects of the business, including P&L management, strategy, and operations. This role offers an exciting opportunity to lead an established team and institute effective management practices, fostering transparency and accountability within the organization. 

This position provides a unique opportunity to lead a well-established company that is deeply rooted in its community. Achieve financial growth by earning a competitive salary and performance-based compensation, ensuring you are financially rewarded for the value you create. Network with other company leaders and access a wealth of resources, including leadership and management coaching. Create an impact on closing the wealth gap in this country by implementing a broad-based employee ownership program. We welcome humble, ambitious leaders from diverse educational and professional backgrounds to join us in fostering shared equity and growth for all. 

 

How you’ll make an impact:  

  • Succeed the retiring small business owner as the new President and General Manager of the company. 
  • Own all business strategy, operations, and P&L management, leading an experienced team who, alongside you, owns equity in the business. 
  • Serve as the growth leader who will work with employee owners to expand revenue opportunities and improve company operations. 
  • Instill top-tier management practices for a growth-focused culture with transparent accountability. 
  • Partner with the existing team to develop a credible and granular growth strategy. 
  • Analyze business methods and practices, implementing changes as needed. 
  • Collaborate with the current team on budgeting, cost-effective investments, and establishing performance metrics. 
  • Partner with the business development/sales team to drive growth through marketing, outreach, and expanding product lines and accounts, where appropriate.
  • Manage HR responsibilities, including personnel matters, conflict resolution, performance evaluations, and compensation.
  • Collaborate closely with Ownershift to facilitate the company's transition to employee ownership. This involves coaching and partnering with employee owners to ensure they understand the significance of their ownership stake in driving better business outcomes and nurturing a strong company culture rooted in the employee-owner mindset across the organization. 

 

What you’ll bring to the table:   

  • Demonstrated people leadership skills through past work experience.  
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills with low ego. 
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