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 .

NYLAG

Paralegal

About NYLAG
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. NYLAG’s staff of over 400 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.

Job Description:
NYLAG has an opening for a paralegal in its Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program (EFLRP) unit. EFLRP is a leader in the fight for access to health and long-term care services for low-income New Yorkers who, because of aging and/or disability, depend on Medicaid home care services to remain in their homes and avoid institutionalization. EFLRP represents clients, provides technical assistance to social workers and attorneys, conducts community outreach and education, and engages in policy reform efforts. The paralegal in this position will primarily staff our telephonic and email intake systems and provide administrative support on our grants.  In addition, the paralegal, under the supervision of an attorney, will work directly with Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries to address their legal need in accessing care. This includes counseling clients on Medicaid eligibility, helping them apply for Medicaid and Medicaid services, and troubleshooting problems through advocacy including administrative hearings.  

Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Conduct client intakes, interviews, and answer phoneline and email during assigned intake shifts.
  • Provide administrative support, including significant data entry, on certain grants.
  • Provide direct representation, advocacy, education, and counseling to consumers and/or their caregivers or advocates, concerning eligibility for Medicaid, Medicare, benefits coverage, and assist with administrative appeals under the supervision of an attorney.
  • Maintain client case records as directed.
  • Conduct intakes and counsel clients in at least one of the most commonly spoken languages among limited English proficiency (LEP) New Yorkers. Provide translations for attorneys representing LEP clients.
  • Participate in unit-wide case review and staff meetings.
  • With experience, assist in conducting educational presentations for consumers, caregivers and advocates, represent NYLAG at community events, and assist in writing and updating articles for the website at www.nyhealthaccess.org.
  • With experience, participate in city-wide and state-wide coalitions involving policy advocacy for dual eligibles and other Medicaid recipients.
  • Travel within New York City to clients’ homes to conduct interviews of homebound clients, and to government agency and outreach sites.  Travel to Albany for trainings may also be required.  
  • Fulfill other tasks identified by Supervisor or Unit Director.

Qualifications:
Education/Admittance required:  Associate or Bachelor degree required
Experience preferred:   
  • Commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people and immigrants, including experience with public health insurance programs.
  • Excellent written and interpersonal skills, including telephone etiquette;
  • Knowledge of MS Office and/or Salesforce;
  • Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team;
  • Ability to manage cases, working directly with clients, under the supervision of an attorney.
Language Requirement:   Fluency in one of the most commonly spoken languages among limited English proficiency (LEP) New Yorkers including, but not limited to, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Haitian Creole, or Bengal. 

NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

Employment type:
☒ Full-time

Professional Level:
☒ Entry level

Salary Range: NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $65,500-$68,770.

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.

Application Instructions: Please save resume and cover letter on one pdf.

NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.

Applications will be accepted through April 17, 2026.
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