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 .

Account Director Enterprise Sales - Southeast

Pendo · Raleigh, NC / Atlanta, GA / Miami, FL

We seek exceptional Enterprise Account Directors to join our mission as we elevate the world’s experience with Software. Recognized as the leading force in the categories of Product Analytics and Digital Adoption platforms, our value proposition applies to startups and leading enterprises across the globe. Our 3,000 customers and growing relationships are a testament to our growth trajectory as a late-stage startup.

As an Account Director Enterprise Sales, you will be responsible for driving revenue growth through net new and existing accounts within your territory. You will play a leadership role in executing our sales strategy to expand a defined set of enterprise accounts rapidly as well as focus on a net new territory. You will be responsible for driving executive engagement selling solutions and services that deliver significant value to our customers. You must have a proven track record of exceeding quotas with tenacity, great attitude, accountability, high energy, integrity, and discipline, which are defining characteristics for success in this role. 

We have a “win as a team” sales mentality where everyone works together toward a common objective. We are metrics-driven, we hold ourselves to a high level of accountability, we believe in rewarding top performers, and we celebrate our successes! 

Role Responsibilities 

  • Execute a complex, value-based sales process encompassing multiple groups within your accounts
  • Source and develop new business opportunities by analyzing and proactively targeting high-value needs across multiple functions and business lines.
  • Effectively articulate Pendo’s unique business, solution, and functional value.
  • Build executive awareness, sales pipeline, and bookings growth in accounts
  • Define account strategies that enable sales velocity by partnering with Solutions Engineers, Customer Success Managers, and Emerging Account Directors
  • Effectively forecast sales opportunities while tracking and using critical metrics that predict sales success
  • Track all relevant sales activity using the company's Salesforce CRM platform
  • Other duties as assigned
  • Travel as needed

Minimum Qualifications 

  • You have a successful track record selling Enterprise software and software-as-a-service platforms to the VP and c-suite level.
  • Have demonstrated aptitude in cultivating relationships with senior executives across Global 2000 organizations, spanning both line-of-business and IT domains.
  • Expertise in building multi-year account plans to build value and grow the footprint within a set of accounts. 
  • You have established proficiency in effectively overseeing a substantial and diverse sales opportunity pipeline as part of a collaborative team. 
  • Exceptional proficiency in communication (both written and verbal), interpersonal abilities, and delivering impactful presentations.
  • You are able to distinguish between productive activity and tangible results; demonstrates a strong and diligent work ethic
  • Capable of working autonomously while fostering effective collaboration within the Pendo team.
  • Experience with Sales tools including Salesforce, Clari, Looker, Gong, Outreach
  • Familiar with MEDDIC and Force Management Methodology

Preferred 

  • Trained in MEDDIC and Force Management Methodology

Pendo Description:

Pendo was founded in 2013 by former product managers, who combined their heads and hearts to build something they wanted but never had as product managers -- a simple way to understand and attack what truly drives product success.  Our mission is to improve society's experience with software.

Join one of the fastest-growing startups, supported by best-in-class institutions like Battery Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Spark Capital, and Meritech. You will gain experience in a diverse and exciting set of technologies and clients and impact Pendo's future. Our culture is passionate, dynamic, and fun.

EEOC

We are an equal opportunity employer and believe having diverse teams where everyone brings their whole self to Pendo is key to our success. We welcome all people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives.

Accessibility

Pendo is committed to working with, and providing access and reasonable accommodation to, applicants with mental and/or physical disabilities. If you think you may require an accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, please send a request to: [email protected]. All requests for accommodations are treated discreetly and confidentially, as practical and permitted by law.

Compensation

Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide.

The expected OTE range for this role to be performed in United States is $260-$300K USD

Individual pay rate decisions, including offers made within and over the expected salary range, are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company.

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