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 .

Manufacturing Engineer Intern - Temp

Penumbrainc · Alameda, CA

General Summary   As an Engineering Intern in the Manufacturing Engineering or Quality Engineering area, project opportunities are designed to develop professional work knowledge and abilities and to support the efforts and projects that have global importance to the success of the business. Area of work involves manufacturing and/or inspection processes with interaction between production and cross-departmental engineering groups in resolving problems encountered on the production floor and across the business. With direction from Engineering, evaluates, selects, and applies exciting engineering techniques, procedures, and criteria, in developing and implementing adaptations and modifications on the production line and to quality systems. Specific Duties and Responsibilities Perform any of the following under the supervision of assigned Engineer or experienced designee: •Solve complex problems and implement innovative solutions. *  •Participate in detailed root cause analysis and developing vetted solutions. *  •Communicate and explain problems and solutions cross-functionally and interdepartmentally. *  •Approach problems from a detail-oriented perspective. *  •Participate in production support activities; Assist with creating and maintaining product and process documentation; Monitor process and equipment performance and identify and implement process improvement activities to increase/optimize yield, efficiency, and/or throughput. *  •Assist with fixture design, acquiring off-the-shelf tooling and equipment, and implementation of new fixturing on the production line. Perform equipment qualifications. *  •Test processes, equipment, raw materials, and product. Perform process validations. Author protocols to execute tests and write *  •Plan, schedule, conduct, and coordinate detailed phases of engineering work as part of a project or as a total project. *  •Develop, characterize, and optimize processes using statistical techniques  •Participate in project planning and scheduling*  •Assist with training assemblers, quality control and technicians, as necessary, on processes, equipment, and documentation*  •Perform other activities requiring knowledge of principles and techniques commonly employed in the specific area of projects  •Adhere to the Company’s Quality Management System (QMS) as well as domestic and global quality system regulations, standards, and procedures. *  •Understand relevant security, privacy and compliance principles and adhere to the regulations, standards, and procedures that are applicable to the Company. *  •Ensure other members of the department follow the QMS, regulations, standards, and procedures. *  •Perform other work-related duties as assigned. *Indicates an essential function of the role  Required Qualifications Minimum education and experience •High school diploma and currently enrolled in Bachelor’s degree program for Engineering, Physical Sciences or related technical field or equivalent combination of education and experience    Preferred qualifications •Strong oral, written and interpersonal communications skills required •High degree of accuracy and attention to detail •Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, and other standard office tools Location: Alameda, CA Hourly Pay Range: $21.00/hr to $35.00/hr    Working Conditions •General office, laboratory, and cleanroom environments  •Willingness and ability to work on site. •Requires some lifting and moving of up to 25 pounds •Must be able to move between buildings and floors.  •Must be able to remain stationary and use a computer or other standard office equipment, such as a printer or copy machine, for an extensive period of time each day.   •Must be able to read, prepare emails, and produce documents and spreadsheets.    •Must be able to move within the office and access file cabinets or supplies, as needed.  •Must be able to communicate and exchange accurate information with employees at all levels on a daily basis.