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 .

5G System Engineer (Senior Engineer)

Qualcomm · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Responsibilities include 5G/5G-Adv/LTE systems performance characterization and optimization, debugging support, demos and over the air (OTA) field trials of new features. - Interact with wireless Operators to investigate and characterize the performance of 5G/5G-Adv/LTE networks in various aspects ranging from core network, air interface, to devices and applications - Contributing to projects in advanced topics such as ORAN/vRAN, private networks, fixed wireless access, small cells etc. - RF and OTA Parametric Optimization and troubleshooting involving the use of various complex data collection and post-processing tools to assess wireless network performance and propose solutions to problems - RF Network Planning, including propagation model calibration, link budget definition, network planning tool configuration, coverage and capacity planning and network growth dimensioning - Use handset and network infrastructure based advanced tools to accurately measure existing and potential network performance - Use in-house simulation platforms written in C/C++/MATLAB with live network traffic data and develop solutions to improve network performance & efficiency - Support development of forward-looking solutions to address network operator growth and expansion plans covering all network entities - Develop white papers, conference contributions, technical memos, new technology training documents and detailed technical presentations. These may be focused on wireless system performance, network parameter optimization, new wireless technology standards or analysis of wireless network/device issues - Ability to present complex technical ideas and results to multi-level, multi-disciplinary internal and external audiences - Use data analytics and machine learning techniques for ESG service portfolio enhancement and development - focus area: 4G/5G/Wi-Fi communication o Identifying and understanding the objectives, followed by selection and model development that helps to achieve them, along with the metrics to track their progress o Verifying data quality, and/or ensuring it via data cleaning o Training models, analyzing the errors of the model and designing strategies to overcome them o Cloud ML model architecture Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience. OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 1+ year of Systems Engineering or related work experience. OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field. - Good knowledge of cellular (5G NR, 5G-Adv, and LTE) PHY/MAC and upper layers. - 5G and LTE Networks' performance assessment & optimization experience on major RAN infra-vendor(s) - Academic coursework in some of the following areas: Digital Communications, Mobile Communications (including wireless propagation, CDMA, OFDM principles), Communication Theory/Systems, Error Correcting Codes, Computer networks (TCP/IP), Probability theory & Random processes, Linear Algebra, DSP, MIMO techniques and Wireless Networks - Academic projects and research in digital communications, wireless or computer networks including technical conference paper submissions is considered a strong plus - Background in 3GPP protocol standards, design, development, integration and verification, call processing of cellular (5G/5G-Adv/LTE) systems or networks is a strong plus - Experience with data services including knowledge of protocols such as RTP/TCP/UDP/IP is required - Exposure to network planning, measurement and optimization tools such as Atoll, Asset3G, iBwave, QXDM, DATUM, Accuver, TEMS, Ethereal, Actix, Agilent, R&S, Spirent, PCtel is a plus - Proficiency with Python and basic libraries for machine learning Programming and Machine Learning Skills: - Proficiency in Python based scripting and optionally Perl scripting. - Experience with Machine Learning algorithms, model building, evaluation and data Manipulation. Excellent Statistical Analysis & Data Visualization skills with problem-solving abilities to tackle complex data challenges. - In-Depth understanding of Machine learning fundamentals, including Neural Networks, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and recurrent neural networks (RNNs). - Proficiency in machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Pandas, and NumPy. - Knowledge of Hadoop, Spark, and other big data frameworks would be an advantage. - Bachelor's Degree (BS) in Electrical Engineering with a senior focus in Wireless Communication Systems. - 4-8 years of deep technical depth in 3GPP technology and End to End 4G/5G networks performance analysis/optimization - Independent and a team player with the ability to effectively work with multi-functional engineering teams - Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills - Excellent customer management skills - Flexibility to travel (up to 30%) both domestic and internationally