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 .

Content Specialist

Qualia · Austin, TX

At Qualia, we've built the leading B2B real estate technology that transforms the home buying and selling experience into a simple, secure, and enjoyable process. Our SMB and Enterprise products bring together users from across the real estate ecosystem---homebuyers and sellers, lenders, title and escrow agents, and real estate agents---onto a single shared digital closing platform, providing greater clarity and transparency to real estate transactions. Today, through our business customers across the country, millions of consumers use Qualia to close on homes every year.

WHAT YOU'LL WORK ON

The Content Specialist is responsible for creating clear, engaging content that helps customers and internal teams learn, adopt, and use Qualia successfully. This role supports customer education, enablement, and knowledge management efforts through written content, short-form videos, visual assets, and training support materials.

This is a hands-on content creation role for someone with strong writing skills, sharp attention to detail, and an interest in turning complex product and process information into content that is easy to understand. You’ll work closely with cross-functional partners and more experienced team members to create and maintain content that supports the customer experience at scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Create and update written content across help center articles, internal knowledge resources, training materials, and enablement documentation
  • Support the development of short-form videos, tutorials, and simple multimedia assets to reinforce learning and product adoption
  • Create basic visual assets, graphics, and presentation materials to support content and training initiatives
  • Translate product workflows, common support questions, and operational processes into clear, user-friendly content
  • Partner with teams such as Support, Customer Success, Onboarding, and Product to gather information and keep content accurate and up to date
  • Review and revise existing content for clarity, consistency, grammar, and usability
  • Follow established content standards, templates, and style guidelines to ensure a consistent user experience
  • Help maintain and organize content across platforms such as the help center, LMS, and internal documentation systems
  • Incorporate feedback from internal stakeholders and customer trends to improve content over time

YOUR BACKGROUND THAT LIKELY MAKES YOU A MATCH

  • 1–3 years of experience in content creation, writing, enablement, training support, technical writing, or knowledge management in a SaaS, technology, or professional services environment
  • Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to make complex information clear and approachable
  • A strong writing sample or portfolio that demonstrates clarity, structure, and attention to audience needs
  • Experience with or exposure to short-form video editing and basic graphic design
  • Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, polished work
  • Ability to manage multiple assignments, stay organized, and follow through on deadlines
  • Comfort collaborating with cross-functional teams and incorporating feedback into content revisions
  • Interest in learning new tools, products, and workflows quickly
  • Familiarity with tools such as Zendesk, Seismic, Skilljar, Google Vids, or Adobe Premiere is a plus

While this role is based in Austin, Texas, we're open to exploring remote possibilities for qualified candidates.

WHY QUALIA

Qualia is made up of incredibly bright, mission-driven coworkers who are passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems---and we're growing quickly. In order to continue building an engaging and dynamic organization, we're committed to giving everyone the support they need to do great work.

Our benefits package is designed to allow our team members to be their best selves, both in and out of the workplace. In addition to comprehensive health plans, a 401k program, and commuter benefits, we prioritize family and personal well-being through professional development, parental leave, and a flexible time off policy. Qualia offers a robust online onboarding program to train new hires, biweekly all hands meetings, and a variety of internal virtual events to keep employees connected.

We believe diverse perspectives and backgrounds are critical to building great technology, and our goal is to cultivate an environment where people feel equally valued and respected. Qualia is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, citizenship, socioeconomic status, disability, or veteran status.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree to the collection, processing, and use of your personal information as described in our Employee Data Privacy Notice.

 

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