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 .

Mechanical Engineer

Riverside Research Institute · Dayton, OH, US

Riverside Overview

Riverside Research is an independent National Security Nonprofit dedicated to research and development in the national interest. We provide high-end technical services, research and development, and prototype solutions to some of the country’s most challenging technical problems. All Riverside Research opportunities require U.S. Citizenship.

Position Overview

Riverside Research and the IDS Business Unit are seeking a full time Mechanical Engineer in the Dayton, OH area. This position will focus on facility design, construction, and project management. 

All Riverside Research opportunities require U.S. Citizenship.

Responsibilities

  • Provide professional mechanical engineering oversight for all the customer’s facility projects by gathering and documenting user requirements
  • Recommend optimal space planning and configuration, evaluate code compliance, review proposed layouts, and conduct periodic on-site observation of work during construction to monitor compliance with plans
  • Work cohesively with engineers to integrate the mechanical and electrical elements into a final product that exceeds customer expectations ensuring that the integrated design meets the customer’s goals, objectives, and security requirements
  • Evaluate cost estimates and occasionally provide estimated costs for proposed projects
  • Other responsibilities include:
    • Project Management & Project Schedules
    • Design Reviews / Drawings, Specifications, Analysis, Submittals, Shop Drawings, Requirements Gathering and Documentation
    • Concept Creation / Space and Layout Planning
    • Code / Standards / Regulations Interpretation
    • Secure Environment / Security Requirements
  • Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

  • Must have a current Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance or ability to obtain
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related
  • Min 5 years Facility Mechanical and Construction Experience
  • CAD experience
  • Project coordination skills.
  • Estimating skills to produce budgets with a +/-20% accuracy.
  • Superior communications skills, written and verbal
  • Ability to work on multiple project simultaneously (multi-tasking)
  • Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt to challenging situations as they occur

Desired Qualifications:

  • Active Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance
  • Professional Engineering (P.E.) License
  • 10+ years Facility Mechanical and Construction Experience
  • Experience with Government/Military
  • Industrial Controls knowledge
  • Familiar with Fire Alarm systems design requirements
  • Cross-functional engineering discipline knowledge a plus
  • Familiarity with Federal Government contracting and project flow

Global Comp

$120,000 - $145,000 This represents the typical compensation range for this position based on experience, location and other factors.

Closing Statement

Riverside Research Institute is a not-for-profit, technology-oriented defense company, where service to our customers and support of our staff is our overall mission. Riverside is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring.  Riverside offers comprehensive compensation and benefit packages to our employees. Riverside bases its employment decisions solely on technical experience, qualifications and other job-related criteria related to our organizational purpose as a not-for-profit company, and without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran’s status or any other status legally protected by applicable federal, state, and local law."
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