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 .

SCA Analytic Linguist

SOSi · Raleigh, NC, us

Overview

 

SOSi is seeking Spanish Linguists in Greensboro, NC to support our federal law enforcement customer. The Spanish Analytic Linguist will provide operational support to support linguist and translator duties as assigned by the PMO. The role will involve providing live monitoring, translation, transcription, and interpretation support for our customer’s ongoing and upcoming investigations. Additionally, these assignments require the flexibility to work assigned shift schedules, including the possibility of nights and weekends. The ideal candidate will be a computer savvy, “self-starter”, capable of hitting the ground running and flexible to support assignments on very short notice.

 

Essential Job Duties

 

  • Monitor live communication and listen to or read foreign language communications lawfully intercepted, and perform immediate verbal summaries, then subsequent written or typed summaries into the English language.
  • Transcribe audio/video and written communications to and from source language to English as required.
  • Interpret consecutively or simultaneously to and from source language to English as required.   
  • Validate by reviewing other’s original translation, transcription, or the quality control review of the specified original work in order to attest to the accuracy of the final work. 
  • Summarize by providing concise and accurate synopsis of oral or written communications.
  • Provide reliable, accurate gist’s and summaries of intercepted communication to law enforcement officers.
  • Attend federal and state legal briefings, known as Title III minimization, prior to the beginning of any new investigation.
  • Assist law enforcement officers in the preparation of evidence and investigation summaries for the possibility of federal or state trials.
  • Serve as a “fact” witness in federal or state court when subpoenaed to testify.
  • Maintain regular communication with the program manager and keeping them informed of available hours/days/shifts for upcoming assignments.
  • Perform other duties as assigned by the customer or the Program Manager.

 

Minimum Requirements

 

  • Must be 18 years old or older.
  • Hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Be a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Residents who are in the U.S. legally and have legal work status. Only contractor personnel who are U.S. citizens will have access to classified documents.
  • Minimum of one (1) year of translation experience in the required language.
  • Have demonstrated proficiency in English and the target language as demonstrated through testing. Testing shall have occurred no more than five years prior to the analytic linguist commencing work:
  • Certified or the ability to become certified in listening, speaking, reading, and writing language proficiency in target native language and English.
  • Familiarity with the following specific Intercept Systems is a plus:
  • Jatom Systems Incorporated (JSI) VoiceBox Intercept System – A digital communications intercept collection system used by law enforcement agencies to conduct court authorized and other lawful communications intercepts.
  • Pen-Link Lincoln Intercept System – A digital communications intercept collection system used by law enforcement agencies to conduct court authorized and other lawful communications intercepts.
  • Strong oral communication skills to effectively communicate with law enforcement officials of varying backgrounds.
  • Ability to understand slang and colloquial expressions in your native language, and the ability to translate these into English while still conveying the original meaning and context.
  • Native fluency in language(s) other than English.
  • Excellent command of English with the ability to produce clear and concise written translations, transcriptions, and summaries.
  • Proficient in Microsoft office applications and ability to learn to use new software.
  • Ability to type a minimum of 40 words per minute (WPM).
  • Familiarity with a variety of media storage including cassettes, videos, and digital media.
  • Ability to work well under pressure to meet specific deadlines.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

 

Preferred Qualifications

 

  • Experience as a linguist in support of defense, intelligence, or law enforcement agencies.
  • Federal law enforcement clearance.
  • Flexibility to support assignments on short notice.
  • Availability for multiple shifts to include weekends.

 

Work Environment

  • Fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
  • Shift-based schedules may include coverage of 24/7 operations.
  • Office environment with different locations depending upon assignment.

Working at SOSi

All interested individuals will receive consideration and will not be discriminated against for any reason.