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 .

Director of Digital Experience

Sfmoma · San Francisco, CA

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever, these connections matter and are aligned with our values. Inclusive: We strive to be a museum of many voices in dialogue.   Passionate: We believe working with art is more than a job or trusteeship - it's a way of life.   Brave: We are committed to approaching our work with courage and a sense of adventure, always ready to explore new perspectives. Empathic: We aim to act like a person, not an institution.  SFMOMA is a place for the infinitely curious to explore, support, and experience the art of our time. We believe that modern and contemporary art can influence the way we think, view the world, and embrace the many voices and perspectives around us. We aspire to foster an environment that elicits joy, nurtures a sense of belonging and purpose—where difference is seen as a strength, and every one is appreciated for their whole self. Schedule: Full Time, 35 hours/week, at least three days working onsite SFMOMA is seeking a bold, strategic, and execution-driven Director of Digital Experience to lead the vision and delivery of innovative digital experiences across the entire visitor journey. We are looking for a leader who believes that art inspires and connects us every day and who can lead a multidisciplinary team in delivering user-centered platforms that amplify storytelling and deepen audience connection.  As the Director of Digital Experience, you will oversee the creative direction, product development, and daily operations of core digital channels, including in-gallery interfaces, mobile tools, and emerging platforms. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will own the integration of digital technologies into the broader visitor experience while stewarding our digital brand identity.   You will lead the development of a strategy that advances our mission through innovative design across web, mobile, and onsite platforms. We expect you to embrace experimentation and take calculated risks to push the boundaries of how technology enhances art engagement, ensuring the museum remains at the forefront of digital innovation in the cultural sector.  While you will operate under the general supervision of the Chief Operating Officer, you will maintain a direct relationship to the Chief Education and Community Engagement Officer to ensure that digital initiatives are deeply integrated with our education and interpretation goals. 
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