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 .

Business Development Representative

Shipbobinc · Chicago, Illinois, United States

As a member of the ShipBob Team, you will... 

  • Grow with an Ownership Mindset: We champion continuous learning and proactive innovation. Team members are encouraged to identify challenges and take ownership of initiatives that drive merchant, company and personal growth. By tackling complex problems and exploring creative solutions, you won’t just follow a playbook, you’ll be actively building the future of ShipBob.
  • Collaborate with Peers and Leaders Alike: ShipBob values collaboration and support, where team members and leaders alike are committed to helping each other succeed. We all set high standards and understand the importance of transparency at all levels. We’ve created an environment where trust, open communication, and mutual respect motivate our teams to reach new heights.
  • Experience a High-Performance Culture and Clear Purpose: Our commitment to delivering results creates a goal-driven, high-performance culture where everyone is empowered to contribute to our mission with a clear understanding of their direct impact and accountability. We measure success in tangible ways, allowing each team member to see the positive outcomes of their work and celebrate shared victories.

Start Date: 3/23/2026

Compensation: Base salary of $55,000 annually + Commission

Location: Onsite Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 120 N Racine Ave #100, Chicago, IL 60607. Ability to graduate to fully remote after 12-months if in good standing.

Role Description:

Our Business Development Representatives (BDRs) develop logistical solutions for small to medium-sized businesses using the full suite of ShipBob's services. A BDR's primary responsibility is to evaluate each merchant's unique business needs and set qualified meetings that convert to closed deals for our Account Executives. They achieve their monthly quota by meeting or exceeding expected metrics for outbound touches and demos set and converted.
 
The BDR role is a great fit for candidates looking to develop their skills and grow within their sales career. You’ll start your first month at ShipBob with a comprehensive onboarding program designed to set you up for success. You’ll learn the ins and outs of the role through industry, product, and sales training, practice your skills, and shadow experienced BDRs. Not only will this role give you a hands-on learning experience in ShipBob’s product offering, but it will also provide the opportunity to master advanced CRM platforms like Salesforce, Outreach, Gong, and 6Sense. In addition to CRM expertise, you’ll develop valuable hard skills such as data analysis for sales insights, prospecting strategies, negotiation techniques, and consultative selling methods—building a strong foundation for long-term success in a sales career. This role will report into the Business Development Manager.

What you’ll do:

  • Guide new business by identifying, researching, and qualifying new opportunities weekly, resulting in 10+ prospects added to your book of business per day. 
  • Prospect a prospect pipeline via high volume of outbound cold calls, emails and social selling (e.g. >60 dials, 6 connected calls, 20+ minutes of talk time daily, 30+ social messages/emails). 
  • Identify client needs through assessing their current fulfillment methods and use discretionary judgment to determine if they are a fit for our business model. 
  • Make recommendations to management from merchants who do not “fit the box”. 
  • Schedule demos with potential merchants and Account Executives. 
  • Achieving daily activity requirements through outbound merchant contact and accurately tracking merchant interactions and information in the designated tracking system. 
  • Report to designated manager/team lead to strategize more effective prospecting methods. 
  • Consistently exceed monthly and annual quota. 
  • Additional duties and responsibilities as necessary.
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