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 .

Sales Development Representative

Snowflake · Amsterdam, North Holland

Snowflake is about empowering enterprises to achieve their full potential — and people too. With a culture that’s all in on impact, innovation, and collaboration, Snowflake is the sweet spot for building big, moving fast, and taking technology — and careers — to the next level.

Snowflake is about empowering enterprises to achieve their full potential — and people too. With a culture that’s all in on impact, innovation, and collaboration, Snowflake is the sweet spot for building big, moving fast, and taking technology — and careers — to the next level.

IN THIS ROLE YOU GET TO:

  • Build revenue pipeline by setting and leading discovery calls and qualify use cases with target personas

  • Perform account research and build strong POVs to increase Snowflake’s footprint in our largest accounts in EMEA

  • Execute your pipeline strategy focused on target accounts and personas leveraging multi channel approach

  • Apply effective communication skills, collaborating closely with Global Account Managers, Solution Engineers and our Marketing team to drive business outcomes

  • Work in a fast-pace environment, take the initiative to get things done, try new approaches and amplify your successes by sharing your findings with your team

  • Attend sales meetings, trainings, and local trade shows to keep current with technology and ecosystem

ON DAY ONE WE WILL EXPECT YOU TO HAVE:

  • University degree from an accredited institution

  • A passion for technology and software sales, with 1-2 years of customer facing experience

  • 1-2 years experience working with large Strategic accounts is preferred

  • Written and verbal communication in French is required, German is a plus

  • Ability to develop strong, long-lasting relationships (both internal and external)

  • Ability to manage time effectively, work independently, and be self-motivated

  • The ability to thrive in a company environment of rapid change; reacting to management initiatives; taking the "customer view"; adopting customer corporate ‘perspective’; accepting change to business/personal situations

  • Resourcefulness and results driven operating style

  • Collaborative and coachable mindset - you should be excited about continuously improving your skills and impact by asking questions and feedback

  • Strong in-person, phone, and written customer communication skills

  • Ability to prioritize work assignments and shift work efforts based on the needs of the department or business goals.

  • Knowledge of Salesforce, Outreach, Linkedin Sales Navigator and effective use of AI models a plus

Snowflake is growing fast, and we’re scaling our team to help enable and accelerate our growth. We are looking for people who share our values, challenge ordinary thinking, and push the pace of innovation while building a future for themselves and Snowflake.

How do you want to make your impact?

For jobs located in the United States, please visit the job posting on the Snowflake Careers Site for salary and benefits information: careers.snowflake.com

The following represents the expected range of compensation for this role:

  • This role is eligible to participate in Snowflake's commission plan and it is common for employees in this role to receive total on-target earnings of . The estimated base salary for this role is .

The successful candidate’s starting salary will be determined based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as skills, experience, and geographic location. This role is also eligible for a competitive benefits package that includes: medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; 401(k) retirement plan; flexible spending & health savings account; at least 12 paid holidays; paid time off; parental leave; employee assistance program; and other company benefits.
Our Human Resources Department may use artificial intelligence to support its administrative processes.
This role is available and may represent a new position