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 .

Operations Associate-Margins

Stifel · Saint Louis, MO, US

Why Stifel

Stifel strives for a culture that puts its clients and associates first: a culture where everyone belongs, everyone is welcome, and everyone contributes to the success of our clients, their careers, and the firm as a whole.

 

Let’s talk about how you can find your place here at Stifel, where success meets success.

What You'll Be Doing

The Operations Associate-Margins requires the ability to gain a sound understanding of department subject matter including trade exception resolution, compliance with regulatory deadlines, and enforcement of firm policies and industry regulations. This position will require collaboration among team members to execute departmental objectives under direct supervision while following established procedures.

What We're Looking For

  • Notify branch offices of action items and regulatory deadlines.
  • Assist in enforcing firm policies and industry regulations.
  • Research and review outstanding debit balances and assist in resolving trade exceptions.
  • Document trading violations and apply account restrictions as appropriate.
  • Develop effective communication skills within the department.
  • Provide timely updates on progression of job responsibilities to leadership.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively within a team.

What You'll Bring

  • Demonstrate the ability to attain a general understanding of industry rules/regulations and Stifel policies that pertain to the department.
  • Strong attention to detail skills to minimize risk to the firm.
  • Initiative and self-direction when performing tasks with the ability to organize and prioritize effectively in order to meet deadlines.
  • Able to handle large workloads that vary based on heavy volume periods.
  • Ability to work autonomously throughout the day based on performance criteria provided by leadership.

Education & Experience

  • Minimum Required: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.
  • Minimum Required: 0+ years professional business related experience.

Systems & Technology

  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. #LI-AS1

About Stifel

Stifel is more than 130 years old and still thinking like a start-up.  We are a global wealth management and investment banking firm serious about innovation and fresh ideas.  Built on a simple premise of safeguarding our clients’ money as if it were our own, coined by our namesake, Herman Stifel, our success is intimately tied to our commitment to helping families, companies, and municipalities find their own success.

 

While our headquarters is in St. Louis, we have offices in New York, San Francisco, Baltimore, London, Frankfurt, Toronto, and more than 400 other locations.  Stifel is home to approximately 9,000 individuals who are currently building their careers as financial advisors, research analysts, project managers, marketing specialists, developers, bankers, operations associates, among hundreds more.  Let’s talk about how you can find your place here at Stifel, where success meets success.

 

At Stifel we offer an entrepreneurial environment, comprehensive benefits package to include health, dental and vision care, 401k, wellness initiatives, life insurance, and paid time off.

 

Stifel is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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