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 .

Software Engineer

Sydecar · San Francisco Office - Hybrid

About Us

Sydecar is on a mission to transform the world of private markets. Our goal is to make these markets more accessible, transparent, and liquid, and we're achieving this by revolutionizing the way investment vehicles are created and executed.

At Sydecar, we're not just a platform; we're a trusted partner in venture capital. We're dedicated to simplifying and standardizing the private investing experience, empowering capital allocators to discover and support visionary entrepreneurs who are shaping the future.

Our platform is designed with ease and efficiency in mind. We take care of all the behind-the-scenes tasks, from automating banking, ensuring compliance, handling contracts, managing taxes, to streamlining reporting. This leaves investors the freedom to concentrate on what matters most: making valuable deals and nurturing meaningful relationships.

Join us at Sydecar, as we lead the charge in revolutionizing private investing.

Locations: San Francisco or New York City (Hybrid – 2 days per week in office)

About the opportunity

We’re seeking a full stack Software Engineer who is passionate about creating impactful solutions and excited to explore the fintech landscape. As a member of our engineering department, you will be responsible for contributing to the design, development, and maintenance of our software applications.

Our technology stack consists of JavaScript & TypeScript for the front end and back end, PostgreSQL for our database, and we are completely cloud based. We also use React, Nest.js and Prisma.

About the team

We’re hiring across multiple teams and are excited to match engineers with roles that align with their interests and strengths. Whether you’re full stack, front end–focused, or more backend–oriented, we have opportunities that fit your skill set and where you want to grow.

What you'll be doing

  • Design and build multi-part solutions to story tasks, taking into account risk mitigation and advanced testing processes, including building tests using React Testing Library and Playwright.

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management, quality assurance, and technical support to deliver high-quality software products.

  • Participate in code reviews and provide constructive feedback to ensure adherence to coding standards and best practices.

  • Stay up-to-date with industry trends and emerging technologies, applying this knowledge to improve our software development processes and products.

What we're looking for

  • Strong communicators and collaborators.

  • At least 3 years of experience as a software engineer, working with Object Oriented Programming languages.

  • Ability to clearly and concisely communicate complex ideas to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

  • Proven track record of delivering high-quality software products on time and within budget.

Bonus if you have

  • Strength in TypeScript and JavaScript.

  • Comfortable with React and a Node.js based backend framework. Even better if you’re familiar with elements of our stack (Nest.js, Prisma, GCP).

  • Experience writing unit and E2E tests.

  • Experience with Agile development methodologies and version control systems such as Git.

  • Knowledge of cloud-based technologies such as GCP.

  • Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools such as Jenkins or Docker.

  • Prior experience working in FinTech.

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

You’ll enjoy these benefits

  • Competitive salary and bonus program

  • PTO and flexible sick leave

  • Generously covered medical, dental, vision

  • Stock options program

  • 401k program with 4% employer match

  • Personal data plan reimbursement

  • Annual professional development stipend

  • Annual wellness stipend

  • Workspace allotment

  • Commuter benefits

  • Life insurance

  • Parental leave for all employees

Compensation

Our total compensation package includes three components: a competitive base salary, a generous annual bonus plan of up to 10%, plus equity giving you a real ownership stake in a fast-growing company.

We're open to multiple levels for Software Engineers in this position. We will work with you to determine and confirm where you fit within our leveling. Our Total Cash Compensation (Base+Bonus) range for this role is:

Software Engineer 1 - $135,000 - $150,000 Base, 10% Bonus, Stock Options

Software Engineer 2 - $165,000 - 185,000 Base, 10% Bonus, Stock Options

The Total Cash Compensation range listed for this position is an estimate based on market data and internal benchmarking and does not guarantee a specific salary at the time of hire. Actual compensation may vary depending on experience, qualifications, performance and other factors.

Sydecar’s values

Our values are important to the way we live and work at Sydecar. They guide our priorities, behaviors and interactions.

Be Committed

As a team, we rise to meet challenges and recognize that we become stronger and develop character when facing adversity.

Be Excellent

We measure our success not just by what we achieve, but by how we achieve it—through integrity, creativity, elegance, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Excellence is not just doing things well—it's looking for ways to do them better.

Be Humble

Humility is our key to personal and professional growth. We appreciate that great ideas can come from anywhere, regardless of seniority, pedigree, or experience. We care more about collective outcomes than who gets credit or who does what. We try to not let our ego cloud our judgment.

Win Together

Winning is no accident. It is the result of collective hard work, perseverance, sacrifice, and most of all, loving what we do. Winning requires that we give extra—sometimes winning calls for late nights or extra effort, and we show up for clients and each other with urgency and heart. While excellence is a journey, winning is a destination.

Sydecar is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Sydecar are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Sydecar will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Sydecar encourages applicants of all ages.