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 .

Account Director

Tevora · Dallas, TX

Account Director

If you haven't heard of Tevora, it's because we've done our job!
Tevora is a tight-knit community of professionals with a shared passion for our craft. Every day, we combine in-depth knowledge of cybersecurity, technology, and compliance to help create more secure digital environments. To Tevorans, every problem is a puzzle in need of solving. We strongly believe that if we put smart, driven people in a room together, they will accomplish great things. We maintain a supportive culture that celebrates continuous learning, diverse perspectives, and sharing the wins. That's why we have our eyes on you.

Tevora Business Solutions is looking for an experienced Account Director (sales) superstar that is a good fit for our team. This senior-level sales position is responsible for new accounts development and expanding existing accounts. As an Account Director, you would be the face of the company and would be responsible for acquiring new customers, communicating the company's story, and driving top line revenue and gross profits by selling the company's products and services. You would be passionate about our value proposition and truly believe you can help in making our customer's initiatives successful. An expert in your field, you would know your products and our services inside and out and would leverage internal resources to add real value to our clients. As an Account Director, you would also be an expert in your vertical as well as your territory. You should be well networked and knowledgeable on industry initiatives. Territory experience is a must! Of primary importance, you would build relationships with customers and sell them multiple solutions throughout the year. You would be in front of budget cycles by being proactive in executing sales plans.
We've got you covered!
Comprehensive benefits offering
Paid time off and holidays
401k with Company match
Vibrant work culture
Additional requirements:
A valid driver's license is required.
Eligibility to work in the United States.

EEOC Statement
Tevora is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.