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 .

Border Control Solution Sales Manager

Thales · Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Location: Madrid, Spain

Thales people architect identity management and data protection solutions at the heart of digital security. Business and governments rely on us to bring trust to the billons of digital interactions they have with people. Our technologies and services help banks exchange funds, people cross borders, energy become smarter and much more. More than 30,000 organizations already rely on us to verify the identities of people and things, grant access to digital services, analyze vast quantities of information and encrypt data to make the connected world more secure.

Thales in Spain is a leader in technological solutions applied to Defence, Aeronautics, Security, Transportation and Space and, furthermore, is a global centre for excellence in Space, Security of Critical Infrastructures and Transportation. With a turnover of €320 million and a staff of 1,200, it exports approximately 40% of its total production principally to the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.

Thales Cybersecurity & Digital Identity is a global leader in digital security, bringing trust to an increasingly connected world. We design and deliver a wide range of products, software, and services based on two core technologies: digital identification and data protection.

Within Thales CDI, the Border and Travel Business Segment is dedicated to the implementation of nationwide Border Control and Border Management systems, as well as Biometric Passenger Processing solutions that enhance operational efficiency at airports worldwide.

Due to increased business activity, we are seeking an experienced Solution Sales professional, based in Madrid, to support and accelerate the sales activities of the Business Segment. Acting as a key ambassador for the segment across a dedicated region, the successful candidate will be responsible for maximizing sales performance and order intake.

Key Responsibilities

As a member of the specialized Solution Sales Team, you will be accountable for the promotion and successful commercialization of Thales solutions. Your responsibilities will include:

Sales Development & Promotion

  • Taking ownership of solution promotion, opportunity pipeline creation, and achievement of sales targets.
  • Acting as the subject-matter expert and reference point for sales teams.
  • Conducting cold customer introductions when required.
  • Presenting the Thales solution portfolio to customers and government stakeholders at C-Executive level.

Sales Support & Customer Engagement

  • Supporting sales representatives throughout the sales cycle, from business development through bid submission.
  • Qualifying leads and sales opportunities.
  • Advocating Thales’ technical vision and presenting solutions to customers.
  • Detailing Thales references, technical and implementation choices, business models, ecosystem strategy, and user adoption approaches.
  • Designing and proposing business models aligned with customer needs.

Consultative Solution Design

  • Leading a consultative selling approach to define and refine solution options with customers, including:
    • Appropriate business models
    • User adoption and ramp-up strategies
    • Partner ecosystems (where relevant)
    • Key success factors for project delivery

Bid & Capture Management

  • Taking accountability for sales bidding processes and coordinating the full capture team by:
    • Defining bid strategies
    • Analysing target solutions and key value propositions
    • Preparing technical offers in coordination with the Offer Solution Engineering Manager
    • Ensuring all bid milestones and deliverables are met on time

Experience, Knowledge & Skills

Required

  • Master’s degree in Business, Engineering, Physics, or Mathematics
  • Full professional fluency in English
  • Proven track record in business development and/or solution sales within innovative and complex environments
  • Minimum 5 years of experience selling software solutions to government customers
  • Demonstrated experience engaging with C-Executive stakeholders within government and large organizations
  • Strong interpersonal and listening skills, with a proactive, agile, and solution-oriented mindset
  • Ability to operate effectively in transversal, multicultural organizations
  • Strong written communication skills, both persuasive and descriptive
  • Willingness to travel more than 25% of working time

Desirable

  • Previous experience in Border Control and/or airport biometric solutions
  • Proven ability to build, manage, and sustain a robust sales pipeline

What We Offer

  • Flexible working hours
  • Intensive working schedules on Fridays and during the summer period
  • Remote-friendly working model (up to 2 days per week working from home)
  • Restaurant allowance and comprehensive social benefits, including health insurance and kindergarten support

Thales is committed to equal opportunities between women and men. We actively promote diversity, inclusion, and awareness of equality both internally and externally.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working. Great journeys start here, apply now!