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 .

Senior Major Gift Officer

Usm · Hattiesburg, MS, US

Special Instructions to Applicants When applying for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume and the contact information for three (3) references. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for visa sponsorship. The University will not sponsor applicants for work visas (e.g., H-1B). Job Summary The Senior Major Gift Officer serves as a senior-level fundraiser responsible for developing charitable support for the University through the USM Foundation. This position identifies prospects, cultivates, solicits, and stewards donors with a focus on those capable of making principal-level gifts of $100,000 or more in support of University objectives while meeting defined visit and solicitation goals and working closely with the Chief Development Officer, deans, faculty, staff, volunteers and other key stakeholders to achieve those goals. This position independently prioritizes goals set in consultation with supervisors and assists Foundation management in the development and execution of the fundraising plan for the organization. Primary Duties and Responsibilities Identifies, cultivates, solicits and stewards alumni and other donors to include development and implementation of prospect strategy, preparation of written materials, direct solicitation, and, if appropriate, solicitation in tandem with others. Develops and executes effective cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies. Engages deans, University faculty and staff, and others in advancement efforts, as required. Stewards relationships with existing donors. Maintains records of visits, solicitations, and cultivation statuses in accordance with system requirements and Foundation protocols. Records detailed interaction of all visits and prospect management including proposals to prospects and gifts donated to the Foundation. Independently and successfully manages a portfolio of prospective donors with a focus on principal gift prospects. Works with Research team to identify new prospects for major and planned gifts to build and maintain a robust pipeline of prospects. Ensures all assigned prospects are managed effectively and adjusts strategy as needed. Works with Communications team to develop individualized proposals for high-level gifts and to properly publicize gifts in accordance with donor preferences. Works with Donor Engagement team to create individualized stewardship plans for high-level gifts as appropriate. Meets defined visit, solicitation and gift closure goals. Exercises and promotes good judgment, discretion in interactions and application of ethics related to development activities. Proactively stays informed about current events and trends in philanthropy and fundraising. Mentors Major Gift and Development Officers in their continued development and professional growth. Assists the Chief Development Officer in the training and guidance of new Development Officers. Manages an expense budget to optimize utilization of resources to achieve stated goals. Plans and implements personal travel, as necessary. Completes expense submittals on a timely basis. Performs other duties as assigned.