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 .

Principal Software Engineer, Manufacturing Intelligence

Xometry · Denver, CO

Xometry (NASDAQ: XMTR) powers the industries of today and tomorrow by connecting the people with big ideas to the manufacturers who can bring them to life. Xometry’s digital marketplace gives manufacturers the critical resources they need to grow their business while also making it easy for buyers at Fortune 1000 companies to tap into global manufacturing capacity.

Xometry is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead the technical design and engineering of systems to predict and remediate challenges in manufacturing customers’ parts. This team’s solutions combine ML model predictions, part geometry information, and customer information to help us accurately predict manufacturing cost and find the partners to manufacture parts successfully. This role does not require previous knowledge of manufacturing or ML, though it is helpful.

The ideal candidate will have at least 8+ years of total experience in the industry, including a minimum of 4 years as technical leader of a fast-moving, collaborative team.  This position requires both technical leadership and hands-on contribution.  Our teams are highly collaborative, cross-functional, and rapidly iterating and innovating.

Responsibilities:

  • Hands-On Technical Leadership: Adopt a 'lead by example' approach by actively coding and troubleshooting, as well as creating documentation and technical diagrams.
  • Teaching & Mentorship: You will serve as a technical mentor and guide to engineers across the organization, teaching and mentoring them to grow their skills.
  • Code Review: You will do code review and mentor others within the organization regarding best practices in ML Engineering.
  • Operational Excellence: Guarantee the delivery of superior infrastructure and software that not only meets but exceeds customer expectations, while aligning with the strategic business timelines.
  • Collaborative Strategy: Forge strong partnerships with product managers, data scientists, and company leadership to promote a culture of open communication and integrated team dynamics.
  • Guide Innovation: Champion the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, methodologies, and practices to enhance problem-solving efficiency and effectiveness across the AI/ML organization.

Qualifications:

  • At least 8 years of experience in software engineering or similar technical roles.
  • A bachelor’s degree is required, but an advanced degree (M.S. or PhD) in computer science or a related field is preferred and may substitute for some years of experience.
  • Proficiency in software engineering best practices, including object-oriented design, code versioning, and testing as well as experience improving a team’s use of these practices
  • Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) and containerization technologies (Docker and Kubernetes)
  • Experience designing, building, and managing distributed computing systems
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks and managing resources effectively
  • Demonstrated ability to interact and communicate effectively at all levels of the organization, from executives to product managers and a wide variety of stakeholders and contributors
  • Must be a US Citizen or Green Card holder (ITAR)

The estimated base salary range for new hires into this role is $148,000- $193,000 annually + annual bonus depending on factors such as job-related skills, relevant experience, and location. We also offer a competitive benefits package, including 401(k) match, medical, dental and vision insurance; life and disability insurance; generous paid time off including vacation, sick leave, floating and fixed holidays, maternity and bonding leave; EAP, other wellbeing resources; and much more.

#LI-Hybrid

Xometry is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

For US based roles: Xometry participates in E-Verify and after a job offer is accepted, will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.