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

Zefir · Paris or remote

Who We Are

Zefir is building an AI autopilot for home sales in Europe, starting in France: an AI agent runs the entire sale and purchase journey end-to-end, orchestrating local brokers, portals, buyers, and documents.

Backed by over $55 million from top-tier investors like Sequoia Capital, we're committed to accelerating life changes for millions of current and future European homeowners.

Engineering Team

At Zefir, our Engineering Team is the driving force behind our mission to accelerate life changes. Growing rapidly from 9 to 30+ engineers, we don’t just write code—we solve meaningful problems for our customers.

From ideation to launch and beyond, engineers at Zefir take full ownership of their work, ensuring that every feature delivers the expected impact. We leverage LLM-based development workflows and shared best practices to automate repetitive tasks, allowing us to keep our codebase lean, scalable, and built for speed.

Responsibilities/Mission

  • Develop and deploy robust, high-performance APIs using Node.js (TypeScript), Nest.js, and GraphQL.

  • Build intuitive frontend applications with React.js and Next.js, delivering outstanding user experiences.

  • Collaborate closely with Product Managers and cross-functional teams (Operations, Growth, Brand) to prioritize features and deliver key objectives.

  • Own the full lifecycle of features from ideation and design through implementation, deployment, and performance monitoring.

  • Write clean, maintainable, thoroughly-tested code to ensure fast deployments and continuous improvement.

  • Implement comprehensive end-to-end (E2E) tests to ensure reliability and reduce code review cycles.

  • Proactively contribute to strategic decisions about the future direction of our web applications and infrastructure.

  • Leverage LLM-based libraries and implement key AI-driven functionalities (RAG, memory, agentic workflows) using stacks like Pinecone and Langchain.

Qualification

  • Entrepreneurial mindset with a demonstrated ability to turn ambitious ideas into practical solutions.

  • Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly evaluate and recommend effective technological solutions.

  • Highly collaborative, open-minded, and comfortable working closely with diverse teams.

  • Ambitious, performance-oriented, and maintains a positive attitude.

  • Fluent in English for clear and effective communication.


Benefits

  • Competitive salary: You can run your own simulation with our salary calculator.

  • BSPCE (Stock Options): Available for everyone, with monthly vesting after year one, over a 4-year period.

  • Healthcare plan: Full coverage with Alan for team members, their partners, and children.

  • Office in Le Peletier, Paris (9th arrondissement): With flexible remote work options.

  • Swile meal card: €11 per worked day.

  • Swile mobility card: €42/month to support sustainable transportation (metro, carpooling, biking…).

  • Team events: Monthly Mixers to connect and share good times, and quarterly All Hands to celebrate wins across the company.

Our Operating Principles

🏔️ Steep Mountains Are Steep: Setting ambitious goals and working hard to achieve them.

🌊 Ride Reality: Actively seeking challenges and thriving by adapting flexibly to changes.

🏀 Play for the Front of the Jersey: Prioritizing team success over individual recognition.

Application & Process

We welcome applications from anyone, regardless of background, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or experience. Our team values authenticity and diverse perspectives.

For all roles, our interview process emphasizes hands-on exercises, case studies, or discussions about specific examples of your previous work. We ensure objectives and expectations are clearly communicated at every step.

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