Understanding ATS Scores

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) scores help you understand how well your resume will perform when submitted through online job applications. This guide explains how our ATS scoring works and how to interpret your results.

What Are ATS Scores?

ATS scores evaluate your resume across multiple dimensions:

• Skills Match: How well your skills align with the job requirements
• Title Match: Relevance of your job titles to the target position
• Recency: How recent and relevant your experience is
• Achievements: Quality and impact of your accomplishments
• Education: Relevance of your educational background

Score Ranges

How Scores Are Calculated

Our ATS scoring algorithm evaluates:

Skills Match (0-100)

Compares your listed skills with the job description requirements:

• Exact keyword matches
• Related skills and synonyms
• Skill placement (summary, skills section, experience)
• Industry-standard terminology

Title Match (0-100)

Evaluates how relevant your job titles are to the target position:

• Exact title matches
• Similar or related titles
• Career progression relevance
• Industry alignment

Recency (0-100)

Assesses how recent and relevant your experience is:

• Date of most recent relevant experience
• Gaps in employment history
• Relevance of recent roles
• Career continuity

Achievements (0-100)

Measures the quality and impact of your accomplishments:

• Use of action verbs
• Quantifiable results and metrics
• Impact and outcomes
• Relevance to job requirements

Education (0-100)

Evaluates your educational background:

• Degree level and relevance
• Field of study alignment
• Institution reputation (if applicable)
• Additional certifications

Understanding Your Results

After analyzing your resume, you'll receive:

• Overall Score: Weighted average of all component scores
• Component Scores: Individual scores for each category
• Keyword Analysis: Present and missing keywords
• Improvement Suggestions: Specific recommendations to raise your score
• ATS Flags: Potential issues that could affect parsing

Improving Your Score

To improve your ATS score:

1. Add Missing Keywords: Include relevant keywords from the job description
2. Strengthen Bullet Points: Use action verbs and quantify achievements
3. Update Skills Section: Ensure all relevant skills are listed
4. Optimize Summary: Include key terms and qualifications
5. Fix Formatting Issues: Address any ATS flags

Limitations

It's important to understand that:

• ATS scores are estimates based on common ATS parsing patterns
• Different ATS systems may parse resumes differently
• Scores don't guarantee you'll get an interview
• Human recruiters also review resumes
• Focus on improving your score, not achieving a perfect 100