How ATS Resume Scoring Works — And How to Boost Your Score in 2025

In 2025, getting your resume seen by a recruiter starts with passing a machine test — and that test is called ATS scoring.

Top employers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) such as Workday, Greenhouse, and Lever to automatically rank resumes based on relevance. These systems don’t just scan for keywords — they score every resume based on how closely it matches the job description.

If your resume doesn’t hit a certain score threshold (often 70% or higher), it may never reach a human at all.

What Factors Affect Your ATS Score?

1. Keyword Match Rate

ATS tools compare your resume content against the job description, looking for exact keyword matches for skills, tools, certifications, and technologies.

For example:

• A job for Software Developer may require React, Git, TypeScript, Docker.
• Missing even one of these can lower your score drastically.

ResumeStore auto-scans job links and fills in missing keywords to match the role precisely — giving you a higher match rate without keyword stuffing.

Read more: Jobscan’s guide on resume keyword matching

2. Resume Formatting and Structure

Fancy layouts may look nice but can break ATS parsing. Systems struggle with:

• Tables
• Graphics or icons
• Text in columns or images

ResumeStore uses clean, ATS-parseable templates proven to work with systems like Lever and BambooHR.

Proof: LinkedIn's explanation of how ATS reads resumes

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3. Content Relevance

Even if you’ve had impressive experience, irrelevant bullet points won’t help.

For instance:

• Mentioning “customer service” in a DevOps resume can reduce relevance.

ResumeStore suggests data-driven bullet points that match the job post’s focus, improving your alignment score.

Tip: Glassdoor’s article on tailoring your resume

4. Length and Density

ATS-friendly resumes are typically 1–2 pages and focused. Long, vague resumes get ignored.

ResumeStore gives you real-time scoring and feedback on resume length, word count, and relevance to your target job.

More from Indeed: How long should a resume be?

5. Section Labeling

ATS systems rely on standard section names: "Experience", "Education", "Skills", etc.

Using creative headers like “My Journey” or “What I’ve Done” may confuse the parser.

ResumeStore uses standard ATS section formatting, compliant with hiring platforms like SmartRecruiters and iCIMS.

Ready to Build an ATS-Optimized Resume in Minutes?

Start with ResumeStore — scan your dream job, upload your resume, and let AI do the heavy lifting.

🔗 Start Building My ATS Resume →

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