Your Guide to Understanding ATS Scores

You uploaded your resume into a resume scanning tool and got a score.

Maybe it was 82%.

Maybe it was 47%.

Maybe it was much lower than you expected.

Before you assume your resume is the problem, it’s important to understand what these tools are measuring, and why they aren’t designed to predict whether you’ll get a job interview.

Tools like Jobscan and similar online resume scanning applications compare your resume to a specific job posting and look for areas of alignment between the two. They can provide useful information, but they don’t determine whether you’ll get an interview. Even a high match score (80 percent or above) doesn’t guarantee an interview.

A low score doesn’t automatically mean your resume is bad, and a higher score doesn’t necessarily mean your resume is more effective.

How Resume Scanning Software Works

Resume scanners are designed to compare your resume to a specific job posting.

Depending on the tool, they may:

• Identify keywords or skills that appear in the job posting but not in your resume

• Flag formatting issues that could create problems in some applicant tracking systems (ATS)

• Highlight certifications, software, tools, or industry terminology that may be relevant to the position

• Show how closely your resume aligns with a particular job description

This information can be helpful, especially when you’re tailoring your resume for a specific opportunity.

However, the software can’t tell you whether you’ll actually get an interview or whether you’re the strongest candidate for the role. It can’t evaluate the quality of your accomplishments, the depth of your experience, your professional reputation, or the relationships you’ve built throughout your career.

Most importantly, employers do not receive the same score you see in a resume-scanning tool.

In fact, Jobscan states that its match rate is a visualization tool designed to help users measure alignment with a job posting. It is not a score generated by the employer’s applicant tracking software.

Why Scores Can Vary So Much

Many jobseekers are surprised when one tool gives their resume a high score while another gives it a much lower score. That’s because different tools use different methodologies. There are dozens of applicant tracking systems used by employers, and resume-scanning tools attempt to estimate how those systems might interpret a resume. Since each scanner uses its own criteria, the same resume can receive very different scores from different platforms.

As a result, scores should be viewed as one data point and not a final verdict on the quality of your resume.

The Risk of Chasing a Higher Score

One of the biggest mistakes jobseekers make is spending hours trying to increase a scanner score. It is possible to improve your match rate by copying language directly from the job posting into your resume. However, this can create a resume that sounds repetitive, generic, or unnatural.

A resume should reflect your actual experience and accomplishments, not simply repeat the job posting. The scanning software is comparing your resume to a job posting. But the resume will ultimately be read by a hiring manager who is comparing your qualifications to both the job requirements and other candidates.

Hiring Decisions Are Still Made by People

Applicant tracking systems help employers organize applications, but they don’t make hiring decisions. Recruiters, hiring managers, and interview teams decide who moves forward in the process. That’s one reason networking continues to be an important part of a successful job search. Referrals, professional relationships, industry contacts, and personal introductions can help you get your resume in front of decision-makers.

If you’re qualified for the role and your resume clearly communicates your value, don’t obsess over a score. Focus on getting your resume in front of recruiters and hiring managers.

Keep the Score in Perspective

Many resume scanners offer useful information and can help jobseekers identify opportunities to strengthen their resumes. However, it’s also important to remember that some of these tools promote additional services, including resume writing, optimization tools, subscriptions, and career products.

That doesn’t mean the feedback is wrong. However, a low score doesn’t automatically mean your resume is ineffective or that it won’t lead to interviews.

The Bottom Line

Resume scanners can be useful tools. They can help identify missing keywords, formatting issues, and opportunities to better align your resume with a specific job posting. But they’re only one part of the job-search process. Remember: A low score doesn’t automatically mean your resume is bad. A high score doesn’t guarantee an interview.

If you’re working with a professional resume writer, discuss the results before making major changes to your resume. Scanning software can identify potential gaps, but it can’t evaluate your career, your accomplishments, or the value you bring to an employer. Use it as one source of information when evaluating and improving your resume. But applying strategically, networking consistently, and connecting with the people making hiring decisions is just as important as the scanning software score.