Understand the comparison before you edit
ATS resume checker: review your resume against a job
Use Resumiq to compare your existing experience with a job description and review suggested wording. Start with keyword relevance, then check the actual document and the employer's application instructions.
Sign in for 1 free tailoring credit every 30 days, with on-screen results. Pro or an active pack unlocks AI resume downloads; paid results and unlocked downloads stay available after access ends.
What does an ATS resume checker measure?
An ATS resume checker can help you review how your resume relates to a job posting. Resumiq separates qualification coverage from job wording coverage and suggests edits using your existing experience. Its estimates are writing aids: they do not simulate an employer's ATS, test every file-formatting issue, or predict a hiring decision.
Three checks that answer different questions
A readable file, a relevant resume, and a qualified applicant are related, but one does not prove the other two. Check each separately.
Keyword relevance
Does my resume describe experience this role needs?
Resumiq compares job keywords and shows missing terms. Review each term in context; a similar word is not proof of the same skill.
Document readability
Can the text be extracted in a sensible order?
Copy text from your exported file and inspect headings, contact details, dates, and bullets. This manual check complements the keyword comparison.
Actual requirements
Do I meet the requirements the employer specifies?
Read qualifications, location, availability, and application instructions yourself. A keyword score cannot confirm eligibility or employer preferences.
Example: fix a wording gap without inventing a skill
Imagine an operations assistant posting asks for Excel reporting, shift scheduling, and SQL. The following invented example shows why you need more than a single score.
Original experience
Prepared weekly reports in Excel and scheduled team shifts.
| Job requirement | Evidence | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Excel reporting | Weekly reports made in Excel | Keep the tool and reporting task together. |
| Shift scheduling | Scheduled team shifts | Use clear wording for the same task. |
| SQL | Not described in the source | Leave it out unless you can supply real experience. |
A possible manual revision is: “Prepared weekly Excel reports and coordinated shift scheduling for the team.” It preserves the task. Adding SQL or an invented percentage improvement would change the facts.
Check the exported file before you apply
- Select and copy the text. Paste it into a plain text editor. Check that experience entries and their dates appear together; a readable copy is a useful check, rather than a guarantee for every parser.
- Use clear sections and a simple layout. When parsing is a concern, prefer a straightforward single-column version with headings such as Experience, Education, and Skills.
- Keep essential details in the main content. Make your name and contact details easy to find without relying on a header, a footer, graphics, or a text box.
- Follow the posting. Submit the requested file type and file size, then verify any application fields populated from your document.
These precautions reflect known parser risks: Greenhouse lists image-only resumes, complex layouts, columns, and contact information in headers or footers among possible parsing problems. See Greenhouse's resume parsing documentation. Other systems and employer workflows can differ.
Compare, review, then submit
Sign in to Resumiq, paste your resume or import its PDF text, and paste the full job description. After optimization, inspect the keyword estimate, missing terms, and suggested bullets. Keep your original employers, titles, dates, qualifications, and outcomes accurate. A clearer resume can still have the same score.
Need to start from scratch? The manual resume builder offers PDF and DOCX exports after sign-in. You can prepare your document before using your free tailoring credit.
Frequently asked questions
Does Resumiq check my resume against an employer's ATS?
No. Resumiq compares your resume evidence and wording with assessed requirements from the job description you provide. It does not connect to an employer's applicant tracking system, reproduce that system's screening rules, or predict whether you will get an interview.
Is the resume comparison free?
Sign in for one free resume tailoring credit every 30 days, with on-screen edits and keyword-match estimates. Pro is $5/month for 10 credits each billing month. The $20 one-time Application Pack includes 40 credits to use within 12 months. Both paid options unlock downloads and one matching cover-letter draft per result while active. Paid results and unlocked downloads stay available after access ends. Service rate limits apply.
Can I upload a PDF resume?
Yes. In the optimizer, you can upload a text-based PDF or paste your resume text, then provide a job description. A scan or photo without readable text may not import correctly. Check the extracted content before you optimize.
What is a good ATS score?
There is no universal passing ATS score. Resumiq's number estimates keyword overlap for the specific job description, rather than employer acceptance. Review the relevance and accuracy of each match and missing requirement instead of trying to reach an arbitrary number.
Does a parsing problem mean an automatic rejection?
A parsing problem and an application decision are different events. Greenhouse, for example, describes cases where a resume remains attached but candidate fields need manual correction. An employer's workflow determines what happens next. Always inspect any fields the application form fills automatically.
Keep working on your application
Understand an ATS score
Separate a keyword-match estimate from an employer screening decision.
PDF or DOCX for your resume?
Compare formats and check the text in your final application document.
Inspect individual job keywords
See how a match, a wording gap, and an absent qualification differ.
An ATS resume preparation checklist
Work through your content and layout before submitting an application.