ATS resume checker and resume score
The OnJob ATS resume checker reads your resume the way applicant tracking systems do and gives it a score out of 100, with a short report for each section: what is working and what to fix first. The full resume check is part of the paid plan. Checking your resume against a specific job is free, with three free job match checks every 30 days.
Two ways to check your resume
The checker has two modes. Use the job check before each application, and the full resume check when you want a complete review of the document itself.
Check your resume
Paid planScores how applicant tracking systems read your whole resume, section by section. The full ATS resume check, where you upload a resume and get a scored report for each section, is part of the paid candidate plan.
Check against a job
Free: three free job match checks every 30 daysCompares your profile, a role profile or an uploaded resume with one job and lists missing skills and quick wins.
What does a resume score report look like?
Each report opens with your score, then lists what is already working in green and the fixes to make first in amber. Below that, every section gets its own score and a short note.
Illustration with made-up data
72
out of 100
Needs workWhat is working
- Your contact details are plain text and easy to find at the top.
- Each role lists the company, title and dates in the same format.
- Your skills section names specific tools rather than general traits.
Fix these first
- Add two or three results with numbers to your most recent role.
- Rename the "My Journey" heading to "Experience" so it is recognised.
- Shorten the summary to two lines that name your target role.
Contact details
GoodEmail, phone and city are all present and readable.
Experience
Needs workBullets describe duties. Show what changed because of your work.
Skills
GoodClear list of tools. Group them by type to make them easier to scan.
Summary
Needs workFour lines with no target role. Cut it to two focused lines.
How the ATS resume checker works
- 01
Upload your resume
Sign in and upload a PDF or Word file, or check the resume already saved on your profile. The file is used only for the check.
- 02
Read your score and report
You get an overall score out of 100 and a score for each section, with what is working and what to fix first.
- 03
Fix, then check against a job
Make the fixes in the free resume builder, then compare the result with a specific job posting. Free users get three free job match checks every 30 days.
What the resume score checker looks at
A score out of 100
One overall number you can track as you edit, with a band that tells you whether the resume is ready to send.
Section-by-section report
Contact details, summary, experience, education, skills and more are scored separately, so you know where to spend your time.
Keywords found and missing
See which skills and terms the check found in your resume, and which ones are missing for the role you are targeting.
Plain-language fixes
Each weak section comes with a short, specific fix rather than general advice.
What is an ATS score?
An ATS score is a 0 to 100 rating of how well applicant tracking software can read your resume and match it to a role. Employers use these systems to collect and filter applications before a recruiter opens them, and a resume that parses badly can lose whole sections on the way in.
The score measures readability and fit, not whether you would be good at the job. Treat a high score as clearing the first gate rather than as a guarantee of an interview.
What is a good ATS score?
Strong
Reads cleanly and covers the standard sections. Ready to send.
Needs work
Readable, but some sections are thin or unclear. Fix the lowest scores first.
Weak
Something important is missing or unreadable. Start with layout and contact details.
The 7 most common ATS mistakes and how to fix them
These are the structural problems that most often stop a resume from being read correctly.
| The mistake | The fix |
|---|---|
| Two-column or table-based layout | Switch to a single-column layout so the parser reads top to bottom |
| Contact details inside a page header, footer or image | Put email, phone and city as plain text near the top of the page |
| Missing the keywords the job asks for | Use the exact skill and tool names from the posting where they are true for you |
| Creative section headings | Use standard labels such as Experience, Education and Skills |
| Graphics, icons, charts or skill bars | Remove them; parsers cannot read images and may skip text beside them |
| Scanned or photographed PDF | Export a text-based PDF or Word file with selectable text |
| Inconsistent date formats | Use one format, such as Jan 2023 to Mar 2025, for every role |
How do I make my resume pass ATS screening?
Use a single-column layout in reverse-chronological order, keep the section headings conventional, and mirror the exact skill wording the job description uses where it is true for you. Most rejections at this stage are structural rather than about your experience: a two-column design or a heading the parser does not recognise can lose entire sections. The ATS-friendly templates in the free builder already follow these rules.
Resume checker questions
Is the OnJob ATS resume checker free?
The full ATS resume check, where you upload a resume and get a scored report for each section, is part of the paid candidate plan. Checking your profile or resume against a specific job is free: you get three free job match checks every 30 days. The resume builder is free: every template, every colour and the PDF download, with no credit card.
Do I need an account to check my resume?
Yes. Both checks run inside your OnJob candidate account, so you sign in or create a free account first.
How is the ATS score calculated?
The check reads your file the way screening software does and scores each section, including contact details, summary, experience, education and skills, along with formatting and keywords. The overall score out of 100 reflects those section scores.
What is a good ATS score?
As a rule of thumb, 80 and above means the resume reads cleanly and is ready to send, 50 to 79 needs work, and below 50 means something important is missing or unreadable. Fix the lowest-scoring sections first.
Which file format should I upload?
A text-based PDF or a Word document. A scanned or photographed resume contains an image rather than text, so neither the checker nor an employer’s applicant tracking system can read it.
Check your resume before you apply
Run the full ATS resume check on the paid plan, or compare your resume with a job for free, with three free job match checks every 30 days.