A resume score of 70 out of 100 is not enough to tell whether your resume is good, whether it will pass an applicant tracking system (ATS), or whether you are likely to get an interview. The number needs a source and a rubric: one tool may check whether it can read your resume, another may compare it with a particular job posting, and an employer may use a configured matching feature.
Start by finding out which kind of score you received. Until you know what it measures, 70 is just a number—not a verdict on your qualifications.
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What does a resume score of 70 mean?
It depends on the tool and the report. A score may describe document parsing, how closely your resume matches one selected job description, or an employer’s configured candidate-matching feature. These measure different things, so a 70 from one product cannot be translated into a 70 from another.
| Score type | What it may help you check | What it cannot establish by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Resume parsing or format compatibility | Whether software appears to extract fields and sections from the document | Whether you are qualified or will be selected |
| Resume-to-job match rate | Which terms or qualifications in one job description appear to be missing from your resume | A universal ATS score, a guaranteed interview chance, or your fit for other jobs |
| Employer-configured candidate matching | How a particular employer’s enabled feature categorizes an application against its configured criteria | A scale shared by every employer or resume-scoring tool |
For example, Jobscan’s resume scanner compares a resume with a selected job description and reports a match rate and missing terms. Jobscan says its recommended target of 75% or higher reflects strong alignment on its own scale. It also explains that its scanner’s match rate is a visualization tool, not a score assigned by the employer’s ATS. That 75% recommendation is vendor-specific guidance, not a general pass mark.
Jobscan says its match rate can reflect factors such as skills, education when an advanced degree is specified, job title, and other keywords. Because it is tied to the selected posting, a score can change when the job description changes. It does not establish how another tool or employer evaluates the same resume.
Does a 70 mean your resume will pass an ATS?
No conclusion follows from the number alone. Some employer systems have matching features, but that does not make their scores equivalent to consumer resume-scanner scores. Greenhouse documents an optional Talent Matching feature that employers must configure and that can assign match categories. It is separate from basic resume parsing.
Whether a particular employer uses such a feature, what criteria it applies, and how it affects an application cannot be inferred from an unexplained score generated elsewhere. A consumer scanner’s result is not evidence that your application will pass or fail that employer’s process.
How to interpret the score you received
- Identify the provider. Find the name of the website, app, or employer system that generated the result, then open its detailed report.
- Find the score definition. Check whether it refers to parsing and formatting or to a match against a specific job posting. If the report does not explain the scale, the number cannot be interpreted reliably.
- Inspect the underlying details. For a match score, look at the exact skills or requirements flagged. For a parsing check, compare the information the tool extracted with your original resume.
- Make only accurate changes. Add a relevant qualification or skill only if you actually have it, and describe your experience truthfully. Do not change job titles or add keywords simply to raise a score.
- Stop when the resume is accurate and readable. Fix errors that hide relevant qualifications or make the document hard to read; do not keep editing only to reach a round target.
- If the employer gave you the score, ask what it measures when possible. Advice from a consumer scanner may not describe the employer’s system or process.
If the report is about parsing, check what the software read
A resume can contain relevant experience and still be parsed incorrectly. Greenhouse Support says resume parsing is designed to save time but can make mistakes. Its documentation lists possible problems such as oversized files, image-only uploads, complex tables or columns, and contact details placed in headers, footers, or text boxes.
Check that your employment history, dates, section headings, skills, and contact information appear correctly in the extracted fields. If information is missing or misplaced, correct it in the application form when possible and make the source document easier to read. A parsing error is not, by itself, evidence that you are unqualified.
Greenhouse recommends PDF for best results in its MyGreenhouse workflow. That is product-specific guidance, not a rule for every employer or ATS. Follow the file instructions for the application you are completing, and review the parsed details when the system gives you a chance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if 70 is all the report tells you
If there is no provider, score definition, or breakdown, the particular 70 cannot be classified as good or bad. Ask for the name of the tool and what its score measures, or share the report details with someone who can review them. The useful question is not how to reach 100; it is whether the resume accurately presents your qualifications and whether the report has identified a specific, truthful improvement.
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