How it works
Paste the job. Upload your resume. See the gaps.
Add the job.
Paste the description. CVSmith pulls out the hard and soft skills the role actually asks for.
Add your resume.
Upload a PDF or DOCX. CVSmith reads it the way an ATS would.
See the gaps.
A match score, the keywords you have, the ones you’re missing, and any formatting that breaks parsing.
Under the hood
What the check looks at.
Keyword match
Hard and soft skills extracted from the job description, matched against your resume — with the misses called out.
Formatting and parsing
Tables, columns, headers, and graphics that ATS parsers mangle — flagged before they cost you.
Match score
How well your resume lines up with this job’s requirements. Directional, not a verdict (see below).
See a real report
This is the report you get.
Two sample resumes, each scored against a real job description. Switch between them to see the match score, the keywords matched and missing, the formatting flags, and the recommended fixes — the same breakdown you’ll get on yours.
About the score
What the score means — and what it doesn’t.
Your score is two real things in one number: how many of the role’s keywords your resume contains, and how cleanly an ATS can read it. It’s a to-do list, not a verdict — no system rejects you for a 71 instead of an 85. But a resume the parser garbles, or one missing the words the job was posted with, gets buried before anyone reads it fairly. Close the gaps that are honestly yours, fix the formatting that breaks parsing, and skip the vanity points.
The problem
Why good resumes get auto-rejected.
Most applications are filtered before a person sees them. Usually it’s not your experience — it’s missing keywords the role named, or formatting the parser couldn’t read. A qualified candidate with a two-column PDF and the wrong noun for the same skill gets dropped. The check finds both.
- Two-column layoutParser merged both columns into one scrambled stream.
- “CI/CD” never writtenYou wrote “deployment automation” — the role asked for the exact term.
Beyond the scan
Beyond ATS scanning — meet the workspace.
A scan tells you what’s wrong on one resume. CVSmith fixes it and keeps going. Save a job and the AI tailors your resume, drafts a matching cover letter, and runs the ATS check automatically — then tracks the application from saved to offer. One scan becomes a whole job hunt, handled.
How we compare
CVSmith vs Jobscan vs Resume Worded.
Jobscan and Resume Worded check a resume against a job and hand you a report. CVSmith does that free — then tailors the fix and tracks every application, so you’re not optimizing one document at a time.
| Capability | Smith | Jobscan | Resume Worded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free ATS check (resume vs JD) | 3 / month | 5 / month | limited |
| Keyword gap + match score | |||
| Formatting / parse check | |||
| Tailors the resume + drafts the cover letter | scan + suggestions | feedback only | |
| Runs the check automatically per application | one scan at a time | ||
| Tracks applications, saved → offer | |||
| Starting paid price | $9/moFocused $19/mo | $49.95/mo$89.95/qtr | $19/mo |
Other checkers stop at the report. CVSmith turns the fixes into a tailored application — for every job you save.
FAQ
ATS resume questions.
A tool that reads your resume the way an applicant tracking system would and compares it to a job description — showing the keywords you match, the ones you’re missing, and formatting that may not parse.
Yes. You get 3 free checks a month, no card. Any paid plan ($9/mo and up) raises the limit and unlocks tailoring, cover letters, and tracking.
There’s no magic number to hit. Use it to prioritize: close the keyword gaps you can honestly claim and fix anything the parser flags. The score summarizes whether your resume reads correctly and matches the role — not your odds of getting hired.
Run it through the check. In short: single column, standard headings, no text in images or tables, a common font, and the keywords from the job described in plain words.
No — the check is one move inside a workspace. Save a job and CVSmith tailors your resume, drafts the cover letter, runs the check, and tracks the application from saved to offer.
No. Stuffing reads as spam to recruiters and modern parsers. Match the role’s language honestly; that’s what the check helps you do.
DOCX parses most reliably across systems; PDF is fine when the posting allows it. Avoid scanned images and multi-column layouts.