What to do when your ATS match score is stuck at 60

You've pasted the job description, you've tailored, you've added the keywords. The score won't budge past 60. Here's the diagnostic tree.

Most people hit a ceiling somewhere in the 55–65 range and stop. The scoring curve isn't linear — going from 50 to 65 is often easy; going from 65 to 85 takes specific work. Here's how to unstick a stuck score.

Step 1: check the Missing Keywords panel

If there are 8+ missing keywords, the gap is vocabulary, not structure. Add the ones you honestly have in your experience. Don't add ones you don't — the recruiter will catch it in a 5-minute phone screen.

Step 2: check your experience bullet density

Count the nouns in your top three bullets. If any of them has fewer than three concrete nouns (tools, systems, metrics, outcomes), that's a weak bullet. Rewrite it — use the Improve button or just do it yourself. Recruiters and ATS both reward specificity.

Step 3: check your titles

If the JD says "Senior Software Engineer" and your title is "Member of Technical Staff," you're going to lose points no matter what. Most companies let you render the title that matches how the role was understood — if you're being hired for a "Senior SWE" role and that was the functional level, it's fair to say so. This is the single highest-leverage fix for stuck scores.

Step 4: if all three are clean and you're still stuck, you're in the wrong search

A score that stalls in the low 60s after you've honestly tailored everything usually means the role is a stretch fit. That's still worth applying to! But it means a generic cover letter won't cut it. Use the Cover Letters feature to write a letter that acknowledges the gap and argues why you're the right bet anyway.