Resume keywords: how to find and use the right ones
ATS software compares the words in your resume with the job post. If the important words are missing, your resume may rank low even when you are qualified. Here is a simple way to find and use them honestly.
Find the keywords
Read the job description and mark the skills, tools, qualifications and job titles that appear more than once. Those are the keywords that matter most.
Use them where they are true
Add a keyword only if you have the skill. Place it where it makes sense.
- In the skills list.
- In your summary.
- In experience bullets that show how you used it.
Use the job's own wording
If the post says “customer relationship management”, include that phrase and, if relevant, CRM. Software may match exact words, so use both the full term and the short form once.
Do not stuff keywords
Hiding extra words in white text or repeating a word many times is easy to spot and can get your resume rejected. A natural resume that mirrors the job post honestly works better.
Check your match
Our free ATS checker compares your resume with a job post and lists the keywords you are missing, so you can fix them before you apply.
Check your resume against a job
Free ATS check: no sign-up, nothing saved.
Keep reading
- How to make your resume ATS-friendlyWhat applicant tracking systems do, how they read your resume and how to avoid common formatting mistakes.
- How to write the skills section of your resumeWhat skills to list, how to group them and how to match them to a job post without exaggerating.
- How to write a resume that gets shortlistedA step-by-step guide for Indian job seekers: what to include, what to leave out and how to order it.