ATS Resume Keywords: How to Find and Use Them

How an ATS reads your resume

An ATS does three things with your resume. First it extracts the text — your name, contact details, job titles, dates and skills. Then it stores that text in a searchable profile. Finally, it lets recruiters search, filter and sometimes rank candidates by how well they match the job.

Two things can go wrong. If the ATS cannot extract your text correctly — because of tables, text boxes, images of text or unusual layouts — your profile will be incomplete. And if the text is extracted correctly but does not contain the terms the recruiter searches for, you will not appear in their results.

Contrary to popular myth, most ATS software does not automatically reject resumes. Recruiters do — and they do it by searching. Your job is to make sure your resume shows up in those searches.

What counts as a keyword

• Hard skills: SQL, financial modeling, patient assessment, Python, AutoCAD, payroll.
• Tools and software: Salesforce, Excel, Figma, SAP, Epic, Jira.
• Job titles: "data analyst", "registered nurse", "account executive".
• Certifications and licenses: CPA, PMP, AWS Certified, CCRN, ISTQB.
• Methods and domains: Agile, Lean Six Sigma, GAAP, B2B SaaS, e-commerce.
• Degrees: "Bachelor's in Computer Science", "MBA".

How to find the right keywords in a job post

You do not need a paid tool. Ten minutes with the job post is enough:

1. Copy the full job description into a document.
2. Highlight every skill, tool, qualification and job title mentioned.
3. Note which ones appear more than once or in the "requirements" section — those matter most.
4. Look at two or three similar job posts from other companies. Terms that appear in all of them are the core keywords for that role.
5. Check which of those terms are true for you. Those are your target keywords.

Where to put keywords

Spread them naturally across the resume. Recruiters and modern ATS systems give more weight to keywords that appear in context.

• Job title line: use the title from the posting if it honestly describes you ("Data Analyst", not "Data Ninja").
• Summary: the two or three most important keywords.
• Experience bullets: show keywords in action — "Built Power BI dashboards for 120 managers" beats a bare "Power BI" in a list.
• Skills section: the full list of matching hard skills and tools.
• Certifications: the exact certificate names.

Exact wording matters

Use the same words as the job post. If it says "customer relationship management", include that phrase, and "CRM" as well. If it says "JavaScript", do not write only "JS".

Write out acronyms at least once: "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)". Recruiters search for both versions.

Match the job title wording where it is accurate. A recruiter searching for "project manager" may not find "delivery lead".

Avoid keyword stuffing

Repeating keywords dozens of times, hiding them in white text or pasting the whole job description into your resume does not work. Modern systems detect it, and the recruiter who reads your resume afterwards will reject it immediately.

Only list skills you can discuss confidently in an interview. A keyword gets you seen; your experience gets you hired.

Make sure the ATS can read your resume

• Use standard section headings: "Experience", "Education", "Skills".
• Avoid tables, text boxes, headers and footers for important content.
• Do not put text inside images or icons.
• Use a single-column layout when applying through large company portals.
• Save as PDF (unless asked for Word) from a real text document — not a scan.

Keyword examples by job

Each of our resume examples lists the most common ATS keywords for that role. A few examples:

• Software engineer: microservices, REST APIs, distributed systems, CI/CD, cloud, unit testing.
• Data analyst: SQL, Power BI, Tableau, Excel, Python, dashboards, KPI, A/B testing.
• Registered nurse: patient care, BLS, ACLS, Epic, medication administration, care planning.
• Accountant: general ledger, reconciliation, month-end close, GAAP, IFRS, audit.
• Project manager: PMP, Agile, Scrum, risk management, stakeholder management, budget management.

Test your resume

Once you have added keywords, run your resume through the free ATS resume checker. It reads your file the way an ATS does and scores it on contact details, summary, action verbs, measurable results, skills and more. Or build an ATS-friendly resume from scratch with one of the free templates labeled "ATS-friendly".