Keywords

Specific terms from a job description that must appear on your resume.

Keywords are specific words or phrases from a job description that an Applicant Tracking System scans for when ranking resumes. They typically include the required skills, tools, certifications, and job title variations the employer is looking for. Matching keywords to your resume is the single biggest lever for getting past the ATS filter.

To find the right keywords, read the job description carefully and highlight every skill, tool, methodology, and qualification mentioned. For every keyword you honestly have experience with, make sure it appears verbatim somewhere on your resume — in your summary, skills section, or bullet points. Don't exaggerate, and don't keyword-stuff (listing every keyword 10 times). Modern ATS catch that and modern recruiters see through it.