Resume Keywords: How to Use Them + List by Industry

The use of resume keywords is what gives you an advantage over other candidates. Recruiters are pressed for time. They don’t even read resumes; they scan them in search of important terms. Worse than that—

They’re even too busy to do the scanning themselves and use automated tools, called applicant tracking systems. So, if you want your resume to be read, learn how to use keywords for a resume. 

This guide will show you:

• What resume keywords employers look for on job applications.
• How to find the right keywords for a resume to beat the other candidates and get the interview.
• How to hack the ATS to honestly include words you don’t qualify for.
• A list of resume keywords, sorted by industry, you can use.

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1. What Are Resume Keywords and Why You Must Use Them

Resume keywords are specific words and phrases that describe your professional skills and relevant experience and expertise. They indicate the qualities hiring managers look for in candidates. Resume keywords also help your job application rank higher in search results when employers use ATS software.

To identify the right keywords for your resume, carefully review the job description and tailor your application accordingly. If you possess those skills and experience, you need to show it off in a way that is easy to understand by humans and robots alike.

So, you need to use resume keywords, and use them right. Why?

Your resume isn’t read, it’s scanned. First, by automated software (ATS) which assists companies and human resources with the hiring process. ATS scans all candidates’ resumes and assigns a score based on each candidate’s compatibility to the position. Once an employer adds the ~250 resumes they get for each job posting into the ATS, they can filter the candidates based on resume keywords they’re looking for.

For example: Of those 250 resumes, 50 have Skill A, 75 have Skill B, but only 5 have both A and B.

Those last 5 will receive a call for an interview. According to ERE, the ATS will filter out about 75% of all job applications per job ad.

Second, by the actual recruiter. Most recruiters spend merely seconds (or minutes at best) looking at resume just to make sure the candidate meets their requirements. If you don’t have the right experience and skills (or don’t know how to present them!), you’re done. You’ll never hear back.

So, how to make sure you pass the test? Finding the right words in the job ad and using them as your resume keywords is a must. The next section will teach you how to do it.

Expert Hint: To see how your resume stacks up on the ATS, use a resume keyword finder like Jobscan  and use an ATS-friendly resume template to make it past the bots. 

2. Start Your Hunt for Resume Keywords from the Job Listing

Prepare your targeted resume with the job ad in front of you and use its language as your resume keywords.

Let’s look at this resume sample job description snippet for an operations associate:

To be qualified for this position, the candidate needs to have and mention their experience with CRM software and the largest online marketplaces. That’s in addition to expertise in managing a small team.

Have this experience but fail to include it? It’s like you never had any experience at all—they’ll toss your resume. Use wording that matches the job description so you have the best chance of appeasing the ATS scan. To succeed in this particular example, on your resume you’d have to include the knowledge of “MS Office,” instead of separating it into “Word,” “Excel,” etc.

However, don’t copy everything! They want a resume from a well-qualified candidate, not a plagiarized version of their original job ad—32% of employers auto-reject applications that copy too much text from the ad. That above example lists some easy-to-follow nouns to add here and there in your resume.

But now, let’s look at another sample text for a project coordinator:

Paragraphs like these are harder to parse, but they’re just as rich in resume keywords as any list of responsibilities or qualifications. For keywords such as “timely and effective project communication,” use that phrase in your resume profile (objective, summary, or summary of qualifications).

Alternatively, talk about this in your job experience section from a past position.

Expert Hint: Keywords should never be repeated in a resume? Untrue. You can highlight your expertise in a given skill or task by using it more than once as a keyword on your resume. This increases the keyword density and will help you to match better. But only do this on the most crucial keywords!

3. Discover More Resume Keywords on Your Own

Sometimes the job listing won’t give you all the powerful keywords for resumes. In these cases, you just have to find them on your own.

But it’s easy. Here are the best places to find power words to use as your resume keywords and industry buzzwords:

• Wikipedia — Search your prospective job title to find tools of the trade, general responsibilities, and more.
• Industry organizations and trade websites —You’ll find lots of relevant industry jargon in case studies and interviews with experts in your field.
• The company’s website — Your future resume keywords sleep in the company’s scope of operations, values, future plans, etc.
• Other job listings — Other job ads for similar roles will give you a lot of ideas for words to use in a resume.
• The BLS OOH — The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has their Occupational Outlook Handbook, profiling all the common job titles out there.
• Google — Search for “[industry] resume keywords” and you’ll get even more suggestions.

You can search for resume keywords based on the position (e.g., administrative assistant keywords), industry (e.g., marketing resume keywords), and seniority (e.g., management resume keywords).

List of Resume Keywords by Industry

List of keywords to use in a resume for finance:

• Financial analysis
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Investment analysis
• Financial modeling
• Risk management
• Accounting
• Audit and compliance
• Cash flow management
• Financial planning and strategy
• Tax planning and preparation
• Corporate finance
• Asset management
• Wealth management
• Financial reporting
• Cost accounting

List of resume keywords related to management:

• Strategic planning
• Team management
• Project management
• Performance metrics
• Budgeting and financial management
• Change management
• Business development
• Operations management
• Risk management
• Sales management
• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Supply chain management
• Quality management
• Cross-functional collaboration

List of keywords to use on a resume for human resources:

• Talent acquisition
• Recruitment and staffing
• Onboarding and orientation
• Employee relations
• Performance management
• Training and development
• Compensation and benefits
• HR policies and procedures
• HR information systems
• Employment law and compliance
• Diversity and inclusion
• Succession planning
• Workforce planning
• Change management
• Conflict resolution

List of keywords to use on a resume for legal:

• Litigation
• Contract drafting and review
• Legal research
• Negotiation
• Case management
• Compliance
• Intellectual property
• Corporate law
• Regulatory compliance
• Mediation and arbitration
• Legal writing and analysis
• Depositions
• Civil litigation
• Appellate practice
• Commercial litigation
• Immigration law

List of keywords to use on a resume for IT:

• Programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, C++)
• Software development methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum)
• Database management (e.g., SQL, NoSQL)
• Cloud computing (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
• Cybersecurity
• Network administration and management
• Technical support and troubleshooting
• System architecture and design
• Web development (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Mobile app development (e.g., iOS, Android)
• DevOps
• IT project management
• Business analysis
• Data analysis and visualization
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
• User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of action words for resumes.They can elevate your resume to the next level. Use words like "negotiated," "managed," "analyzed," "achieved," or "exceeded" to make your resume stand out.

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Expert Hint: When writing you resume, avoid negative words, passive voice, “I” words, cliched statements, and the “references available upon request” phrase. They all will hurt your chances of landing a job interview.

4. Add Your Resume Keywords Strategically

Let’s start with an example job ad:

Most keywords you’ll take from a job listing like this will fit into your resume skills section. The list of skills for a resume is a great place to add both soft skills they’re looking for (e.g., interpersonal skills, communication skills) and hard skills (e.g., Microsoft Office, Sabre CRS).

However, if it is more crucial to the position, give it a boost by speaking of these also in other areas, such as your resume summary or work experience.

Here’s a sample resume summary:

See that? We brought your CRS expertise out of the depths of the skills section to the heading statement—which is sure to get more eye time. On top of that, we satisfied the experience length requirements, and we used their wording mentioning the specific position being applied for.

And, as far as technical and computer skills (e.g. Sabre CRS) are concerned, you can also bring it up in a separate certifications section:

Finally, soft skills, such as leadership or problem-solving, are more vague, so you can additionally hint at them in your hobbies and interests section.

For example, an opening for a supervisor can get a subtle nod at your leadership skills by mentioning how you like to coach the junior softball team in your spare time. There are many ways to add strong words to use on a resume!

Expert Hint: How many resume keywords should you use? 25 to 30 is a good number, all parts of a resume included. Make it a healthy mix of words from the job ad and words you come up with yourself (with the help of Wikipedia, Google, etc.).

5. Reuse Your Resume Keywords in Your Email & Cover Letter

The resume is not the only document you’re writing or handing in. You’ll likely send it in an email and accompany it with a matching cover letter. Therefore, to additionally boost your chances of winning that job interview invitation, you have to reuse your resume keywords in your email to the recruiter and in your cover letter.

The cover letter is often read prior to the hiring manager getting around to your resume. On top of that, they could choose to use the ATS to parse your cover letter for keywords, as well. Do it especially with those resume keywords you feel are most important to determining your fate.

You can also use your cover letter to reword and explain particular keywords from your resume.

Also, try to “speak the company’s language” on your cover letter by using their tone and energy. You can get the gist of it on the company’s website. Also, check out our best cover letter tips to tweak your letter of application even more, and our article on how to write a cover letter for a step-by-step guide.

Finally, make sure to include one email keyword that appears on many job ads:

Use the required phrase as your email subject. Don’t rephrase it. If you do, your application may never reach the recruiter.

Expert Hint: One keyword you might have overlooked—the company name. Adding the company name to your cover letter and email (and even your resume objective statement) shows you took the time to customize your application just for them.

6. How to Honestly Add Keywords You Might Not Qualify For

Never lie on your resume. That being said, what happens if you are on the fence about including a particular keyword? Let’s look at this job ad example for an accountant:

Your situation? You are finishing up your last semester at college. Here’s what you can do in your resume’s education section for the said accountant's resume:

This gets those important keywords (“bachelor’s degree” and “accounting”) onto your resume without lying about it, and helps you to pass the ATS test. Then, when the hiring manager does the human check, they can make their own decision.

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Expert Hint: When adding keywords on a resume, copy their naming conventions. If they use “BA,” you use “BA.” If they say “bachelor’s degree,” you say “bachelor’s degree.” This will get you covered for the exact keywords they’ll enter into the ATS.

Key Points

Here’s a recap of all the important things you have to know about resume keywords:

• Resume keywords are important words or phrases employers search for in your documents.
• The applicant tracking systems reject resumes lacking keywords.
• Use the job ad as your guide to find the best words for your resume.
• Search for a list of resume keywords on Google, Wikipedia, etc.
• Add keywords all over your resume, not just the skills section.
• Reuse the keywords in your email and cover letter to round it all out.
• Don’t be dishonest by adding keywords for skills you don’t qualify for.

Have any questions on how to use keywords on resume? Not sure how to describe your skills using powerful words and action verbs? Get at us below in the comments, and thanks for reading!

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