How to Find and Use Resume Keywords That Land Interviews | Placed Blog
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How to Find the Best Keywords for Resume That Get You Noticed
M
Muhammad Zitu
Published 14 September, 2025
Table of Contents
Getting your resume noticed in 2025 takes more than listing skills. Today, recruiters spend just
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A study from Jobscan shows that up to 75% of resumes never reach recruiters because they don’t pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
That means the right resume optimization keywords can decide whether you land an interview or get ignored. Use the effective resume keywords that mirror the job description and industry language.
In fact, if done correctly, this won't just get you past ATS; it'll also show employers how well you'd fit their organization.
Below, you’ll learn exactly how to find and use the best keywords for your resume. Plus, we’ll share practical tools like Placed Today that make matching your resume faster.
Let’s jump in!
What Are Resume Keywords?
Resume keywords are the words and phrases that an employer will use in explaining what they are looking for in a candidate. They’re typically listed on job postings under “requirements” or “responsibilities.”
They can be:
Hard skills: Technical skills such as SQL, Photoshop, or Data Analysis.
Soft skills: Skills like leadership, communication, or problem-solving.
Certification: Such as PMP, CPA, or AWS Certified.
Software, tools & technology: You will find yourself using Salesforce, Excel, and Figma, among others.
Action verbs: powerful words like Led, Designed, or Optimized.
But why are they essential?
Well, this is because Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan resumes for these keywords. Even if you are qualified, you might not reach a recruiter if you don't list them.
In other words, professional resume keywords are the “language” that employers and ATS speak. If you’re not speaking that language on your résumé, you’re not getting looked at.
Now back to the subject of the ATSs!
How ATS Uses Keywords?
Usually, ATS is like the “gatekeeper” when you apply for a job.
This software is used by most big companies and many small ones to manage the large number of resumes they receive.
However, online resume submissions aren’t just stored by ATS when you submit them. It searches over it as if it were a search engine.
And by the way, it matches the job description with the words in your resume.
Suppose the job posting says "Agile project management," the ATS checks if those words appear in your resume. These are known as ATS keywords for a resume, and they decide how well you match the role.
How to Find the Best Keywords for Your Resume in 7 Simple Steps
Interestingly, job postings hide powerful clues in their language. By identifying and utilizing the right keywords, you can increase your chances of getting an interview.
This guide will show you how you can find the resume keywords easily:
Step 1: Read the Job Description Like You’d Read a Recipe
Every job description is a recipe, with keywords serving as the key ingredients.
If you see “Agile project management” listed three times in the description, that’s a key ingredient. Just look, highlight repeated words and phrases.
These are your must-use keywords.
What to look for:
Single-topic skills discussed multiple times (e.g., “Jira,” “Agile,” “Excel”).
Literal job title wording (such as “Project Manager” instead of “Project Lead”).
Terms from the requirements section, such as “stakeholder management” or “cross-functional collaboration.”
Step 2: Compare Job Listings
You pick up clues from one ad. Reading between five and 10 ads for the same type of job lets you see the whole landscape.
It is how you discern role-specific must-haves from the quirks that are unique to any one company.
Here’s how :
Gather 5–10 job ads for the position you wish to have.
Write down any repeating items or skills.
Underline the words that are the most common in these articles. Those are your basic industry keywords.
For instance, if you’re applying for digital marketing positions, you will nearly always find:
SEO
Google Analytics
Content strategy
Be sure to include these in your resume.
Step 3: Use Resume Keyword Tools to Check Yourself
Even if you’re good at pattern recognition, you might miss things. In this case, tools can help.
Services like Jobscan, Skillsyncer, and Resume Worded allow you to paste your resume and job description for review.
And then they sit you down and show what you’ve included, and what you’ve missed.
Step 4: Search the Company Career Pages
For many job hunters, the job ad is the primary focus, but there are things hidden in company websites.
A lot of companies have their values, culture, or must-have skills on their career pages. Some even list the specific characteristics they seek in job applicants.
Step 5: Study the LinkedIn Profiles of Actual Employees
It is a clever shortcut. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want at the same company. Observe their "Skills" and "Experience" sections.
Please notice:
Which skills do most people list?
The tools or certifications that keep surfacing.
Action words they used to describe what they do.
If it lists “Scrum Master,” “Python,” or “stakeholder engagement” several times, you can bet the company places a premium on these keywords.
Step 6: Create Your Own List of Keywords
Once you’ve collected keywords, don’t just have them lying around in notes. Compile them into a personal “keyword bank.” Organize them into groups so you can quickly customize each resume.
Organize them like this:
Professional Title: PM, BA
Hard skills: SQL, Photoshop, Data Analysis
Soft skills: Collaboration, Leadership, Communication
Certifications: PMP, CPA Ahunbay, Cetin U. (2018).
Tools: Salesforce, Jira, Excel
Verbs for Action: Lead, Design, Implement, Optimize
Now, whenever you apply for a job, you can draw on this bank, rather than starting with nothing.
So Now Strategically Using Keywords in Your Resume
Finding the right keywords is only half the battle.
The real magic happens when you know where and how to place them so both the ATS and human recruiters notice.
So, let’s see how to use keywords in a resume:
1. Make Your Headline and Summary Work Hard for You
Your headline and professional summary are the first things a recruiter sees. It is where you prove in seconds that you're an intense match for the role.
Instead of writing a generic headline like “Experienced Professional Seeking Opportunities” (which tells them nothing), use the exact job title from the posting.
Strong Example: “Digital Marketing Manager | SEO Specialist | Google Ads Certified”
Then, in your summary, incorporate two or three core skills and demonstrate the results. Keep it short, but powerful.
Before: “Project Manager with years of experience.”
After: “Certified Project Manager (PMP) with 8+ years leading Agile teams to deliver SaaS solutions on time and under budget.”
2. Build a Skills Section That’s Easy to Scan
Your skills section is like a cheat sheet for both the ATS and recruiters. Many recruiters admit they skim this part first to see if you check the basic boxes.
Here’s how to make it count:
Keep it clean and simple, no long sentences.
List the most relevant hard skills, tools, and certifications.
Prioritize skills that were repeated in the job posting.
Example of a solid skills list: Agile | Jira | Scrum | Risk Management | Stakeholder Communication | Salesforce | Data Analysis | PMP Certification
Quick Tip: Create two versions of your skills list. One “core list” that always stays on your resume, and a “rotating list” you swap out depending on the job ad. This way, tailoring your resume takes minutes, not hours.
3. Turn Work Experience Bullets Into Keyword-Rich Achievements
This is where many job seekers slip. They write tasks instead of achievements, and they forget to weave in keywords naturally.
Usually, the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) helps you keep it structured.
Weak Example: “Responsible for managing the Jira board.”
Strong Example: “Led Agile sprint planning in Jira, reducing release cycle time by 30% and improving team delivery consistency.”
Plus, notice the difference:
The keyword “Jira” is there for ATS.
The result (“reducing release cycle time by 30%”) grabs the recruiter’s attention.
4. Watch Your Keyword Density Without Overdoing It
Some people believe that using the same keyword 20 times will trick the ATS. It doesn't. In fact, stuffing makes your resume look unnatural and can get flagged.
A good rule of thumb:
Aim for around 2–3% keyword use throughout your resume.
That usually means using a primary keyword (like “Project Management”) 3–5 times in a two-page resume.
Quick Tip: To avoid repetition, try using keyword variations. For example:
Project Management
Program Management
Project Leadership
Managing Complex Projects
This keeps your resume natural and ATS-friendly.
5. Include Synonyms and Related Terms
Not all ATS systems are equal. Some are very literal, and they only pick up exact matches. Others are smarter and scan for related words.
To cover your bases, use both the exact keyword and common synonyms.
For example:
If the ad says “Project Management,” also include “Program Management.”
If it lists “Google Ads,” also mention “PPC Campaigns.”
If it highlights “CRM software,” include “Salesforce” or “HubSpot” if you’ve used them.
This way, regardless of the company's system, your resume has a higher chance of getting through.
6. Format for ATS and Humans Together
A big mistake job seekers make is over-designing their resume. Fancy templates with graphics, tables, or unusual fonts may look good to you, but ATS software often can’t read them.
That means your resume could get rejected before a human ever sees it. To keep both machines and people happy:
Stick to clean fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Georgia.
Use clear, standard section headers such as “Work Experience,” “Education,” and “Skills.”
Avoid text boxes, images, and tables.
Save your resume as a Word document or PDF (depending on what the company requests).
7. Balance Keywords With Storytelling
Yes, keywords matter. But don’t forget, a human will eventually read your resume.
If it sounds robotic or overly technical, it won't connect. That’s why every keyword you use should serve a purpose in telling your career story.
So instead of just writing “Leadership,” show it: “Led a cross-functional team of 12 through a product launch, increasing revenue by $2M within the first year.”
Can a Tool Really Handle Resume Keywords for You?
Yes, there are plenty of tools out there, but Placed Today stands out as one of the best.
Placed Today is more than just a resume keyword optimizer. It helps job seekers at every stage, from finding the right job to preparing for interviews and creating a professional resume in just a few minutes.
Also, the tool scours job postings, extracting must-use keywords, and shows you how your resume matches.
Beyond that, it provides customized job search, innovative interview prep tools, and easy resume creation with ATS-ready formatting.
With Placed Today, you don’t need several different tools. Everything you need is in one place, saving you time and helping you land interviews more quickly.
Final Touch
In 2025, the right keywords can be the difference between a resume that's ignored and one that wins interviews, as noticed by recruiters. In actual words, recruiters and ATS systems both rely on job-specific language, so using those terms thoughtfully.
If you learn how applicant tracking systems work, find the job-specific resume keywords, and use them ideally, you give yourself a real advantage. That's why you should keep your resume up to date by adjusting your keywords as job postings change, and use helpful tools to save time.
Platforms like Placed Today make this process even easier by helping you find the right keywords, optimize your resume, and prepare for interviews in one place.
Remember, your next opportunity could be just one keyword away.
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