Guide To Use Best Resume Keywords To Beat The ATS In 2024

After possessing all the required experience and skill set, you need to effectively showcase these qualifications on your resume with the right keywords. This is the basic fundamental first step when tailoring your resume for a specific role with the best resume keywords to secure the job offer. Ultimately, your resume is the gateway to your desired job or could potentially hold you back. Speaking of resumes, according to recent studies, nearly 99% of all Fortune 500 companies use Applicant Tracking System (ATS) regularly. 70% of large companies currently use an ATS. 20% of mid-sized businesses currently use ATS to assess a candidate’s abilities.

Before we head to the elaborate guidelines for incorporating the best keywords in your resume to beat ATS in 2024, here are the key points that you will learn from this article:

Key Takeaways:

1. Understand what the best resume keywords are and incorporate them naturally throughout your resume.
2. Include industry-specific keywords. Stay on top of the latest industry trends and requirements.
3. Optimize your resume for ATS by placing keywords logically.
4. Tailor your resume for each job application.
5. Use clear format and standard file types.

What are Resume Keywords?

Resume keywords are the words and phrases for the job titles, technical skills, certifications, qualifications, and industry-specific terminologies for a particular role or industry that a recruiter inputs into an ATS to scan a candidate’s compatibility with the position. These keywords are the abilities companies are looking for in a candidate through the ATS. The ATS then verifies a resume whether it matches the role description based on the provided keywords. Also, it’s equally important to avoid keyword stuffing in an attempt to manipulate ATS ranking. Rather incorporate them naturally and contextually throughout your resume.

Resume Keywords Examples For Different Industries:

Marketing & Engineering

For a clear understanding of how exactly you could search and include the optimized keywords in your resume, dive in and explore how it benefits you. Some specific terms and phrases align with each unique industry and highlight your understanding and proactiveness towards the latest industry trends and requirements. You always need to do your groundwork research about your desired position, its requirements, and the latest industry-specific terms, again there are ways to do so.

How to Research and Use the Best Resume Keywords

Some of the keywords can be directly pulled out from the desired role description. Read out the description thoroughly and highlight the required keywords to include. These might be organization-specific but it is recommended to use the latest industry-specific keywords. Tailor your resume each time when apply for a role, remember to include your company name and specific role name.





Below are some of the resume keywords sorted by industry.

• Resume Keywords For Marketing:

Marketing is a field enclosed with creativity, strategy, and data analysis. Here are some you should include in your resume:

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
2. Content Marketing
3. Social Media Marketing
4. Google Analytics
5. Brand Strategy
6. Email Marketing
7. PPC (Pay-Per-Click Advertising)
8. Market Research
9. Digital Campaigns
10. Brand Awareness
11. CRM
12. User Engagement




• Usage Example:

Developed and Executed a content marketing strategy that increased organic traffic by 40% using SEO and social media management tools.

• Resume Keywords For Engineering:

Engineering is a field characterized by technical expertise and problem-solving skills. Take a look below for the required keywords.

1. CAD (Computer-Aided-Design)
2. Quality Assurance
3. Project Management
4. Efficiency
5. Product Development
6. Prototyping
7. Automation
8. Analytical Skills
9. Lean Manufacturing




• Usage Example:

Led a team in the design and implementation of a new automation system, utilizing CAD software and lean manufacturing techniques to improve production efficiency by 25%.

How To Use ATS Keywords In Your Resume

Once researched the desired keywords and decided on the required format, now it’s time to figure out where to include the keywords to get past the ATS before they reach recruiters or hiring managers for consideration.

Follow these steps to ensure your resume is optimized for ATS:

• Read the job listing carefully.
• Include role-specific keywords.
• Include industry-relevant keywords.
• Place your keywords in the right location.
• Write your resume for both recruiters and hiring managers.
• Use synonyms and variations.
• Use spell-check and numbers.

1. Read the job listing carefully:

   The first thing you should start with is reading the job description thoroughly for the position you’re applying for. Look for the keywords that the employer included in the description. These are the keywords that you’ll want to incorporate as employers are likely to enter these terms into the ATS.

2. Include role-specific keywords:

   Next is to make sure that your resume has keywords specific to the role you’re applying for. The two major role-specific keywords are the company name and the exact position title. You should also include education and certifications that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

3. Include industry-relevant keywords:

   Next include industry-specific keywords as well. You can find these keywords by searching on Google ‘[your industry] resume keywords’. Some of them might have already been included in the job description. If they weren’t included but reflect your experience, including them will help you stand out as an expert within your industry.

4. Place your keywords in the right location:

   The most important sections to include ATS resume keywords are the summary statement, experience, education, and skills sections. Your cover letter should also contain several of your chosen keywords. Begin your resume by focusing on the keywords that best match your greatest strength and highest level of experience in the summary statement. In the experience section, make sure to include role-specific keywords from the duties and responsibilities section of the job posting. At last, your skills section must be a combination of hard and soft skills relevant to the role and industry.

5. Write your resume for both ATS and recruiters:

   It is equally important to keep in mind that your resume is also readable by the recruiters as a hiring manager will review it after it gets past the ATS who will decide if they want to consider you as a candidate. Make sure it is not just a pile of keywords to manipulate the ATS ranking. Besides you should not include keywords that genuinely don’t match your expertise or skills, you have to be honest as the recruiters will likely find out if you’re not.

6. Use synonyms and variations:

   Different companies use different terms for similar skills. Use synonyms and variations to cover all the possible terms that the ATS might be looking for.

7. Use spell check and numbers:

   Review your resume to make sure all the keywords are spelled correctly. If the job description used numbers instead of writing them in numerical form, then you should do that as well.

Let’s Optimize Your Resume!

On average, a recruiter spends 6-10 seconds reading or scanning your resume. In these 6-10 seconds you need to convince them that you have the skills and potential to get the conversation going. Tell them a brief story of who you are as a professional, it showcases an overall view of what professional expertise you possess through your resume. However, for recruiters to see that you’re a reasonable candidate for the particular role you’re applying for, you need to tailor your resume accordingly.

Let’s recap on some Do’s you should adhere to:

• Read the job description and determine keywords and phrases.
• Notice what’s mentioned multiple times and seems to be emphasized.
• Speak to those keywords with your experiences.
• Be intentional about what you include( skills and experiences).

Tips/To-do to Submit Ready Tailored Resume

• Have a clear format.
• Submit your file as a standard Word document(.doc) or .docx or .pdf.
• Use font size in 11-12 points.

To Avoid:

• Too many bold, italics, and underlining are appealing to the recruiter.
• Different formatting options such as headers, footers, columns, boxes, shading lines, borders, special characters, etc are avoided by Applicant Tracking System.

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