Resume Keywords: The Complete Guide to Writing an ATS-Friendly Resume in 2025

Every resume is like a story: your story. However, prior to being seen by a recruiter, it goes through a screening process by the ATS. This machine only looks for the matching keywords with the resumes before deciding whether your story goes on.

To make sure your resume is not hidden, here are the steps to get the right resume keywords. Resume Keywords tool by mployee.me, a free and simple resume keyword scanner corresponds to your skills with actual job descriptions.

Here’s how to use Resume Keywords tool by mployee.me:

Step 1: Upload Your Resume

Step 2: Add Job Description

Step 3: Click Download Customized Resume and Add Skills

Step 4: Update Resume and Download

Find Resume Keywords for Free

Finding the appropriate keywords for resume is not the complete process. The actual challenge lies in placing them in the manner that seems natural. When the words are properly applied, they help in letting your resume communicate with both the humans and the machines. Many people either overdo it on their resumes with the keywords or completely miss the perfect job keywords. 

Here’s how to add resume keywords step by step:

Step 1: Read the Job Description Carefully

Analyze the job advertisement carefully and one after the other. Identify the terms that are repeated such as data analysis, Sales goals or project management. These will be the primary keywords for resume that the firm values the most. Make a note of them, they will be your pathway.

• Example: If the job description mentions the requirement of social media campaigns experience, include “Managed social media campaigns in Facebook and Instagram channels to increase engagement rate by 25%.”

Step 2: Match Keywords with Your Real Skills

Do not copy-paste words that are not appropriate for your experience. Keep it real with your skills always. If you have not used something, rephrase it honestly.

• Example: If the Job Description mentions Google Analytics but you are familiar only with Google Search Console, write “Used Google Search Console to monitor website performance and support Analytics reports”. This keeps your ATS resume keywords accurate and credible.

Step 3: Keywords in Major Sections of Resume

The resume keyword scanner mostly checks your Summary, Skills and Experience sections. Hence, you should place your job keywords over these sections.

Example:

• Summary: “Resultant data analyst proficient in Excel and Power BI for performance monitoring.”
• Skills: “Excel | Power BI | Data Analysis | Reporting | Problem Solving”
• Experience: “Developed dashboards in Excel and Power BI for monitoring KPIs in departments.”

This gives an effect of your resume keywords being spread out remarkably over the resume.

Step 4: Balance Between Hard and Soft Skills

Employees with both technical expertise and personal skills are the ones that employers will be seeking. A combination gives you a more built-up profile.

Example: 

• Hard Skills: Python, SQL, Excel, Tableau. 
• Soft Skills: Communication, Time Management, Leadership, Collaboration. 

This combination of resume keywords helps you appeal to both ATS software and recruiters.

Step 5: Identify Overuse or Missing Keywords During Review

Read your resume loudly. If you find the same term being mentioned excessively, it is time for a revision. Also, make use of a resume keyword scanner like Resume Keywords by mployee.me for locating any job keywords that are not included in your resume.

Example: Before: “Managed, managed, managed…” After: “Managed, developed, coordinated, improved…” Minor changes such as these increase the ease of reading while maintaining consistency of resume keywords.

The languages of every industry are different. The keywords for marketing will not be the same for engineering or finance jobs. This is why the right keywords for resume choice depend on the job you are applying for. A 2025 hiring survey says that resumes containing industry-specific job keywords have 38% higher chances of passing the first round of screening.

A table is given below which lists the top five industries along with the top keywords used in resumes:

Even the most outstanding resumes can be overlooked if you apply keywords for resume incorrectly. Approximately 60% of job seekers are eliminated because of keyword mishaps- either they stuff their resumes with too many ATS keywords or miss out on the crucial job keywords from the description.

Let’s go through the top five mistakes that are usually made:

Incorporating an excess of resume keywords makes your writing sound mechanical and unnatural. The ATS may flag it, and recruiters can spot it right away.

A lot of people copy-paste all the skills from the job posting even when they are not relevant to their background. This damages your credibility.

The keyword scanner of the resume might not recognize all forms of a keyword. For example, it might think “customer service” and “client support” are two different words.

Every job has its own expectations. Using the same CV everywhere cuts down your match rate.

Your ATS resume keywords may be flawless, but still, they have to be placed correctly. The ATS looks for certain areas like Skills, Experience, and Summary.

Prior to sending your resume, make it certain it has the ATS resume keywords which is the major reason for its optimization. The Simple Checklist will also help you ascertain that your document is not only ATS ready but also rich with relevant job keywords.

Here is the quick checklist you can use before hitting “Apply”:

• Right job description used: Resume keywords can always be spotted through the job post and comparison done between the two.

• Keywords in balance: Use both hard skills (like Excel, Python, or Auditing) and soft skills (like Communication, Teamwork, or Problem Solving) should be used in the resume.

• Intelligent keywords placement: Use ATS resume keywords mainly in the Summary, Skills, and Experience sections.

• Checked for overuse: Read your resume aloud to check if it sounds smooth and not repetitive.

• Scanned your document: Use Resume Keywords Tool by mployee.me to test your resume.

• Save each version: A variety of your resume should be kept for different job types or industries.

Your resume keywords are in total accordance with what recruiters and ATS systems expect if you make a quick scan through this list.

An ATS-friendly resume is not about fancy words; it is about the correct resume keywords that match what employers are looking for in the right place. Here are the points to remember always:

• Keywords for resume are to be used in accordance with your authentic skills and experience.

• The job description should be read thoroughly and the most repeated job keywords should be selected.

• The main areas where your ATS resume keywords should be placed are your Summary, Skills, and Work Experience sections.

• A resume keyword scanner such as Resume Keywords by mployee.me can be used to find out what’s missing or overused.

• Do not fill your resume with too many resume keywords, instead, keep it natural and such that it is easy to read.

• Always and everywhere refresh your resume to add new tools and technologies that are trending in your domain.

• At every point of applying for a job, your resume must be tailored to reflect the latest job keywords from each posting.

Using the right words will open the right doors. In this case, your resume will not only bypass the system smoothly but also get to be seen by real people who matter, due to clear writing, clever placement, and accurate ATS resume keywords.