Research ATS Keywords
Up to 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS software before a human reads them. Understanding how to optimize for ATS is one of the highest leverage things you can do in your job search. This task gives you a repeatable system for identifying and incorporating the right keywords for any role you apply to.
Up to 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS software before a human reads them. Understanding how to optimize for ATS is one of the highest leverage things you can do in your job search. This task gives you a repeatable system for identifying and incorporating the right keywords for any role you apply to.
Complete these steps
Find 3 job postings for your target role Search LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed, or company career pages. Find 3 postings that closely match what you are looking for.
Identify repeating keywords Read each posting carefully. Highlight or write down every skill, tool, qualification, and phrase that appears in more than one posting. These are the keywords ATS systems are looking for.
Compare to your resume Go through your highlighted keywords. Which ones are on your resume? Which ones are missing? Which ones could you add honestly?
Add missing keywords naturally Work the missing keywords into your resume naturally — in your summary, bullet points, or skills section. Never just list keywords in white text or in a hidden section — modern ATS systems and recruiters catch this.
Use a free ATS checker Go to jobscan.co (free version available). Paste your resume and a job description to see your match score. Aim for 70%+.