Keywords are words used in job descriptions that are important in describing the work experience and skills needed to succeed in the job. These keywords vary across career fields and job roles, and there is no one “list” of effective keywords to use on a resume. Recruiters or hiring managers, and an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), may use these keywords when searching for qualified candidates in a database or when reviewing resumes submitted.

One way to be sure that your resume is using the correct words is to do some research:

• Gather several (up to 6) job descriptions by going to a job site like Indeed.com and searching for jobs with a title that you are targeting.
• With a highlighter or red pen, go through the descriptions and mark those words that seem important or that show up on multiple postings. This can be your list of “keywords” relevant to that job. Review your resume to see if you are using those words. If a word or phrase on the list is relevant to the work or volunteer experience, education, or skills that you possess, look for a way to work them into your resume.

Having these commonly used words on your resume makes your experiences more relatable for the reader and may prevent your resume from being screened out by an ATS used to review resumes at some organizations.

For more information on how to write an effective resume, see the resume resources on our website.