ATS Resume Keywords: How to Find and Use Them (With Example)

Last updated: 21 September 2026 · By the Asuraa Team

What are ATS resume keywords?

ATS resume keywords are the words and phrases in a job description that describe what the employer wants: tools, skills, job titles, certifications and qualifications. A recruiter or an applicant tracking system can search or rank resumes using them.

The Harvard Business School and Accenture Hidden Workers report says screening systems rank candidates using key words on the resume. If you are new to the tools, start with what an ATS is.

How do you find keywords in a job description?

Work through these five steps for each application.

1. Collect two or three postings for the same role. Indeed advises reviewing several listings and keeping the terms that repeat.
2. Read the requirements and preferred sections first. Indeed says specific software, technical skills, languages and certifications often appear there.
3. Underline the nouns. Tools, methods, titles and qualifications are usually the searchable terms.
4. Sort them into hard and soft skills. The next section explains the difference.
5. Tick off what you truly have. Keep only the terms that describe your real work, projects or training.

Coursera adds a simple tip: copy the posting into a document and highlight the terms that match your background.

What is the difference between hard and soft skills as keywords?

Hard skills are specific, measurable abilities such as SQL, Excel or Python. Soft skills are interpersonal abilities such as teamwork or communication.

Indeed says hard skills matter more for ATS because companies look for them more, and that soft skills are less specific. Coursera also says systems prioritise hard skills more heavily. Treat this as advice from those publishers and not a measured weight, and still show soft skills through examples in your bullets.

Where should you put keywords on your resume?

Put them where a reader would expect them. Coursera suggests three places.

• Skills section: list technical and soft skills separately so they are easy to spot.
• Experience bullets: mirror the posting's phrasing when you describe what you did.
• Summary: use a few keywords naturally in a short opening line.

Coursera also says that if your past job title differs from the posting's for similar work, you could adjust it, but you should not inflate your title beyond your actual responsibilities. Indeed says systems search for exact terminology, so use the posting's own spelling of a tool name where it is accurate.

What does a worked example look like?

Here is an invented job description for a data analyst intern. It is our illustration and not a real posting.

Data Analyst Intern. You will clean and analyse data using SQL and Excel, build dashboards in Power BI, and present findings to the marketing team. Requirements: basic Python, strong attention to detail, clear communication. Preferred: exposure to A/B testing.

The table shows the keywords we would pull out and where each could go, assuming the candidate has done the work.

A weak bullet reads "Made reports for college project." A better version reads "Cleaned a 5,000-row sales dataset in Excel and SQL, and built a Power BI dashboard presented to the class." The numbers are invented for the example.

What does keyword stuffing look like?

It is repeating terms or listing skills you cannot back up. Coursera warns that "indiscriminate keyword stuffing can lead some systems to avoid your resume".

A stuffed line reads "SQL SQL Excel Power BI Python data analyst data analyst," or a hidden block of white text. A clean line uses each term once or twice in context and links it to something you did. If an interviewer asks about a keyword and you cannot explain it, remove it.

What do most guides on ATS resume keywords get wrong?

Most give a long list of "power words". These are the gaps.

• They give lists with no source. Keywords must come from the specific posting you are applying to, not from a generic list.
• They skip the extraction step. Without underlining terms in a real posting, "add keywords" is vague advice.
• They overstate certainty. Publishers differ on how much hard and soft skills matter, and none of this guarantees a shortlist.
• They ignore truth. A keyword you cannot support can cost you at the interview.

To see which terms your resume is missing for a posting, use the AI resume reviewer on asuraa.in, which gives keyword gaps and ATS-compatibility feedback. Then see how to improve your ATS resume score for the rest of the checklist.

FAQ

What are ATS resume keywords?

They are the skills, tools, job titles and qualifications named in a job description that recruiters or software search for. Examples are SQL, Power BI, project management or a specific certification. Use only the ones that describe your real experience or training.

How do I find keywords for my resume?

Read two or three postings for the role, note the terms that repeat, and look closely at the requirements and preferred sections. Highlight the ones that match your background and use them in your skills section, summary and experience bullets.

How many keywords should a resume have?

There is no verified number. Indeed advises narrowing your list to avoid redundancy and keeping it relevant to the target role. Focus on the terms the posting repeats and that you can support with an example, and avoid repeating them unnaturally.

Are hard skills or soft skills better for ATS?

Indeed and Coursera both say hard skills such as tools and certifications are given more weight than soft skills. That is their guidance and not a fixed rule. Include both, and show soft skills through specific examples in your experience bullets.

Can too many keywords hurt my resume?

Yes. Coursera warns that indiscriminate keyword stuffing can lead some systems to avoid your resume, and it reads badly to a person. Use each keyword in a real sentence about something you did, and remove any term you cannot explain.

Should I use the exact words from the job description?

Where they are accurate, yes. Indeed says systems and hiring managers search for precise terms and that synonyms may not register. If the posting says "Power BI", write "Power BI" and not just "dashboards", but never claim a skill you do not have.

Final thoughts

Good keywords come from the job in front of you, not from a list. Extract the repeated terms, keep the ones you can support, and place them in context.

Try the AI resume reviewer for your target posting, and browse openings on the jobs page.