ATS Keywords by Industry — Get Past Every Applicant Tracking System
Over 99% of Fortune 500 companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes before a human ever reads them. The right keywords are the difference between getting interviews and getting filtered out. Here's the complete guide.
How ATS Systems Work
An ATS parses your resume and compares it to the job description. It looks for:
- Exact skill matches — tools, technologies, certifications, and methodologies mentioned in the job posting
- Job title alignment — your title and the target title should match or be closely related
- Required qualifications — years of experience, education levels, specific credentials
- Industry terminology — words that signal you understand the domain
Resumes that don't match enough keywords are automatically rejected — even if you're highly qualified.
The Right Way to Use ATS Keywords
Skills: Python Python Python machine learning machine learning data analysis data analysis SQL SQL SQL.
Built machine learning models in Python (scikit-learn, TensorFlow) to predict churn, reducing it 23% in Q2. Proficient in SQL, Spark, and BigQuery for large-scale data analysis.
Software Engineering & Technology
Include 8–12 of these naturally across your summary, skills section, and bullet points — matched to the specific job description.
Data Science & Analytics
Include 8–12 of these naturally across your summary, skills section, and bullet points — matched to the specific job description.
Marketing & Growth
Include 8–12 of these naturally across your summary, skills section, and bullet points — matched to the specific job description.
Sales
Include 8–12 of these naturally across your summary, skills section, and bullet points — matched to the specific job description.
Healthcare & Nursing
Include 8–12 of these naturally across your summary, skills section, and bullet points — matched to the specific job description.
Finance & Accounting
Include 8–12 of these naturally across your summary, skills section, and bullet points — matched to the specific job description.
Human Resources
Include 8–12 of these naturally across your summary, skills section, and bullet points — matched to the specific job description.
Project Management
Include 8–12 of these naturally across your summary, skills section, and bullet points — matched to the specific job description.
How to Find Your Specific Keywords
- Copy the job description and paste it into a word frequency tool
- Identify the top 15–20 most-used relevant terms
- Check which ones appear in your resume — add the missing ones if you genuinely have those skills
- Use exact phrasing — "Machine Learning" not "ML" unless both are used in the posting
- Run our ATS Resume Checker to score your resume against a specific job description
Where to Place Keywords on Your Resume
| Section | Keyword Strategy |
|---|---|
| Resume Summary | Include your target job title + 2–3 top skills. Sets tone for ATS parsing. |
| Skills Section | Dedicated keyword-dense list. Group by category. Use exact terms from job posting. |
| Work Experience Bullets | Embed keywords naturally inside achievement-focused bullets. |
| Education/Certifications | Spell out acronyms and abbreviations (PMP → Project Management Professional). |
Related Tools & Resources
Updated 2026 — Build your ATS-optimized resume free
Ready to build a resume that gets interviews?
Use our free AI-powered resume builder. Download your polished PDF for just $4.99 — or go Pro for unlimited access.