Quick answer: Resume keywords are the job titles, hard skills, tools, certifications, and industry terms employers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) look for. The best keywords come from the job posting itself, but each industry has common ones: PR (media relations, press releases, crisis communications, Cision), IT support (help desk, Active Directory, ticketing, ServiceNow, CompTIA A+), engineering (CAD, SolidWorks, GD&T, FEA, root cause analysis), and advertising (campaign strategy, media buying, Google Ads, creative briefs). Use 10–20 relevant keywords naturally in your headline, summary, skills section, and bullet points, matching the exact wording of the posting.
Keywords are how your resume gets found. Recruiters search their ATS and LinkedIn for specific terms, and many systems rank resumes by how well they match the job description. If your resume says "fixed computers" and the posting says "Tier 1 help desk support," you might be invisible to the very person who'd hire you.
This guide gives you a resume keywords list by industry, then shows how to find the right keywords for any job and use them naturally.
How to Use This Keywords List
- Start with the job posting. It's always the best source of keywords. Use this list to spot terms you might be missing
- Only use keywords you can back up. If it's on your resume, expect interview questions about it
- Use exact wording. "Search engine optimization (SEO)" covers both the full term and the acronym
- Spread keywords across sections: headline, summary, skills, and especially experience bullets
For the fundamentals, see resume keywords optimization and keywords recruiters search for.
Public Relations (PR) Resume Keywords
Skills: media relations, press releases, crisis communications, reputation management, storytelling, pitching, earned media, thought leadership, executive communications, internal communications, spokesperson training, event management, influencer relations, brand messaging, issues management, stakeholder communications
Tools: Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack, PR Newswire, Business Wire, Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Google Analytics
Results-oriented terms: media placements, share of voice, earned media value, press coverage, tier-1 media, impressions, sentiment analysis
Example bullet: Secured 45+ media placements in tier-1 outlets in one year, raising share of voice from 18% to 31%.
IT Support Resume Keywords
Skills: help desk, technical support, Tier 1/Tier 2 support, troubleshooting, incident management, ticketing, hardware and software installation, user provisioning, password resets, network troubleshooting, remote support, onboarding and offboarding, asset management, ITIL, SLA compliance, customer service
Tools and systems: Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Azure AD (Entra ID), Windows 10/11, macOS, ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, Zendesk, Intune, JAMF, VPN, DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP, VMware, PowerShell
Certifications: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, ITIL 4 Foundation, Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator
Example bullet: Resolved 40+ help desk tickets daily in ServiceNow with a 96% first-contact resolution rate and 98% SLA compliance.
Engineering Resume Keywords
General engineering: design, prototyping, testing and validation, root cause analysis, failure analysis, project management, technical documentation, cross-functional collaboration, continuous improvement, Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, quality control, regulatory compliance
Mechanical engineering: CAD, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, CATIA, Creo, GD&T, FEA, ANSYS, CFD, DFM, tolerance analysis, thermal analysis, HVAC, product development
Electrical engineering: circuit design, PCB design, Altium, MATLAB, Simulink, PLC programming, embedded systems, power systems, signal processing, schematic capture
Civil engineering: structural analysis, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Revit, site development, stormwater management, geotechnical, permitting, construction administration, PE license, EIT
Software engineering: see software engineer resume examples and Java developer resume
Example bullet: Redesigned a pump housing in SolidWorks using DFM principles, cutting part cost 18% and assembly time 25%.
See mechanical engineer resume.
Advertising Resume Keywords
Skills: campaign strategy, media planning, media buying, creative briefs, brand strategy, account management, copywriting, art direction, integrated campaigns, digital advertising, programmatic advertising, audience targeting, A/B testing, consumer insights, pitch development, client relations
Tools: Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, The Trade Desk, DV360, Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, Nielsen, Comscore, Google Analytics 4
Results-oriented terms: ROAS, CPA, CTR, CPM, reach and frequency, brand lift, conversions, media spend managed
Example bullet: Managed $2.5M in annual programmatic media spend, improving ROAS from 2.8x to 4.1x.
Marketing Resume Keywords
SEO, SEM, content marketing, email marketing, marketing automation, HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce, social media marketing, paid social, Google Analytics 4, conversion rate optimization, lead generation, demand generation, product marketing, brand management, go-to-market strategy, customer segmentation, A/B testing, campaign ROI
See marketing resume and social media manager resume.
Sales Resume Keywords
Quota attainment, pipeline management, prospecting, lead qualification, cold calling, discovery, solution selling, consultative selling, negotiation, closing, account management, territory management, CRM, Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, ZoomInfo, MEDDICC, President's Club, upselling, renewals
See sales rep resume.
Healthcare Resume Keywords
Patient care, patient assessment, EHR, Epic, Cerner, HIPAA, care coordination, medication administration, vital signs, triage, infection control, BLS, ACLS, patient education, discharge planning, clinical documentation, quality improvement, interdisciplinary collaboration
See healthcare resume and ER nurse resume.
Finance and Accounting Resume Keywords
Financial analysis, financial modeling, forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, GAAP, IFRS, month-end close, account reconciliation, accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, audit, SOX compliance, tax preparation, QuickBooks, NetSuite, SAP, Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP), CPA, FP&A
See finance resume.
Data and Analytics Resume Keywords
SQL, Python, R, Tableau, Power BI, Looker, Excel, data visualization, data cleaning, statistical analysis, A/B testing, ETL, data modeling, dashboards, KPI reporting, predictive modeling, machine learning, Snowflake, BigQuery
See data analyst resume.
Project Management Resume Keywords
Project planning, stakeholder management, risk management, scope management, budget management, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Waterfall, PMP, Jira, Asana, Microsoft Project, resource allocation, cross-functional teams, on-time delivery, change management, status reporting
Human Resources Resume Keywords
Talent acquisition, full-cycle recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, HRIS, Workday, BambooHR, ADP, benefits administration, compensation, performance management, compliance, FMLA, employee engagement, training and development, SHRM-CP, PHR
See HR resume.
Customer Service Resume Keywords
Customer satisfaction (CSAT), first call resolution, average handle time, de-escalation, conflict resolution, CRM, Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud, ticketing, live chat support, retention, upselling, call center, quality assurance, multilingual support
See call center resume and customer service skills.
Education Resume Keywords
Lesson planning, curriculum development, differentiated instruction, classroom management, assessment, data-driven instruction, IEP, 504 plans, Google Classroom, Canvas, student engagement, parent communication, Common Core, PBIS, ELL support, state certification
See teacher resume.
Administrative Resume Keywords
Calendar management, scheduling, travel coordination, data entry, office management, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, records management, executive support, meeting minutes, vendor management, invoicing, expense reports, customer service, confidentiality
See data entry resume.
Retail and Hospitality Resume Keywords
Customer service, sales goals, POS systems, cash handling, merchandising, inventory management, loss prevention, upselling, loyalty programs, guest experience, food safety, ServSafe, opening and closing, team leadership, scheduling
See retail resume and store manager resume.
Construction and Trades Resume Keywords
OSHA 10/30, blueprint reading, safety compliance, project scheduling, estimating, subcontractor coordination, quality control, building codes, power tools, heavy equipment operation, NEC (electrical), journeyman license, site supervision
See construction resume and electrician resume.
How to Find the Right Keywords for Any Job
- Copy the job description into a document
- Highlight job titles, skills, tools, certifications, and repeated phrases
- Check 3–5 similar postings to find the most common terms in your field
- Compare against your resume. Which important terms are missing?
- Add the ones you genuinely have, using the exact wording
- Run an ATS check to see your match rate. See ATS score
Where to Put Keywords on Your Resume
- Headline: your target job title. See resume headline examples
- Summary: 2–4 of your most important skills
- Skills section: 8–15 hard skills and tools
- Experience bullets: the most important place. Show keywords in action with results
- Certifications and education: spell out and abbreviate (for example, "Project Management Professional (PMP)")
Keyword Mistakes to Avoid
- Keyword stuffing: repeating terms unnaturally makes your resume hard to read
- Hiding keywords in white text: ATS and recruiters catch it, and it looks dishonest
- Listing skills you don't have: you'll be asked about them
- Skills lists that never show up in your bullets: recruiters want proof
- Using only acronyms or only full terms: include both the first time
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best keywords for a resume?
The best keywords are the specific job titles, skills, tools, and certifications listed in the job posting you're applying to. Industry keyword lists help you find terms you might be missing.
How many keywords should a resume have?
There's no magic number, but most strong resumes naturally include 10–20 relevant keywords from the job description across the summary, skills, and experience sections.
Should I use the exact keywords from the job description?
Yes, when they accurately describe your experience. ATS and recruiters often search for exact phrases.
Do soft skills count as resume keywords?
Sometimes, but hard skills, tools, and certifications are searched far more often. Show soft skills through results instead of listing them.
Where can I find industry keywords?
Job postings, LinkedIn profiles of people in your target role, professional association websites, and industry certification requirements.
Match Every Job's Keywords Faster
Our Resume Builder helps you tailor your resume to each job description, suggesting relevant keywords and turning them into results-driven bullet points.