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Find and use ATS keywords – step by step

A job posting tells you what is being searched for. You just have to read it like a search system: which terms appear, which repeat, which are mandatory? This is how you find the keywords and use them honestly.

By Yannik Galetto · Updated · 6 min read

What ATS keywords are – and what they are not

ATS keywords are the terms a company uses to describe a job and that recruiters search for in an applicant tracking system: job titles, tools, methods, certificates and technical terms.

They are not magic words. They only work when they belong to experience you can prove. A term without context helps you get found but convinces nobody.

Your keyword list in seven steps

  1. Split the posting into three parts

    Tasks, requirements, nice-to-haves. Must-haves and nice-to-haves do not belong in one pot.

  2. Mark the terms

    Mark nouns, tools, methods and technical terms. Traits such as “motivated” or “engaged” are rarely searchable.

  3. Weigh them

    What is in the title, in the first requirements or mentioned repeatedly? That matters to the company.

  4. Collect spellings

    Project lead or project management, AI or KI, SEO or search engine optimization: use the variant from the posting and spell out the abbreviation once.

  5. Match with your experience

    Be honest: do I have this with evidence, partly, or not at all? Only the first two groups belong in your resume.

  6. Place them

    In your job title or profile line, in the skills block and above all in your bullet points, with a result.

  7. Read it back

    Does it still read naturally? Could you explain every statement in an interview? If not, take it out.

Just listed, or with context?

Examples of how the same term works as a match and as evidence.

Just listed, or with context?
Just listedWith context
Agile methodsSkills: Scrum, Kanban, JiraSupported two teams (12 people) as Scrum Master, cut the release cycle from six to three weeks
ReportingExcel, Power BI, SQLBuilt monthly reporting in Power BI and cut effort by one day per week
Customer contactCustomer-oriented, strong communicatorManaged about 40 B2B accounts, raised renewal rate from 78 to 86 percent

The numbers are examples. Only use values you can back up.

Common mistakes

  • Hiding keywords in white text. That is deception, gets detected and hurts you.
  • Adding terms you do not master. It shows immediately in the interview.
  • Cramming all terms into one sentence. It reads unnaturally.
  • Copying sentences 1:1 from the posting. Use your own words and your own evidence.
  • Optimizing only for keywords and forgetting structure, readability and message.

What Pathly takes off your plate

Pathly extracts the terms from the posting, shows you which ones appear in your resume and which are missing, and suggests wording you accept or reject. More on the page Optimize your resume for ATS.

You save the postings in one click with the Chrome extension.

Frequently asked questions about ATS keywords

How many keywords do I need?

As many as the posting asks for and you can back up. There is no fixed number. What matters more is that the central terms from the title and requirements appear.

Do I have to pay attention to capitalization?

Usually not. Still use the spelling from the posting so that human and system read the same terms.

Do keywords belong in the cover letter too?

Only where they fit naturally. The cover letter is read mostly by humans. Reference and evidence count there.

Is there an “ideal” resume for all jobs?

No. Keywords differ per job. Adapt your resume for each application without inventing anything.

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