What an ATS actually does with your resume
An applicant tracking system parses your resume into structured text and matches it against the job description. It does not judge your design, and it does not infer skills you never named. If the posting says "forecasting" and your resume only says "budget work", the match is weaker than it should be.
That means keyword work is not gaming the system — it is making sure the words you already earned are the same words the employer used.
Where to put keywords (and where not to)
Put them in context. The strongest placement is inside a results bullet: "Cut month-end close from 9 to 5 days by automating reconciliation in SAP." That one line carries three keywords and a number.
A short skills block near the top is fine for hard skills and tools. Avoid keyword lists hidden in white text, tables and text boxes that parsers mangle, images of text, and headers or footers where content can be dropped. Use plain section names — Experience, Skills, Education — and one standard font.
Keyword lists by role
Software engineering
Skills and tools
TypeScript · React · Node.js · Python · PostgreSQL · REST APIs · CI/CD · Docker · AWS · unit testing · code review · system design
Working strengths
cross-functional collaboration · mentoring · on-call ownership · technical writing
Marketing
Skills and tools
SEO · paid social · Google Analytics · HubSpot · email automation · content strategy · conversion rate optimisation · A/B testing · attribution · campaign reporting
Working strengths
stakeholder management · copywriting · brand positioning · budget ownership
Finance and accounting
Skills and tools
financial modelling · forecasting · month-end close · reconciliation · variance analysis · IFRS · GAAP · Excel (advanced) · SAP · audit support
Working strengths
controls mindset · business partnering · board reporting · process improvement
Sales and account management
Skills and tools
pipeline management · Salesforce · quota attainment · outbound prospecting · MEDDIC · renewals · upsell · forecast accuracy · contract negotiation
Working strengths
discovery calls · objection handling · executive relationships · territory planning
Nursing and healthcare
Skills and tools
patient assessment · care planning · medication administration · EHR / Epic · triage · infection control · wound care · BLS / ACLS certification · clinical documentation
Working strengths
patient advocacy · family communication · shift handover · interdisciplinary teams
Treat these as a checklist, not a script. Only claim what you can defend in an interview, and mirror the exact wording from the posting you are applying to.
A five-minute keyword pass
1. Paste the job description into a blank document. 2. Highlight every skill, tool and qualification it names. 3. Tick the ones already on your resume in the same words. 4. For each remaining one you genuinely have, rewrite an existing bullet to include it with a number. 5. Delete anything you cannot back up.