If you’re searching for an ATS keywords list, you’re not alone. Thousands of job seekers type that into Google every day, hoping a few right words will finally get their resume noticed.
And while keywords do matter, a lot, the truth is: using the right words in your resume won’t get you hired. It might not even get you a call back.
Why? Because keywords are just the surface. What moves you forward is strategy, clarity, and knowing how hiring actually works.
What is an ATS and why keywords matter
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is software that companies use to manage and filter applications. Think of it as the gatekeeper, it screens resumes based on relevance, formatting, and most importantly, keywords.
If your resume doesn’t reflect the language of the job post or industry, you risk being filtered out before a human even reads your name.
Common ATS keywords that show up in many roles
While every role is different, here’s a sample of commonly searched keywords that help align your resume with many job descriptions:
- Project management
- Customer success
- Digital marketing
- Stakeholder management
- Team leadership
- Salesforce, HubSpot, Excel
- SEO / SEM, Content strategy
- Python, SQL
- Budgeting, Forecasting
- Time management, Problem solving
Important: Don’t just stuff these into your resume. ATS systems today read context. Keywords work best when used naturally, within real accomplishments and responsibilities.
Use AI to extract the right keywords for your CV
Here’s a simple trick smart candidates are already using: take a job post you’re interested in and ask ChatGPT (or another AI tool) to extract the most relevant keywords for that role.
Prompt example:
“Extract the top 10 keywords from this job post that should be reflected in a resume. Here’s the description: [paste job ad].”
Then, cross-check those keywords with your own experience. Don’t just add them blindly, use them to guide how you describe your real work, results and skills.
Tip: Let AI do the heavy lifting, but your job is to bring relevance and truth to what you write.
Using keywords is necessary, but not enough
Yes, your resume should be optimized. But that only gets you past the first wall. The real question is: how do you get remembered, not just reviewed?
Because here’s the hard truth: you can have the “perfect” keyword loaded resume and still be ignored if you don’t understand how the hiring process actually works.
What you really need is a complete strategy
✔️ You need more than formatting tips.
✔️ You need more than buzzwords.
✔️ You need insight into how recruiters think, how decisions are made, and how to position yourself as the obvious choice.
That’s exactly what the Recruiters’ Playbook is built for.
Introducing: Recruiters’ Playbook
This isn’t just advice. It’s your competitive edge.
Inside, you’ll learn how to think like a recruiter, so you can position like a pro. You’ll go from sending hopeful applications to building high impact narratives that get traction fast.
- ✅ Reveals how hiring really works
- ✅ Built to give you the inside track
- ✅ Play to win, not just get seen
- ✅ Confidence through clarity
- ✅ From invisible to irresistible
If you’re tired of guessing what works, it’s time to learn what actually does.
Get the Recruiters’ Playbook now and take control of your job search with a framework that actually works. No more trial and error, just sharp strategy, clear positioning, and results.
Final takeaway: Keywords get you in. Strategy gets you hired.
Searching for the right ATS keywords is a great start. But if you want interviews and offers, you need to stop thinking like a job seeker and start thinking like a decision maker.
That’s what the Recruiters’ Playbook teaches you. And once you know how the game works, you’re ready to win it.