Practical guide

CV keywords: finding them in the job ad and putting them in the right place

Recruiters and their software search for specific words. How to spot them in a job ad and put them where they count, without keyword stuffing.

A recruiter who receives dozens of applications first looks for a few words: a job title, a tool, a certification, a key skill. Their software does the same thing, at scale. So your CV needs to speak the job ad's language, without losing your own.

What is a CV keyword?

It is a specific term a recruiter might type to find your profile: a job (“financial controller”), a skill (“month-end close”), a tool (“SAP”, “advanced Excel”), a standard or a certification (“ISO 9001”), a sector, a language. Vague wording (“versatile”, “dynamic”) is not a keyword.

Where to find them in the job ad

The job title: it is the first filter. If your current title is different but equivalent, use the one from the job ad as your CV headline.
The duties: each verb (“lead”, “analyse”, “negotiate”) points to an expected skill.
The candidate profile: qualifications, years of experience, tools, languages, certifications. This is often where the knock-out criteria are hiding.
The company's vocabulary: if the job ad says “account manager” where you would write “client adviser”, use its term, even if that means putting both.

Where to put them in your CV

The headline, just under your name: the job title you are targeting, worded as the ad words it (the method is in our guide to the CV headline).
The profile (three to five lines): your job, your experience, your two or three standout skills, in the job ad's words.
Your experience: this is where a keyword becomes credible, because it is tied to an achievement.
The skills section: tools and know-how grouped by category, in plain text. How to build the skills section without rating bars or a catch-all list: see our dedicated guide.

Acronyms, variants and spelling

Write the full form and the acronym once: “Search engine optimisation (SEO)”. The recruiter may search for either. Spell tool names correctly (“PowerPoint”, “Salesforce”): a single typo can be enough for you not to be found.

Only what you can actually do

Adding a keyword you haven't mastered gets you through the filter, then makes you fail the interview. If you lack a required skill, you are better off working on it (a short course, a project) and adding it afterwards. Hidden text, for its part, gets spotted and rules you out: see our guide on ATS screening robots.

Let the AI align your CV with the job ad

On AI-improved CV, paste in the job ad you are targeting: your CV picks up its job title and keywords wherever your experience backs them up, and the site lists the ones still missing. The ATS CV check already shows you which keywords for your job are present in your CV and which are missing.

Frequently asked questions

How many keywords should I put in a CV?

There is no quota: include the ones that genuinely describe what you can do and that the job ad asks for. A useful keyword appears where it is proven (in a job entry), not just in a list.

Do I need a different CV for every job ad?

For the ones that matter, yes: adjust the job title, the profile and the order of your skills. The core stays the same; only the vocabulary and what you highlight change. Our tool does it when you paste in the job ad.

Do soft skills count?

Yes, if they are mentioned in the job ad and illustrated in your background. “Customer focus” carries more weight with a line of experience that shows it than written on its own in a list.

Put it into practice

The site's tools and features that go with this guide: the figures there are calculated by the code, never by the AI.

Word-for-word fixes ATS CV check

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Also worth reading

All the guides

What is a CV keyword?

Where to find them in the job ad

The job title: it is the first filter. If your current title is different but equivalent, use the one from the job ad as your CV headline.

The duties: each verb (“lead”, “analyse”, “negotiate”) points to an expected skill.

The candidate profile: qualifications, years of experience, tools, languages, certifications. This is often where the knock-out criteria are hiding.

The company's vocabulary: if the job ad says “account manager” where you would write “client adviser”, use its term, even if that means putting both.

Where to put them in your CV

The headline, just under your name: the job title you are targeting, worded as the ad words it (the method is in our guide to the CV headline).

The profile (three to five lines): your job, your experience, your two or three standout skills, in the job ad's words.

Your experience: this is where a keyword becomes credible, because it is tied to an achievement.

The skills section: tools and know-how grouped by category, in plain text. How to build the skills section without rating bars or a catch-all list: see our dedicated guide.