The Resume Keyword Bible

Speak the language of recruiters and algorithms. Learn how to strategically place keywords that prove your competence.

Hard vs Soft Keywords

Hard skills (Python, SQL) prove your technical ability. Soft skills (Leadership, Teamwork) prove your ability to work within a team.

Placement Strategy

Integrate keywords naturally in your summary, skills list, and especially at the start of your work experience bullet points.

Common Action Verbs

Leadership

ManagedLedCoordinatedSupervisedMentoredDirected

Communication

NegotiatedPresentedAuthoredCollaboratedAdvisedLiaised

Problem-Solving

AnalyzedResolvedDiagnosedEngineeredInnovated

Results-Driven

AchievedIncreasedReducedOptimizedExceeded

Mirroring Technique

If the job description asks for "Customer Relationship Management" but you wrote "CRM experience," use both! This covers all bases for both human readers and algorithms.