Recruiters search their applicant tracking systems for keywords: job titles, skills, tools, certifications and sometimes locations. If those words are not on your CV, you may not appear in their results, even if you are well qualified. But a CV packed with keywords and no evidence convinces nobody once a person reads it.
What counts as a keyword
- Job titles: "Project Manager", "Facility Manager", "Network Engineer".
- Hard skills and tools: "SAP", "AutoCAD", "FortiGate", "Power BI", "Python".
- Certifications and registrations: "PMP", "CCNA", "NEBOSH", "SCE membership".
- Methods and standards: "ITIL", "Agile", "ISO 9001", "IFRS".
- Domain terms: "MEP", "HSE", "SLA", "KPI reporting".
Soft skills such as "team player" are rarely searched for. Show them through results instead.
Where to find the right keywords
- The job posting itself. Note words that appear in the title, the first paragraph and the requirements list, especially words repeated more than once.
- Several similar postings. Read three or four postings for the same role. Words that appear in all of them are the core keywords for that role.
- The employer's website and LinkedIn page. Companies often use specific names for their systems and services.
Where to put keywords on your CV
- Profile: your target job title and two or three core skills.
- Key skills section: a short list using the posting's exact wording.
- Experience bullets: this matters most. A keyword in a bullet with a result ("Led ITIL-based service desk for 1,200 users, SLA compliance up from 82% to 97%") is far stronger than the same keyword in a list.
- Certifications: full name and abbreviation, for example "Project Management Professional (PMP)".
Exact wording matters
Some systems match exact phrases. If the job says "Microsoft 365 administration" and your CV says "Office administration", a search might miss you. Use the employer's words when they describe what you really did. Include both the abbreviation and the full term where both are common.
What keyword stuffing looks like, and why it fails
- Long lists of every tool you have ever heard of.
- Hidden text in white font or tiny print. Many systems show recruiters the plain text, so hidden words become visible and look dishonest.
- Copying the job description into your CV.
- Adding skills you do not have.
Recruiters notice these immediately, and they damage trust. Interviews will expose missing skills anyway.
A simple test
For every keyword on your CV, ask: "Could I give an example of this in an interview?" If yes, make sure the example is on the CV. If no, remove the keyword.
Find your missing keywords
Paste any job into Careers Analyst and it lists the keywords and requirements your CV is missing, with the evidence for the ones you have. You choose what to add, and nothing is invented. You can also run your current CV through the free CV checker first.
Put it into practice with your own CV
Upload your CV, add a job, and see how you match before you apply.