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Create CV“Resume keyword examples” are often misunderstood as buzzwords to copy and paste.
In modern ATS pipelines, keywords function as classification signals, not decoration.
Systems evaluate:
•Exact keyword match
• Contextual keyword placement
• Frequency within relevant sections
• Alignment with job taxonomy
• Skill clustering
Recruiters then validate whether those keywords are supported by measurable evidence.
Keywords without context increase ranking temporarily but decrease credibility during human review.
Below are structured resume keyword examples by category, including how they should be used to survive both ATS and recruiter screening.
High-weight leadership keywords:
•P&L Responsibility
• Strategic Planning
• Budget Oversight
• Stakeholder Management
• Organisational Transformation
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Workforce Planning
• Performance Optimisation
Weak usage:
•Experienced in strategic planning
Strong usage:
•Led strategic planning initiative increasing regional revenue by 18%
• Managed £4.2M annual budget with full P&L responsibility
ATS detects the keyword.
Recruiters validate the impact.
Common operational keywords:
•Process Improvement
• Supply Chain Optimisation
• KPI Development
• Lean Methodology
• Cost Reduction
• Inventory Management
• Workflow Automation
Weak usage:
•Responsible for process improvement
Strong usage:
•Implemented process improvement framework reducing cycle time by 23%
• Automated workflow system decreasing manual reporting by 31%
Operational keywords must demonstrate efficiency gains.
Technical resumes are highly keyword-sensitive.
Common technical keywords:
•REST API
• SQL
• Python
• AWS
• Kubernetes
• Machine Learning
• CI/CD
• Microservices
• Data Modelling
Weak usage:
•Knowledge of AWS and Python
Strong usage:
•Built REST API using Python and deployed on AWS handling 2M+ monthly requests
• Implemented CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions reducing deployment errors by 27%
Technical keywords must include tool + action + measurable outcome.
Marketing ATS systems prioritise:
•Conversion Rate Optimisation
• SEO
• PPC
• Customer Acquisition Cost
• Lead Generation
• Campaign Analytics
• CRM Management
• Brand Strategy
Weak usage:
•Managed marketing campaigns
Strong usage:
•Improved conversion rate by 21% through SEO optimisation and landing page A/B testing
• Reduced customer acquisition cost by 18% through paid search reallocation strategy
Marketing keywords require performance metrics.
High-weight finance keywords:
•Financial Modelling
• Variance Analysis
• Forecasting
• Budget Management
• Compliance
• Risk Assessment
• Regulatory Reporting
Weak usage:
•Experience in financial modelling
Strong usage:
•Built 5-year financial forecasting model influencing £8M capital allocation
• Conducted variance analysis reducing reporting discrepancies by 12%
Finance keywords must reflect analytical depth and scale.
Healthcare ATS systems prioritise:
•Patient Care
• Clinical Documentation
• Medication Administration
• HIPAA Compliance
• Care Coordination
• Electronic Health Records
Weak usage:
•Provided patient care
Strong usage:
•Managed care for 20+ patients per shift maintaining 100% compliance with safety protocols
• Reduced medication administration errors by 14%
Healthcare keywords require compliance and patient volume indicators.
Where keywords matter most:
Professional Summary
•Introduce core high-weight keywords
Skills Section
•List primary skill clusters clearly
Experience Bullets
•Embed keywords within measurable achievements
Repeated placement across sections increases match scoring.
However, repetition must feel natural.
High density without context:
•Appears manipulative
• Triggers recruiter skepticism
High relevance with measurable support:
•Improves ATS ranking
• Increases shortlist probability
Example of keyword stuffing:
•Strategic planning, leadership, budgeting, stakeholder management, optimisation
No outcomes. No scale.
Recruiters detect superficial alignment quickly.
Many modern ATS platforms use semantic recognition.
Example:
•“Process Improvement”
• “Operational Optimisation”
• “Workflow Enhancement”
These may be interpreted as related but not identical.
Exact phrasing from the job description often carries highest weight.
Always mirror the job description where applicable.
•Using outdated terminology
• Copying job description verbatim
• Listing tools without context
• Ignoring soft-skill-to-result conversion
• Omitting measurable proof
Keywords are filters.
Results are differentiators.
High-performing bullet formula:
Action Verb
Example:
•Led cross-functional stakeholder management initiative improving project delivery time by 19%
This satisfies both ATS and recruiter logic.
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