Top 10 Resume Keywords (ATS-Ready List)
Universal resume keywords that help across roles. These are not magic words. They work when you attach them to outcomes, scope, and proof.
Browse more roles in the Resume Keywords hub or generate a custom list with Keywords Finder.
How recruiters scan resumes
- They skim for ownership language: what you led, built, improved, or delivered.
- They look for measurable outcomes: time, cost, revenue, conversion, retention, quality.
- They check for scope: users served, budget, team size, volume, frequency.
- They want clarity: short bullets with numbers and concrete actions.
- They filter out task lists and generic verbs with no proof.
Common ATS mistakes
- Using weak verbs like “helped” or “assisted” for work you owned.
- Bullets read like a job description with no outcomes or numbers.
- Only listing skills without showing them inside achievements.
- No baselines (before/after) so impact is unclear.
- Too many words, too little proof.
Copy The List
Action Verbs
- Led
- Built
- Improved
- Increased
- Reduced
- Launched
- Automated
- Optimized
- Scaled
- Delivered
Impact Phrases
- Reduced time-to-X by
- Cut costs by
- Increased conversion by
- Improved retention to
- Raised quality to
- Improved accuracy to
- Drove revenue by
- Reduced errors by
Copy for AI tools
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI writing tool along with your resume for targeted rewrite suggestions.
[Top 10] Resume Keywords Action Verbs: Led, Built, Improved, Increased, Reduced, Launched, Automated, Optimized, Scaled, Delivered Impact Phrases: - Reduced time-to-X by - Cut costs by - Increased conversion by - Improved retention to - Raised quality to - Improved accuracy to - Drove revenue by - Reduced errors by Recruiter scan: - They skim for ownership language: what you led, built, improved, or delivered. - They look for measurable outcomes: time, cost, revenue, conversion, retention, quality. - They check for scope: users served, budget, team size, volume, frequency. - They want clarity: short bullets with numbers and concrete actions. - They filter out task lists and generic verbs with no proof. Common ATS mistakes: - Using weak verbs like “helped” or “assisted” for work you owned. - Bullets read like a job description with no outcomes or numbers. - Only listing skills without showing them inside achievements. - No baselines (before/after) so impact is unclear. - Too many words, too little proof.
Examples
- Reduced onboarding time by 35% by rebuilding the activation flow and adding in-app guidance.
- Increased conversion by 18% after testing 6 pricing page variants and simplifying plan copy.
- Cut reporting time by 60% by automating dashboards and standardizing KPI definitions.