ATS Keywords by Industry: Lists for Healthcare, IT, Finance, Law, Engineering and More
The keywords ATS systems and recruiters search for differ by industry. Use these keyword lists for healthcare, IT, finance, law, engineering, marketing, sales, education and logistics — and learn how to add them to your CV naturally.
An ATS ranks CVs by how well they match the job — and recruiters search the database with industry terms. The words that matter for a nurse are completely different from those for a lawyer or a data engineer. Below are starting lists by industry. Always compare them with the actual job advert and only use terms that are true for you.
How to use these lists
- Highlight the skills, tools and qualifications in the job advert.
- Check which of them appear in the list for your industry — those are the core terms.
- Add each true keyword where it fits naturally: summary, skills section and experience bullets.
- Use the exact spelling from the advert, and write abbreviations in full once (e.g. "Customer Relationship Management (CRM)").
Healthcare
- patient care, clinical assessment, care planning, medication administration, infection control, patient safety, safeguarding, electronic health records, multidisciplinary team, evidence-based practice
IT and software
- software development, the specific languages and frameworks, cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP), CI/CD, microservices, API, agile, testing, cybersecurity, system design, data analysis, SQL
Finance and accounting
- financial reporting, month-end close, reconciliations, IFRS/GAAP, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, audit, internal controls, ERP (SAP/Oracle), Excel, compliance
Law and legal
- legal research, contract drafting, contract review, due diligence, litigation, compliance, regulatory, corporate law, employment law, data protection (GDPR), case management, legal writing, client counselling
Engineering
- design, CAD (AutoCAD/SolidWorks/CATIA), project engineering, quality assurance, root cause analysis, Lean, Six Sigma, health and safety, technical documentation, commissioning, maintenance, specific standards (ISO, DIN, Eurocodes)
Marketing
- digital marketing, SEO, SEM, Google Ads, social media, content marketing, email marketing, marketing automation, analytics (GA4), campaign management, brand management, conversion rate optimisation
Sales and customer service
- business development, account management, pipeline, quota, CRM (Salesforce/HubSpot), negotiation, lead generation, customer experience, CSAT, complaint handling, retention
Education
- lesson planning, curriculum development, assessment, differentiation, classroom management, safeguarding, SEN, student progress, e-learning, the curriculum name (IB, IGCSE, national curriculum)
Logistics and supply chain
- supply chain management, procurement, inventory management, warehouse operations, logistics planning, demand forecasting, ERP, S&OP, vendor management, cost reduction, KPIs
Avoid keyword stuffing
Repeating keywords dozens of times or hiding them in white text does not help: modern ATS and every recruiter see through it, and it can get your CV rejected. Put each keyword in context — ideally inside an achievement that proves you used it.
Keywords get your CV found; achievements get it chosen.
Not sure which keywords your CV is missing? Upload it to CV Analyz and paste the job description: you get a match score and the list of missing keywords for your target role — across 780+ professions.
Check your resume for freeFrequently asked questions
How many keywords should a CV have?
There is no fixed number. Aim to cover the main skills and qualifications from the job advert that are true for you — typically 10 to 20 relevant terms used naturally across your CV.
Where should I put keywords on my CV?
In your professional summary, your skills section and, most importantly, inside your experience bullets where you show how you used them.
Are ATS keywords the same in every country?
The concepts are similar, but the wording differs by language and market. Always use the exact terms from the job advert in the language it was written in.