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How to Find Keywords Missing on a Resume in as Fast as 2–5 Mins

Here’s how to find keywords missing from your resume in as fast as two minutes. If you take your time, it shouldn’t take any longer than 10–15 minutes.

Written by:
Astley Cervania
Edited by:

To find resume keywords that you’re missing, simply check the job description. Look for key skills, experiences, projects, and qualifications. These are likely keywords. Alternatively, use a resume scanner. Simply copy and paste the job description into a resume scanner like Rezi AI Keyword Targeting to instantly pull the list of keywords for you.

I know all too well how much of a pain it is to find keywords to tailor your resume. 

What’s supposed to take a few minutes can end up taking hours. 

And, if you’re anything like me, I absolutely hate having to cross-check between my own resume and the job description just to find whatever word or phrase there is that my resume needs to include.

This article will show you how to easily solve this problem so that tailoring your resume by including important keywords from the job ad never feels like a chore. 

Why Do You Need Resume Keywords? (They’re How You Get Past Applicant Tracking Systems)

Resume keywords are how you get past the hiring software that most recruiters use when screening job applications. This hiring software is also known as applicant tracking systems (ATS)

The reality is that it’s usually HR and recruiters who look at your resume. 

Let’s just say, for example, you’re a software engineer applying for a software engineering position. Well, your resume is going to be reviewed not by a software engineering manager, but most likely by a recruiter who doesn’t have a clue what the day-to-day of a software engineer at their company looks like. 

So, the way they’ll judge resumes to narrow down the list of job applications is by seeing how well your resume matches their job description. 

And one of the main ways they’ll determine this is through your use of resume keywords, which is why they’re so important. 

And it can sting a bit to know this because, unfortunately, if your resume doesn’t speak the company’s language, then even if you’re qualified, you may not make it past that first filter. 

How to Find Missing Keywords in as Fast as 2–5 Mins 

Here’s how to find keywords missing from your resume: 

  • Pick a reliable resume keyword scanner like Rezi AI Keyword Targeting.
  • Copy and paste the target job description in the resume keyword scanner.
  • Go through the list of keywords you haven’t included. 

The only other way is to manually check the job description, which is a much more tedious process. If you decide to do this, then you’ll have to manually look for key skills, qualifications, and responsibilities. Simply find the words and phrases related to these and add them to your resume. 

Otherwise, I would just sign up for a resume keyword scanner and use the tool to pull the list of relevant keywords needed. It’s a lot easier, straightforward, and also saves time. 

Pick a reliable resume keyword scanner like Rezi AI Keyword Targeting

Manually digging through job descriptions to figure out what keywords you need is just long. No one wants to constantly read line by line and wonder which skills actually matter and whether you’ve phrased things the “right” way on your resume.

So, the only other way is to use a resume keyword scanner tool that does the job for you. 

I am a little biased, but I would suggest Rezi AI Keyword Targeting. It’s a good, simple, and effective tool for finding keywords that your resume is missing. 

Copy and paste the target job description into the resume keyword scanner

With your chosen resume keyword scanner tool, the next step is dead simple—just copy and paste the job description into it. That’s literally it.

No need to overthink what part of the job post to include. Just take the whole thing and paste it in. If you need to add any extra details like the job title and company name, then don’t forget to include those too. 

Go through the list of keywords you haven’t included

Once the scan is done, you’ll get a list of keywords your resume is missing. This is where you can start making quick, targeted edits.

Don’t stuff every single keyword in. Just focus on the ones that match your experience.

You Can Also Use an AI Tool to Help You Add Missing Keywords to Your Resume

Another tool that can help you is Rezi AI Keyword Tailoring. 

It’s pretty simple, after using Rezi AI Keyword Targeting, just press “Yes - Add Bullet Point” and then our tool will provide a suggestion for including missing keywords one by one. In the example below, the missing keyword was “Google Analytics.”

Afterward, you can accept the suggestion and move onto the next missing keyword, or you can rewrite the bullet point.

Ai keyword tailoring on Rezi

Summary

To recap, the best way to find missing keywords from your resume is to use a resume keyword scanner. Otherwise, you’ll have to manually review the job description yourself line by line, which is a lot more difficult and inefficient. 

If you haven’t already, it’s best to start using smart AI resume tools to save time, avoid fatigue, and most importantly, make sure your resume actually gets seen. 

And if you’re unsure, you can start with Rezi AI. We have all the tools you need to make your resume stand out.

FAQs

Do I need to include every keyword from the job description?

No, you don’t need to force every keyword into your resume. Focus on the ones that genuinely match your experience. Including relevant keywords naturally is more effective than keyword stuffing, which can hurt readability and credibility.

Is it worth just trying to find keywords myself?

You can manually review the job description and pick out keywords by reading it line by line, but it’s not worth it. It’s time-consuming and easy to miss things. Using a resume keyword scanner like Rezi AI Keyword Targeting automates the process and saves so much time.

Will using resume keywords guarantee I get the job?

No resume tool can guarantee a job, but using resume keywords gives you a much better shot at passing ATS filters and catching a recruiter’s attention. 

Astley Cervania

Astley Cervania is a career writer and editor who has helped hundreds of thousands of job seekers build resumes and cover letters that land interviews. He is a Rezi-acknowledged expert in the field of career advice and has been delivering job success insights for 4+ years, helping readers translate their work background into a compelling job application.

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