Original data · June 2026 study
Resume Keywords by Role, From Real Job Postings
Most keyword lists are guesses. These are measured: we indexed 9,260 live postings across all 503 S&P 500 careers sites and counted which resume-relevant terms each role family actually asks for — plus experience, degree, and remote-work stats.
Software Engineer resume keywords
1,639 postings · 83 companies · median 5 yrs experience
Top terms: Python, Cross-functional collaboration, Stakeholder management, Java…
Data Scientist resume keywords
332 postings · 56 companies · median 6 yrs experience
Top terms: Cross-functional collaboration, Python, Stakeholder management, SQL…
Sales resume keywords
1,091 postings · 63 companies · median 5 yrs experience
Top terms: Pipeline management, Forecasting, SaaS, Account management…
Marketing resume keywords
185 postings · 46 companies · median 7 yrs experience
Top terms: Cross-functional collaboration, Campaign management, Brand management, Stakeholder management…
Product Manager resume keywords
175 postings · 37 companies · median 6 yrs experience
Top terms: Roadmap, Cross-functional collaboration, Stakeholder management, Product strategy…
Finance resume keywords
256 postings · 65 companies · median 6 yrs experience
Top terms: Stakeholder management, Cross-functional collaboration, Compliance, CPA…
Operations resume keywords
421 postings · 75 companies · median 5 yrs experience
Top terms: Stakeholder management, Cross-functional collaboration, Compliance, Process improvement…
Why measured beats guessed
Recruiters search their ATS for literal terms, so the difference between "collaborated cross-functionally" and the exact phrase a posting uses decides whether you appear in results. These pages come from the same dataset as our S&P 500 ATS study. To check your own resume against a specific posting, use the free resume checker — instant, no signup.
Data snapshot: 2026-06-12.