Paste your resume and any job description. See exactly which keywords you have, which you're missing, and how high-priority each missing keyword is.
Recruiters and ATS systems are looking for specific words. Not synonyms. Not close variations. The exact words from the job posting. If a job says "cross-functional collaboration" and your resume says "teamwork," many ATS systems won't make the connection.
Hard keywords are specific and non-negotiable — certifications (PMP, AWS), tools (Salesforce, JIRA), and technical skills. Missing these is an immediate filter. Soft keywords are competencies and phrases — "stakeholder management," "agile methodology," "budget oversight." Missing these hurts your ranking but rarely causes outright rejection.
Aim to match 70–80% of the hard keywords and 60%+ of soft keywords from any job posting you're serious about. Anything below 50% keyword match is high-risk in a competitive applicant pool.