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Resume and ATS glossary

Short, plain-English definitions of the terms you meet when writing a resume and applying for jobs, from applicant tracking systems to match scores. Each links to a guide that goes deeper.

Applicant tracking system (ATS) · ATS-friendly resume · Resume parsing · Resume keyword · Hard skill · Soft skill · Must-have requirement · Nice-to-have requirement · Resume match score · Resume tailoring · Keyword stuffing · Resume summary · Resume headline · Achievement bullet · Reverse-chronological resume · Functional resume · CV vs resume · Cover letter · Transferable skills · Knockout question · Recruiter screen · Employment gap · Employee referral · Resume length

Applicant tracking system (ATS)

Software employers use to collect, store, search and filter job applications. Recruiters search an ATS by job title, skills and keywords, so a resume is usually found by software before a person reads it. Common examples are Workday, Greenhouse, Lever and iCIMS. Read the guide.

ATS-friendly resume

A resume an applicant tracking system can read correctly: one column, real selectable text, standard section headings such as Experience and Education, and no key details in images, tables, headers or footers. Read the guide.

Resume parsing

The step where an ATS extracts text from an uploaded resume into fields such as name, job titles, dates and skills. Multi-column layouts, text boxes and images are the most common causes of parsing errors. Read the guide.

Resume keyword

A word or phrase from a job post that a recruiter is likely to search for, such as a job title, tool, skill, certification or licence. Keywords count when they appear in context, in a bullet that shows you using them. Read the guide.

Hard skill

A teachable, testable skill such as SQL, Figma, bookkeeping or a foreign language. Hard skills are the most common resume keywords because they are easy to search for and verify. Read the guide.

Soft skill

A working style such as communication, leadership or problem solving. Soft skills persuade best when shown through a result in a bullet rather than listed on their own. Read the guide.

Must-have requirement

A qualification a job post marks as required: often a skill, tool, licence, degree or years of experience. Missing must-haves lower a match score the most and are what recruiters filter on first. Read the guide.

Nice-to-have requirement

A preferred or bonus qualification in a job post. Nice-to-haves rarely decide whether you are screened in, but they separate similar candidates. Read the guide.

Resume match score

A 0 to 100 estimate of how well a resume covers what one specific job post asks for. Resumark weighs must-haves (40), experience and seniority (25), job title and field (15), nice-to-haves (10) and relevant results (10). Read the guide.

Resume tailoring

Adjusting a resume for one job: matching the headline to the role, using the post's words for skills you really have, and leading with the bullets that prove its top requirements. Tailoring changes emphasis and wording, never the facts. Read the guide.

Keyword stuffing

Repeating keywords or adding skills you do not have to raise a score. It rarely helps with modern search, recruiters notice it, and claims you cannot back up surface in interviews. Read the guide.

Resume summary

Two or three sentences at the top of a resume that say who you are professionally, what you are best at and what you want next, ideally with one concrete result. Read the guide.

Resume headline

The short title under your name, such as Senior Product Designer. It is often the first thing a recruiter searches for, so it should match the role you are applying for when that is truthful. Read the guide.

Achievement bullet

A resume bullet that states what you did and the result, ideally with a number: Cut month-end close from 8 days to 5 by automating reconciliations. It is the strongest evidence for a requirement. Read the guide.

Reverse-chronological resume

The standard resume format: most recent job first, each role with title, employer, dates and bullets. It is the easiest format for recruiters to scan and for applicant tracking systems to parse. Read the guide.

Functional resume

A format that groups skills instead of listing jobs with dates. Many recruiters distrust it because it can hide gaps, and it often parses poorly; a reverse-chronological resume with a strong summary usually works better. Read the guide.

CV vs resume

In the US and Canada a resume is a short, tailored summary of experience and a CV is a long academic record. In the UK, Ireland, Europe and much of the world, CV is simply the everyday word for a resume. Read the guide.

Cover letter

A short letter sent with a resume that says why you want this role and gives two or three results that prove you can do it. Under 250 words is enough for almost every job. Read the guide.

Transferable skills

Skills that carry from one job or field to another, such as planning, budgeting, training people or managing customers. Career changers show them by rewriting bullets in the new field's words. Read the guide.

Knockout question

A yes or no screening question in an online application, such as whether you hold a licence or have work authorisation. A wrong answer can reject an application automatically before anyone reads the resume. Read the guide.

Recruiter screen

The first short call with a recruiter, usually 15 to 30 minutes, to check fit, motivation, salary range and availability before interviews with the hiring team. Read the guide.

Employment gap

A period without paid work between jobs. Most recruiters accept gaps that are briefly explained, for example caregiving, study or a job search, with dates kept honest. Read the guide.

Employee referral

When someone who works at a company recommends you for a job. Referred applications are more likely to be read by a person, which is why a short message to a contact often shortens a search. Read the guide.

Resume length

One page is typical for early-career roles and two pages for experienced candidates. Length matters less than relevance: recruiters skim the top third first. Read the guide.