What keywords should a student / entry-level resume include?

A student / entry-level resume should include role-specific hard skills (Research, Data entry, Report writing, Microsoft Office), the tools you use (Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Canva), relevant certifications, and strong action verbs. Always mirror the exact terms in the job description you're applying to.

How do I add the right keywords to my resume?

Pull the exact terms from the job posting and weave the ones you genuinely have into your summary, skills and experience. ApplyMate does this automatically — it reads your resume and the job description, then rewrites your resume around the keywords that posting actually asks for, in an ATS-ready layout.

Student / Entry-Level Resume Keywords

These are the skills, tools, certifications and verbs an ATS scans for on a student / entry-level resume. Students, new graduates and career starters with limited work history who should lead with education, projects and internships. Use them as a checklist — then tailor to the exact wording of the job you're applying to.

Get a student / entry-level resume with these keywords already in it ApplyMate reads your resume and the job description, then rewrites it around the keywords that posting actually asks for.

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Free to start · keywords matched to your job · ATS-ready layout.

Hard skills (10)

ResearchData entryReport writingMicrosoft OfficeTime managementSocial mediaCustomer serviceEvent coordinationBasic analysisPresentation skills

Tools & software (6)

Microsoft OfficeGoogle WorkspaceCanvaExcelPowerPointSlack

Certifications (4)

Google Career CertificateLinkedIn LearningCPR/First AidMicrosoft Office Specialist (MOS)

Action verbs (10)

AssistedCoordinatedOrganizedSupportedResearchedVolunteeredLedImprovedCreatedManaged

Soft skills (6)

CommunicationTeamworkAdaptabilityEagerness to learnReliabilityProblem solving

How to use these keywords

Education and projects lead; a minimal single column parses cleanly even without a long work record.

Mirror the job description. Pull the exact terms from the posting you're applying to — an ATS matches literal phrases, so "RN license" and "registered nurse license" can score differently.
Put keywords where they belong. Skills in a skills section; the rest woven naturally into your summary and experience bullets — never a hidden keyword dump.
Lead bullets with action verbs (Assisted, Coordinated, Organized, Supported…) and back them with a number.
Don't keyword-stuff. Only claim skills you genuinely have; recruiters read the resume after the ATS does.

The fastest way to find the right keywords for a specific job is to let the tailoring do it for you. ApplyMate reads your resume and the job description, then rewrites your resume around the keywords that posting actually asks for. Start with the Student / Entry-Level resume template, or read our guides on resume keywords and tailoring your resume to a job description.

Tailor your student / entry-level resume to the job ApplyMate inserts the keywords that posting asks for, in an ATS-ready layout.

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Keywords for other roles

Software Engineer → Registered Nurse → Teacher → Project Manager → Marketing Manager → Data Analyst → Accountant → Sales Representative →