Most job seekers worry about a magic robot rejecting their resume if it doesn’t have the right keywords. But here’s the truth: ATS systems rarely “reject” resumes. Recruiters on LinkedIn confirm: rejection happens when a human decides you’re not a fit, not when a machine scans for missing words.
That’s good news. It means your resume’s real job is persuading the hiring manager. And that requires more than keywords.
The Three Things Your Resume Must Do
Your resume has one audience that matters: the hiring manager. And there are three things it absolutely must do — but most resumes don’t.
- Show the hiring manager you are the type of person they are looking for.
- Show the hiring manager there’s something special about you compared to other qualified candidates — a differentiator.
- Prove that you’ve had impact on problems like theirs.
Keywords don’t prove any of that. Stories of impact do.
👉 The first two are handled in your resume Summary section — where you position yourself and highlight your differentiator. The third is demonstrated in your Experience section, through bullet points that show impact and outcomes.
The Hiring Manager’s Perspective
Here’s how a new job req actually comes into existence:
- The manager goes to leadership and says, “We have a problem that, if we don’t solve it, will hurt the business.”
- Then: “To solve it, I need a [role].”
- They make the case: “If I get this hire, here are the outcomes we’ll achieve.”
Only then do they (maybe) get a “Yes.”
Notice what’s driving this process: problems and outcomes. Not job descriptions. Not keywords.
That’s why showing you can drive outcomes that matter to them is far more persuasive than listing every tool or methodology you’ve touched.
The Corollary: Keywords Still Have a Place
The job description represents minimum qualifications. Meeting them won’t set you apart — it only gets you through the door.
But the recruiter or HR screener does need to see some of those keywords to know you’re in the right ballpark. Here’s the balance:
- Use your bullet points to show impact — and naturally include the skills, tools, and techniques you used.
- Add a simple Skills section at the bottom to capture any remaining keywords.
That way, the ATS sees what it needs, the recruiter sees the basics, and the hiring manager sees what really matters: your ability to deliver results.
What to Do Next
- Take the first half-page of your resume: does it clearly show the type of person you are and the domains you’ve worked in?
- Add a differentiator line: what do you have a reputation for that sets you apart from other qualified candidates?
- Scan your bullets: do they show impact on problems like the ones your target companies face?
If you do those three things, you won’t need to fear the ATS — because the human decision-makers will want you in the funnel.