An ATS score is just a measure of how well your résumé matches a specific job — the same signal a recruiter's keyword search uses. A low score almost always comes from three fixable causes: missing required skills, low keyword overlap with the posting, and a title that doesn't mirror the role. None of these need a rewrite of your whole career; they need targeted edits driven by data. Scan your résumé against the exact job you're applying to, read which required skills and keywords are missing, and close the highest-impact gaps first.
Career advice
How to improve your ATS score
The applicant tracking system rejects most résumés before a person sees them. Here's how to stop being one of them.
Missing required skills sink you first
If the posting requires a skill and neither it nor a recognized equivalent appears on your résumé, you're filtered before ranking. Add the required skills you genuinely have, and name specific tools rather than generic categories.
Keyword overlap is a ranking signal
Beyond hard requirements, the density of matching terms ranks you against other candidates. Weave the posting's language into your summary and bullets where it's true — verbatim matches score highest.
Mirror the exact title
Recruiters search by title. If the role is 'Backend Engineer' and your résumé says 'Software Developer,' add the target title so title-based searches surface you.
The step-by-step
- 1
Scan for your real score
Get your match score plus the specific missing skills and keyword gaps for a target posting.
- 2
Fix required skills first
They carry the most weight — closing them moves your score the most per edit.
- 3
Weave in missing keywords
Add the top missing terms to your summary and bullets where they're genuinely true.
- 4
Re-scan to confirm the lift
Run the scan again to see your before/after and verify the fixes landed.
Skills that matter for Software Engineer resumes
The skills recruiters and ATS filters weight most for Software Engineer roles, ranked by hiring relevance. Each links to a guide on how to phrase and prove it on your resume.
The core skills that cluster around a Software Engineer role. Together they're what an ATS and a recruiter scan a Software Engineer resume for first.
Problem Solving on a resume →
The second-most overused phrase on resumes — and the one that costs you the most when listed without a specific problem you actually solved.
Python on a resume →
The default ATS keyword on data, ML, backend, and DevOps job descriptions — and the resume signal recruiters scan for before anything else.
Project Management on a resume →
The most overused phrase on resumes — and the one recruiters discount fastest unless paired with a named methodology, scope, and outcome.
Leadership on a resume →
The most overused word on resumes — and the one that gets discounted fastest unless paired with a team size, a budget, and a measurable outcome someone else owned.
Build your Software Engineer career
Every step of the job search for this role, in order. Follow it end to end — each stage links to the next.
Raise your score first
FAQ
What is a good ATS score?
Most recruiter and ATS keyword filters use roughly a 75% match as a first cut. Below that, you're likely to be screened out; above it, you're in the pile a human actually reviews. The exact bar varies, but 75+ is a safe target.
How do I raise my ATS score quickly?
Add the required skills you have but haven't listed, mirror the job title, and weave in the highest-frequency missing keywords. A scan ranks these fixes by how many points each one is worth so you start with the biggest lever.
Does keyword stuffing work?
No — and it backfires with human reviewers. Add keywords only where they're truthfully supported by your experience. Presence plus evidence beats raw repetition, and honest phrasing survives the interview.