A missing keyword may be a wording gap, an experience gap, or an irrelevant extraction. Work out which before changing your CV. This walkthrough turns a job advert into an evidence map so you can make useful edits without chasing a percentage.
The short answer
Match each important requirement to a real example, then use a keyword checker to review wording. Add terms where they accurately describe your work. Folio's match percentage measures extracted terms found in the text; it is not an employer's ATS score, a qualification check, or a prediction of selection.
See the worked exampleWorked example: classify three missing terms
Imagine an advert asks for SQL, Power BI, and stakeholder updates. Your CV describes SQL queries and weekly emails to a project lead, but you have never used Power BI. Those three terms need different decisions. The goal is a truthful explanation of your fit, not three automatic additions.
After editing, check that the new wording still describes the task accurately. A course can support a learning claim, but it cannot be relabelled as professional tool use. An unmet requirement is something to assess when deciding whether to apply, not something a synonym can fix.
| Term | Actual evidence | Useful decision |
|---|---|---|
| SQL | Queries written in a course project | Name SQL and label the project as academic |
| Power BI | No use or training | Leave it out; do not imply proficiency |
| Stakeholder updates | Weekly progress emails to a project lead | Describe the audience and content of the updates |
Read the advert before running a comparison
Separate the role's tasks, essential requirements, desirable experience, and application instructions. Repeated words can be informative, but a qualification mentioned once may still be essential. Keep the full advert nearby so you do not lose the surrounding meaning when reviewing a list of terms.
MIT recommends using the position description to select relevant experience, including projects where appropriate. Our practical way to do that is a three-column note: requirement, your evidence, and its location in the CV. Leave an honest blank where evidence is missing; this worksheet is a writing aid, not a hiring-system score.
Sources: MIT CAPD: Resumes
Map requirements to real examples
For each requirement, choose a project, task, or responsibility that shows what you can do. Name the setting and your own contribution. If a role asks for customer communication, evidence could come from paid support work, volunteering, or a relevant placement; the source should remain clear.
Do not relabel a short course as professional experience. You can still mention that course, describe the exercises you completed, and explain what you practised. The distinction helps a recruiter judge the level of experience without having to guess.
Separate wording matches from file parsing
Paste the advert and your CV into the free resume keyword checker, or read a text-based PDF or DOCX on your device. Inspect the matched and missing terms, then return to the advert to understand the important ones in context.
Folio uses plain text rules and a predefined skills library. It can miss synonyms and cannot judge the strength of an example. Its percentage is a share of extracted terms found in the CV, not an employer's ATS score or a prediction of selection.
Greenhouse describes parsing as filling candidate fields from an uploaded resume. Its help page says a failed parse can leave the file attached while details need manual entry. That is a different issue from missing keywords and does not, by itself, establish rejection. Check any fields the application has filled from your file.
Change the parts that explain your fit
Start with the profile, your most relevant experience bullets, and the skills list. Use the employer's spelling of a tool or qualification when it accurately names the same thing. Explain an unfamiliar acronym once instead of scattering both versions throughout the page.
An edit should add clarity or evidence. Replacing a vague line about reports with the actual software, audience, and purpose is useful. Adding an isolated list of terms that you cannot discuss is not. Use the bullet point builder if you need a structure for a specific example.
Review the final version without the score
Read the CV from top to bottom as a document. Check that the profile agrees with the experience section, that no sentence promises skills you do not have, and that removing repetition has not removed important context. Follow the employer's requested file format.
Save the tailored PDF with a copy of the advert so you can prepare for an interview using the same evidence. For layout issues rather than wording differences, read the ATS-friendly CV guide. A comparison tool should help your judgement, not replace it.
Review each proposed keyword change
- Find the term in the full advert and read its context.
- Identify a real task, project, course, or qualification that supports it.
- Use the term in a relevant description, not a disconnected keyword block.
- Keep missing requirements visible rather than claiming experience you lack.
- Read the revised document without looking at the match percentage.
Frequently asked questions
Should I aim for a perfect keyword match?
No. Prioritise relevant requirements and supported examples. A perfect percentage built from unsupported terms does not make a truthful or useful application.
What if I do not have an essential requirement?
Do not claim that you do. Read the advert carefully and decide whether your actual background fits; explain related experience accurately where relevant.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked on . Examples are fictional; practical suggestions are Folio's own application of the guidance.