Free resume keyword checker: compare your resume to a job posting.
Paste your resume and the job posting. You'll see which of the posting's key terms your resume already shows, which it doesn't, and a few basic problems in the resume itself. It's free, it needs no account, and nothing you paste leaves your browser.
Check your resume against a job.
Doing this by hand for every job gets old. QWIKIT Jobs is being built to do that for you, using only what you've really done.
Join the waitlistWhat if you didn't have to do this by hand anymore?
Pasting a resume and a posting into two boxes works for one job. It gets old by the twentieth application, and it won't rewrite anything for you.
QWIKIT Jobs is the tool we're building for that. It will estimate how ready your resume is for each job, help you tailor it truthfully using only what you've really done, and keep track of what you've sent. It isn't built yet. Join the waitlist and we'll tell you when it opens.
How the keyword match works.
- It reads the job posting. Words that say nothing about the job, such as "team", "experience" and "strong", are dropped.
- It picks out the key terms. A single word counts if the posting repeats it, names it like a tool (Python, SQL, C++) or lists it under requirements. A two-word phrase, such as "project management", has to appear at least twice. It keeps up to 25 terms.
- It ranks them. Terms the posting repeats or lists as requirements weigh more. Terms under a "nice to have" heading weigh half.
- It looks for each term in your resume. Endings don't matter (manage, managed, managing and management are treated as the same word), and a few short forms are treated as the same (JS and JavaScript). A two-word phrase must appear with its words side by side. "Java" is not matched by "JavaScript".
- It works out the percentage. It is the weight of the terms your resume shows, divided by the weight of all the terms.
What it checks in the resume itself
- An email address and a phone number.
- Plain headings for Experience, Education and Skills.
- Dates on your jobs and degrees, and whether you use one date style throughout.
- Bullet points, and how many of them include a number.
- Length, and characters that didn't copy cleanly.
What this can't tell you.
- It isn't an ATS score. It can't see inside any employer's applicant tracking system. Each employer picks its own system and settings, and many don't score resumes at all.
- It matches words, not meaning. If your resume says "led a team" and the posting says "managed a team", it won't see them as the same.
- A paste has no layout. Columns, tables, text boxes, headers and footers, and the file type can't be checked here. Send a Word file or a PDF with real text in it, not a scan or a picture.
- A higher match doesn't mean an interview. A person still reads the application.
- Don't stuff in keywords or claim skills you don't have. Use a term only where it's true.
- It is built for resumes and postings written in English.
Guides to go with it.
Questions.
Is my resume uploaded or saved?
No. The comparison runs in your browser. What you paste isn't uploaded, sent to us or saved, and it's gone when you close the tab.
Is this an ATS score?
No. It is a keyword match between the two texts you paste. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) differ by employer and by setting, and we can't see inside any of them, so we don't claim to show what one will do.
Does the checker use AI?
No. It's ordinary code that counts words and phrases. That keeps your text on your device, and it is also why the checker can't judge meaning or quality.
What should I do with the missing keywords?
Look at each one and ask whether it's true for you. If it is, and your resume says it in other words, use the posting's wording. If it isn't true, leave it out. Claiming skills you don't have can cost you the interview or the job.
Why compare a resume to the job posting?
Recruiters and many hiring tools search resumes for the words a posting uses. If you've done the work but described it differently, a keyword match shows where to use the employer's own words.
Is the resume checker free?
Yes. It's free, with no account or email needed. QWIKIT Jobs, the app we're building, is separate and will be paid when it's released. We haven't set the price.
What can I paste into the checker?
Plain text copied from a Word or Google Docs file, or from a PDF that has real text in it. A scanned PDF or a picture has no text to copy.