CV keywords

Data Analyst CV keywords that get past the filters in 2026

Most data analyst CVs are not rejected by a person. They are filtered before a person ever sees them because the first screen does not carry the words the role is scanned for.

This is not about stuffing keywords. It is about making sure scope, verbs, and proof are visible in the top third of the page, where the reading actually happens.

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The 20 terms to check first

Use these as a checklist, not a script. A CV that reads like a keyword list fails for a different reason.

SQL
Excel
Tableau
Power BI
dashboards
reporting
data cleaning
analytics
KPIs
forecasting
stakeholder management
Python
visualization
insights
business intelligence
experimentation
cohort analysis
data quality
metrics
process improvement

Action verbs that score

built
shipped
automated
optimized
integrated
debugged
scaled
secured

Three bullet rewrites

Weak

Created reports for managers.

Stronger

Built SQL and Power BI dashboards that tracked revenue, churn, and cohort trends for weekly leadership reviews.

Weak

Cleaned data for analysis.

Stronger

Cleaned source data, documented quality checks, and reconciled metric definitions before publishing analytics reports.

Weak

Shared insights with the team.

Stronger

Translated analysis into clear recommendations, showing the metric movement, likely cause, and next test for each stakeholder group.

Check your current CV

If you want to know which of these your current CV is missing, paste it into the free CV Signal Score. If the gaps are real, start the $39 concierge. We find fit roles, tailor your CV and cover note, and queue each application for review. You apply.

Score my CV free

Then use the free mock interview to practice answers for the same role before you apply.

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FAQ

Should every keyword appear on my CV?

No. Add only the terms you can prove with real work. Forced keywords make a CV weaker.

Where should these words appear?

Put the most important terms in the top third, then prove them again in your strongest recent bullets.

Do recruiters search for exact titles?

Often, yes. If your title is unusual, include the common market title nearby so the search still finds you.