MANY Hired

Entry-level and new grad resume keywords

We counted the skills in 236 open entry-level and new grad job postings from 65 employers, including Palantir, Sila Services and Shield AI. The ones employers ask for most are Python (26% of postings), supply chain (21%) and Java (16%). 42% of the postings mention AI, though often in the company's description rather than as a skill the job needs.

Top skills and tools in entry-level and new grad postings

#KeywordShare of postings
1Python 26%
2supply chain 21%
3Java 16%
4prototyping 15%
5electrical 15%
6TypeScript 14%
7compliance 13%
8frontend 13%
9machine learning 12%
10manufacturing 12%
11UX 11%
12troubleshooting 11%
13automation 11%
14C++ 11%
15shipping 11%
16sales 10%
17LLMs 9%
18assembly 9%
19backend 9%
20algorithms 9%
21data structures 9%
22JavaScript 9%
23warehouse operations 8%
24customer service 8%
25HVAC 8%
26APIs 8%
27distributed systems 8%
28inventory management 8%
29Google Workspace 7%
30UI 7%

Share of the 236 postings whose description names the skill (plurals and common spellings, such as “JS” and “JavaScript”, count as one).

Soft skills employers mention

communication · 18%collaboration · 11%reporting · 10%ownership · 9%leadership · 9%documentation · 9%work ethic · 7%mentoring · 6%

Show these through results in your bullets (“led a team of six”) rather than listing them as adjectives.

How to use these keywords on your entry-level and new grad resume

  1. Start with the posting, not this list. These are averages across 236 jobs; the one you're applying for has its own priorities. Use this page to spot common gaps, then match the specific posting.
  2. Name skills the way employers do. If you use “Python”, “supply chain” and “Java”, write those exact words. Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search for them, and a close synonym can be missed.
  3. Put each skill in a bullet that shows a result. Naming prototyping inside a bullet about what you achieved with it, with a number where you can, is stronger than listing it alone in a skills section.
  4. Add only what's true. If you've worked with “prototyping”, “electrical” and “TypeScript” but your resume doesn't say so, add it. If you haven't, leave it out: interviews expose padded resumes quickly.

More about entry-level and new grad jobs

Resume keywords for other jobs

How these numbers are calculated

Every figure comes from open entry-level and new grad job postings on MANY Hired, imported from employers' own career pages. For each posting we pick out the skills, tools, certifications and qualifications its description names, then count how many postings ask for each one. A job counts as entry-level and new grad by its title. Updated November 8, 2026.