Glossary
Job search terms, in plain English.
The words recruiters, postings and offer letters use, explained in a sentence or two.
- ATS (applicant tracking system)
- Software employers use to collect and sort applications. Recruiters search it. Clear headings and plain text help it read your resume.
- Master resume
- One complete resume with everything true about your work. Tailored versions are copies trimmed for one job.
- Tailored resume
- A copy of your master resume reordered and reworded to match one job, without adding anything that is not true.
- Phone screen
- A short first call, usually with a recruiter, to check basics like interest, availability and pay range.
- Hiring manager
- The person the new hire will report to. They usually make the final call.
- Recruiter
- The person who manages the hiring process. Internal recruiters work for the company; agency recruiters work for a firm.
- Behavioral interview
- Questions like "Tell me about a time when..." that ask for real past examples.
- STAR method
- A way to answer behavioral questions: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
- Contingent offer
- An offer that depends on something else, such as a background check or references.
- Base salary
- Your fixed yearly pay before bonus, equity or benefits.
- Total compensation
- Base salary plus bonus, equity, retirement match and other paid benefits.
- Take-home pay
- What reaches your bank account after taxes and deductions.
- Vesting
- The schedule by which equity becomes yours. A one-year cliff means nothing vests until your first anniversary.
- Ghosting
- When an employer stops responding without telling you a decision.
- Closure note
- A final polite email that closes out an application after unanswered follow-ups.
- Day five follow-up
- A short note sent five business days after applying to confirm the application arrived.
- Referral
- When someone at the company recommends you for a role.
- Cover letter
- A short letter explaining why you fit one role. Many jobs make it optional.
- Take-home assignment
- A work sample the employer asks you to complete on your own time.
- Counteroffer
- Your response to an offer asking for different terms, or your current employer's offer to keep you.