1. Annual leave
Annual leave refers to the amount of time an employee is permitted to be away from their work within a year, as part of their employment contract.
2. Applicant tracking system (ATS)
An ATS is the software that companies use to quickly scan resumes for information relevant to open positions, identifying the resumes that best match the job description and filtering out unqualified applicants.
3. Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is a system of training future members of a workforce within a specific industry. Apprenticeships typically include both on-the-job training and studying.
4. Background check
Background checks are screenings that employers conduct of a job applicant’s or recent employee’s criminal record, credit history, references and more.
5. Benefit-in-kind
Benefit-in-kind refers to benefits that an employer gives that aren’t included in the employee’s regular salary. They are also referred to as “perks” or “fringe benefits” and generally include things like private medical insurance or company cars.
6. Benefits
Benefits refer to additional help an employer offers outside of compensation. Benefits usually include things like health insurance, tuition assistance, stock options and paid time off (PTO).
7. Branding statement
This is a brief subtitle on a resume that tells the potential employee what an applicant is—or wants to be—known for.
8. Breaks
Breaks are short periods of time that employees take away from their work during the day.
9. Code of practice
A code of practice is a set of written rules that presents expectations for how people should conduct themselves. While the document presents good practices for employment, the document is typically not legally binding.
10. Collective agreements
A collective agreement is a written contract negotiated for employees by trade unions with a company’s management. It regulates the terms and conditions of employees at work.
11. Compensation package
A compensation package refers to all of the benefits that a company is providing its employees. A compensation package includes salary, PTO, 401K contributions and any other benefits.
12. Constructive dismissal
Also known as constructive termination or constructive discharge, a constructive dismissal occurs when an employee resigns as a result of the employer creating a hostile work environment.
13. Continuity of employment
Continuity of employment is the length of time that an employee has worked for their employer without a break.
14. Contract of employment
A contract of employment, or an employment contract, is a signed agreement between an employer and employee that establishes the rights and responsibilities for both parties.
15. Contract employee
A contract employee is someone retained by a company for a specified period of time at a predetermined rate of pay.
16. Cover letter
A cover letter is a letter candidates provide along with their resume when applying for a job. Within the cover letter, an applicant can explain why they are qualified for the job.
17. Deductions
Deductions are amounts taken out of an employee’s pay, lowering their taxable income and reducing their tax liability.
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18. Disciplinary procedure
Disciplinary procedures are the process of dealing with employee misconduct. It puts in writing how an employer will handle any alleged shortcomings.
19. Dismissal
Dismissal is when an employee is terminated against their will. A dismissal can occur for a variety of reasons, ranging from performance-related issues to economic problems.
20. Employee
An employee is someone who works for a company in return for payment.
21. Employment contract
An employment contract is a legal document that lays out the terms and conditions of employment between a company and an employee. It may include compensation information, a description of the job and primary responsibilities, termination procedures and other information.
22. Employment gap
An employment gap occurs when there is a period of time in between jobs where someone is unemployed. An employment gap can be the result of child leave, career changes, illness, education or other reasons.
23. Employment permit
An employment permit is when someone has permission to take a job in a country that’s not their own.
24. Experience
Experience refers to a candidate’s prior work history, including past jobs, volunteer work, skills, training and responsibilities.
25. Fixed-term contract
A fixed-term contract is when an employment contract has an agreed-upon end date.
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26. Follow-up
A follow-up refers to the act of calling, emailing or sending a note after submitting a resume or job application. Candidates follow-up to remind employers that they are waiting for a response and to encourage them to review their application.
27. Freelancer
A freelancer is a professional who is self-employed and works independently for one or multiple companies or clients. Freelancers generally set their own payment rates and work schedules.
28. Hiring manager
A hiring manager is a person who is responsible for hiring a new employee to fill a position. They typically are the new employee’s direct manager.
29. Informational interview
An informational interview is designed to help a candidate learn more about a type of job or industry. People may set up informational interviews with industry professionals to learn more about different career paths and experiences.
30. Internship
An internship is a period of work experience that an employer offers for a limited period of time. Businesses, government agencies and non-profits often provide internships to students and people looking to make a career change.
31. Job sharing
Job sharing is the practice where two people share the same position on a part-time or reduced-time basis. Together, they perform a job that’s normally held by one person full-time.
32. Leave
Leave is when an employee has permission to be absent from work. Some examples of this are maternity leave, annual leave or parental leave.
33. Maternity leave
Maternity leave refers to the period of time that a mother takes off from work following the birth of a child.
34. Minimum wage
Minimum wage is the minimum hourly rate of pay that employers must pay their employees.
35. Notice
Notice is an announcement by an employee that they intend to end their employment contract, as of a specific date.
36. Offer letter
An offer letter is a letter that an employer gives to a potential employee, offering them a position. The offer letter typically includes the date, benefits and terms of employment.
37. Onboarding
Onboarding is the process through which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to be effective members of the organization.
38. Open-ended contract
This is a contract of employment that continues until either the employee or employer ends it. It is also referred to as a “contract of indefinite duration.”
39. Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of hiring another person or organization to perform a service that is or could be done internally.
40. Overtime
Overtime refers to the hours of work completed outside of normal working hours.
41. Pension
A pension is a regular payment made to a former employee after they’ve retired. The money is taken from an investment fund into which that person or their employer has contributed throughout the course of their career.
42. References
References are a list of people who can speak to a candidate’s credentials and qualifications for a role. They should be able to answer questions about the candidate’s work history, skills, abilities and work style.
43. Soft skills
Soft skills are a set of behaviors and personality traits that help facilitate human connections in and out of the workplace. They are essential for building relationships, successfully leading teams and creating opportunities for advancement.
44. STAR method
The STAR method is an interview technique that candidates use to successfully answer behavioral interview questions. STAR stands for situation, task, action and result.
45. Temp
Temp is short for a temporary employee. Temps are usually hired for short periods of time while a full-time employee is on vacation or leave. They may also be hired as additional help in an office during a particularly busy season.
46. Temp-to-hire
Temp-to-hire refers to when someone is hired on a temporary basis but on the assumption that they may possibly become a full-time employee depending on the quality of their work and budgetary allowances.
47. Trade union
A trade union is an organized group of employees that negotiates with an employer for better pay and working conditions.
48. Transferable skills
Transferrable skills are abilities that a candidate has learned in earlier work environments that can be used in other positions or industries, even if they aren’t directly related.
49. White-collar
White-collar describes mid- to high-level jobs where employees work in an office environment.
50. Zero-hours contract
This is a type of casual agreement between a company and an individual where the employer isn’t obligated to provide the contractor with a minimum number of hours.
Whether you’re just getting started in your job search or you’re looking to refine your focus, this glossary of job search terms is a great place to start.
— What Is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An application tracking system is a software program that employers use to automate recruitment tracking and screen applicants. Resumes are scored based on keywords and should have clearly identifiable sections to be ranked correctly.
— What Is Asynchronous Communication?
Asynchronous communication occurs between team members without the expectation of an immediate response. It is used frequently among distributed workforces to accommodate varying time zones and flexible work schedules.
— What Is Blue Sky Thinking?
Blue sky thinking is creative brainstorming that allows you to dream without limits based on reality. The idea is that we unintentionally limit our creativity with checks and balances, but during blue sky thinking, we allow ourselves to dream without judgment.
— What Is Career Development?
Career development means actively managing your career growth through education, experience, and other activities.
— What Is a Chronological Resume?
A chronological resume is a traditional resume format that outlines job history in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent position.
— What Is Company Culture?
Company culture is the sum of a company’s beliefs, behaviors, values, and formal and informal systems. Culture is essentially determined by how things are done in a particular workplace.
— What Is Company Research?
Company research means exploring potential employers to gauge their mission, values, and culture and gathering information relevant to the position and the job description.
— What Is a Compressed Workweek?
A compressed workweek entails working longer hours in fewer days, such as four 10-hour days or three 12-hour days, rather than five eight-hour days.
— What Is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is a short letter of two to three paragraphs introducing yourself to the hiring manager and highlighting a few skills or experiences that make you an ideal candidate. Generally, a cover letter accompanies your resume unless a posting explicitly states not to include one.
— What Is a Coworking Space?
Coworking spaces are workspaces available to rent for various lengths of time, from hourly to a long-term basis. Coworking spaces provide a more professional setting and collaboration opportunities than a home office.
— What Is a Curriculum Vitae (CV)?
CV is short for curriculum vitae, which means “course of life” in Latin. As such, a CV is a detailed account of the course of your entire professional life, including every position you’ve ever held, awards you’ve won, grants you’ve received, research you’ve conducted, and anything else related to your professional history. A CV is similar to but longer than a resume and is not tailored to a specific job posting.
— What Is a Digital Nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who works virtually from various locations. Digital nomads move from location to location but use technology and communication tools to stay digitally connected while working and traveling.
— What Is a Distributed Company?
In a distributed company, the majority (if not all) employees work from remote locations. Communication generally involves strategies to ensure everyone feels included, rather than focusing on physical interactions.
— What Is an Elevator Pitch?
An elevator pitch is a short pitch (short enough that you could give it during an elevator ride) that offers an overview of who you are, your career goals, and why you’re an excellent fit for a role.
— What Is an Exempt Employee?
An exempt employee is exempt from federal and state labor laws, meaning they are not eligible for overtime pay. They are generally in salaried positions, rather than hourly positions.
— What Is a Flexible Job?
A flexible job entails various flexible work arrangements that fall outside of the traditional 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday, in-person work arrangement.
— What Is a Flexible Schedule?
A flexible schedule comes with varying degrees of control over when you perform your job tasks. Policies vary significantly between companies and positions.
— What Is Freelancing?
Freelancing is independent contracting with an organization to perform agreed-upon duties in exchange for specified compensation. Contracts will vary based on the length of tasks and commitments. When freelancing, you’ll be responsible for your taxes and benefits.
— What Is a Functional Resume?
A functional resume is a type of resume format that emphasizes skills and accomplishments vs job history.
— What Is the Gig Economy?
The gig economy is a labor market with short-term positions and independent contracting, instead of more permanent arrangements.
— What Are Green Jobs?
Green jobs are positions with companies that focus on sustainability, renewable energy, and other green initiatives.
— What Are Hard Skills?
Hard skills are technical skills in a specialized field, such as coding or proficiency with specific software.
— What Is a Hiring Manager?
Hiring managers are decision-makers in charge of the recruitment process but not necessarily the manager you’ll report to if you are awarded the job.
— What Is a Hybrid Remote Job?
A hybrid remote job entails dividing work time between in-person time at the company’s office and workdays outside of company-provided offices. The schedule of days in-office vs days at home or elsewhere varies by company and position.
— What Is a Hybrid Resume?
A hybrid resume is a resume format that combines elements of both chronological and functional formats.
— What Is an Informational Interview?
An informational interview is a meeting with someone in the industry or company you’re interested in. The purpose of an informational interview is networking and gathering information, rather than seeking a job offer.
— What Is a Job Interview?
A job interview is the process of evaluating a candidate for an open position by asking questions about their experience, skills, and qualifications and determining if they’re a fit for the role.
— What Are Job Alerts?
Job alerts are notifications that inform candidates when jobs of interest become available.
— What Is a Job Board?
A job board is a website that hosts job postings for open positions at different companies. Job boards range from generic (posting every available job) to niche-specific (targeting one industry or job type).
— What Is a Job Fair?
A job fair is an organized event with specified times where businesses, schools, and other organizations come together to connect job seekers with potential employers.
— What Is a Job Reference?
A job reference is a professional or personal contact who can speak to your skills and experience, usually for the purpose of providing a recommendation to potential employers.
— What Is Job Seeker SEO?
Job seeker SEO entails strategically using the best keywords in your profiles and resume to ensure that you show up as a match for your ideal position when recruiters search for applicants.
— What Are Keywords?
Keywords are specific words or series of words that match those used in a job search or posting.
— What Is a Mentorship?
A mentorship is a one-on-one relationship between a mentor and mentee focused on exchanging knowledge, supporting career growth, and providing feedback and guidance.
— What Is Negotiation?
Negotiation is the process of considering and sharing proposals with a prospective employer in order to reach an agreement on salary, benefits, hours, or other job terms.
— What Is Networking?
Networking entails developing relationships in your professional and industry circles to support career growth and development.
— What Is a Networking Event?
A networking event is an organized event, typically in the form of a meeting or seminar, that brings together professionals from various industries to meet, share information, and grow their professional contacts.
— What Is a Nonexempt Employee?
A nonexempt employee is not exempt from federal and state labor laws and must be paid overtime at time-and-a-half for any hours worked beyond 40 hours in a week. This generally applies to those in hourly positions, rather than salaried positions.
— What Is Paid Time Off (PTO)?
Paid time off (PTO) is a paid leave policy offered by employers that allows employees to use days off for vacation or personal time.
— What Is a Panel Interview?
A panel interview, otherwise known as a team interview, is an interview conducted by two or more people at the same time. A panel interview can include managers, supervisors, team members, HR representatives, and other company decision-makers.
— What Is a Part-Time Job?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has defined part-time hours as working less than an average of 30 hours a week.
— What Is a Passive Job Seeker?
A passive job seeker is a person who is open to new job opportunities but not actively seeking out new positions or responding to listings. Instead, they might attend networking events or join professional organizations to increase their visibility.
— What Is Personal Branding?
Personal branding is the way you market your career focus and expertise. Effective personal branding means providing a cohesive message across your social media channels and application materials.
— What Is a Personal Reference?
A personal reference is a referral from someone who has known you in a nonprofessional capacity, such as a friend or family member.
— What Is a Portfolio?
A portfolio is a collection of work samples that demonstrate your skills and expertise, usually in the form of a website or an app.
— What Is a Recruiter?
A recruiter is a professional responsible for finding the best candidate for a position based on skill requirements. Recruiters can be independent professionals or company employees.
— What Is a Remote-First Company?
In a remote-first company, most employees work from remote locations, rather than a centralized office.
— What Does Remote-Friendly Mean?
A remote-friendly company has policies and procedures in place to accommodate remote work but is not a fully distributed team.
— What Is a Remote Job?
Remote jobs are positions that can be performed outside of company-provided offices.
— What Is a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE)?
A results-only work environment (ROWE) is a type of work environment in which employees are assessed by the work they produce, as opposed to hours on the job or time spent in the office.
— What Is a Resume Summary?
A resume summary is a statement near the top of a resume that provides an overview of your experience, accomplishments, and qualifications.
— What Are Resume Writing Services?
Resume writing services assist job seekers in crafting a customized resume tailored to the position they are applying for.
— What Is a Seasonal Job?
A seasonal job is a temporary role that is available during certain seasons, such as summer jobs and holiday jobs.
— What Is a Skills, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis?
SWOT analysis is a method of assessing a job opportunity to determine and communicate how your skills can benefit an employer.
— What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are less tangible but highly sought-after qualities, such as communication, team-building, problem-solving, and creativity.
— What Is the STAR Method?
The STAR method is an interviewing technique that helps you communicate specific examples of your skills. STAR stands for situation, task, action, result. By framing your responses as stories that cover all of those details, you can paint a clear picture for the interviewer.
— What Is a Temporary Job?
A temporary job is a role that is available year-round but for a limited and defined amount of time, such as a six-month temporary assignment to cover someone on sabbatical.
— What Are Transferable Skills?
Transferable skills are skills that you have developed in your prior work experience in other positions, industries, or sectors that will benefit you in a new role because they can be applied, or transferred, to another role.
— What Is a Virtual Interview?
A virtual interview is any interview that isn’t completed in person. Standard interview technologies include videoconferencing and phone interviews.
— What Is Work-Life Balance?
Work-life balance entails maintaining equal focus between your career and personal life by creating boundaries to fit your unique scheduling needs.
— What Is Work-Life Integration?
Work-life integration entails integrating work and personal time throughout the day. Work-life integration looks different for everyone, but someone who integrates work time and personal time might work a few hours early in the morning, take a break to walk the dog, return to work for a couple more hours, take a lunch break in the afternoon, and then return to work for the remainder of the day.
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