Job Interviews & Careers Vocabulary: 203 Key English Terms

A document that lists your education, work experience and skills, which you send to an employer when you apply for a job. It is short for curriculum vitae.

A short summary of your education, work history and skills that you send to employers, usually one page long. This is the usual American word for a CV.

A one-page letter sent with your CV that explains why you want a particular job and why you are a good fit for it.

An official certificate or degree you get after finishing a course or passing an exam; also a skill or quality that makes you suitable for a job.

The jobs you have done and what you learned from them; in British English it can also mean a short unpaid placement for school pupils.

A statement from a former employer or teacher about your work and character, or the person who gives this statement.

A duty or task that is part of your job and that you must take care of; on a CV, the main things you did in each role.

Something good that you did successfully through effort or skill, often shown on a CV with a result or a number.

To change your CV, cover letter or answers so that they match a particular job and employer.

An important word or phrase from a job ad, such as a skill, tool or qualification, that recruiters and software look for in CVs.

A short paragraph at the top of a CV that sums up who you are professionally, your main experience and what you can offer.

To read a text carefully to find and correct mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation before you send it.

A CV organized primarily around skills rather than a sequence of jobs.

A CV combining a prominent skills section with a dated employment history.

An application text explaining with evidence how the applicant meets the specified criteria.

A piece of the applicant's writing submitted to demonstrate relevant writing ability.

A connected account explaining the direction and significance of a person's career choices.

A record of assessed learning in a limited area acquired through a short learning experience.

A digital symbol linked to information about an achievement, its issuer and award criteria.

An academic job application document describing a candidate's research contributions and future direction.

An academic application document explaining a candidate's teaching approach and evidence of its effectiveness.

A public notice from an employer that describes a job, the kind of person they want and how to apply. It is short for job advertisement.

A job in a company or organisation that is available because nobody is doing it yet, so the employer is looking for someone to fill it.

A job in an organisation, especially as described in a job ad or a formal letter. It sounds a little more formal than the word job.

A written explanation of what a job involves, including the main tasks, responsibilities and the skills or experience needed.

Something that an employer says a candidate must have, such as a degree, a licence, a language or a number of years of experience.

The last day on which an employer will accept applications for a job that has been advertised.

Describes a job in which you work the normal number of hours in a week, usually around 35 to 40 hours.

Describes a job in which you work fewer hours than a normal full working week, for example three days a week or only in the mornings.

A fixed period of work at a company, often for students or recent graduates, to gain practical experience; it may be paid or unpaid.

Describes a job for people at the start of their career that needs little or no previous experience.

A job or position, or the part someone plays and the responsibilities they have in a team or organisation.

Working from home or another place outside the employer's office, usually with a laptop, an internet connection and video calls.

Describes a way of working in which employees spend some days in the office and some days working from home.

A website where many employers post job ads and where job seekers can search, save and apply for jobs.

A recruiter, usually from an agency, who finds and approaches people for senior or specialist jobs, often when they are not actively looking.

An application sent to an employer without an advertised suitable vacancy.

A notification about newly advertised roles matching saved search preferences.

A group of potential candidates retained for consideration for future vacancies.

Employment opportunities not publicly advertised and found through other channels.

An event where job seekers meet multiple recruiting employers.

A personal record of applications, deadlines, contacts and progress.

A structured employer programme designed to develop recent graduates.

Accepting applications until an employer appoints someone rather than to a fixed closing date.

Describing a job worked during school terms rather than throughout the whole year.

Describing a temporary role that may become a permanent job.

An event hosted by an employer for potential applicants to learn about work opportunities.

To formally ask for a job, usually by sending a CV, filling in an online form or writing a letter.

A formal request for a job, or the set of documents and forms you send to an employer when you make that request.

A person who is being considered for a job, especially someone who has applied and is going through the selection process.

A person whose job is to find and select people for jobs, either inside a company's HR team or at an external agency.

To give someone a job and start paying them to work for you.

The manager who needs a new team member and who makes, or strongly influences, the final decision about who gets the job.

Short for human resources: the department that deals with hiring, contracts, pay, training and employee matters in a company.

To choose a small number of the best applicants from everyone who applied, so that they can be invited to an interview.

To contact someone again after an interview, application or meeting to ask for news or to add more information.

To receive a reply or news from someone, especially after you have applied for a job or had an interview.

A decision by an employer not to offer you a job or not to move you to the next stage, or the message telling you this.

Short for applicant tracking system: software that employers use to collect, sort and search job applications.

Having more education, skills or experience than a job needs, so that the employer may think you will be bored, too expensive or likely to leave.

A list of suitable assessed candidates who may be offered later vacancies.

How applicants perceive the employer's recruitment process through their interactions.

A candidate abruptly stopping communication with an employer during recruitment without explanation.

Selecting applicants primarily by demonstrated job-relevant skills rather than educational pedigree or job titles.

Recruitment that removes identifying personal details from material assessed at a selection stage.

An application question whose answer can exclude an applicant for failing an essential condition.

A structured record used to rate interview evidence against agreed criteria.

An assessment of how educational qualifications compare with those in another education system.

Information or experience showing both appealing and difficult aspects of a job before acceptance.

An internal request seeking approval to recruit for a position.

A formal meeting in which an employer asks a candidate questions to decide whether they are right for a job.

The person who asks the questions in an interview; in a job interview, usually a manager, an HR specialist or a future colleague.

A short first interview by phone, usually with a recruiter, to check basic details before inviting a candidate to a full interview.

An interview held over a video call, or one in which you record answers to set questions on camera for the employer to watch later.

An interview in which several people, such as a manager, an HR specialist and a team member, ask the candidate questions together.

The opinion someone forms about you in the first moments of meeting you, based on how you look, speak and behave.

The messages you send with your posture, facial expressions, eye contact and hand movements, often without saying a word.

An interview requiring analysis of a business problem and explanation of a proposed approach.

An interview testing knowledge and reasoning specific to the work's technical demands.

An interview assessing programming through writing, analysing or discussing code.

An interview involving several candidates being assessed together.

A selection event combining several exercises and observations to assess candidates.

A simulated pile of work messages and documents that a candidate must prioritize and handle.

An assessment discussion in which candidates work together without an appointed leader.

An assessment of interpreting numerical information and drawing conclusions from it.

An assessment of interpreting written information and judging conclusions from it.

A test asking candidates to evaluate possible responses to work scenarios.

A test of identifying patterns and rules in unfamiliar nonverbal material.

An assessment requiring a candidate to perform a task resembling actual job duties.

A recruitment task completed independently outside the interview session.

A short period of actual workplace duties used to assess a potential employee.

A prepared or timed talk delivered as part of a job selection process.

An interview deliberately using pressure to observe a candidate's response.

A practice interview used to rehearse and receive feedback.

A planned sequence of interviews with different assessors for one vacancy.

An interview exploring activities a person performs well and finds energizing.

An interview exploring how a candidate's decisions reflect values relevant to the organization.

An assessment in which a candidate acts out a workplace interaction with another person.

An assessment requiring a candidate to ask for missing information before reaching a decision.

A common opening request in which the interviewer asks for a short summary of your background, experience and reasons for applying.

A standard interview question that checks how much you know about the company and whether your reasons for applying are genuine.

A common interview question about your long-term career goals and whether they fit with the job and the company.

An interview question that asks you to describe how you dealt with a real situation in the past, usually starting with 'Tell me about a time when...'.

A way of answering behavioral questions in four parts, Situation, Task, Action and Result, so that the example is clear and complete.

A question usually asked at the end of an interview, giving the candidate a chance to ask about the job, the team or the company.

An interview question asking what a candidate would do in a hypothetical work situation.

An ability to do something well, usually because you have learned and practised it, such as writing reports, coding or managing a budget.

A quality or ability that you are particularly good at and that helps you do your job well.

A quality or skill that you are not very good at yet, or an area where you need to improve.

Personal and social abilities that help you work well with others, such as communication, teamwork, time management and problem-solving.

Specific, teachable abilities that can be measured or tested, such as using Excel, speaking German, coding in Python or operating a machine.

Skills you have gained in one job, course of study or activity that are also useful in a different job or industry.

A person who works well with others, shares information and puts the success of the group before their own.

Your past performance and results, which show whether you are likely to do well in the future.

Taking action early to solve problems or create opportunities, instead of waiting for someone to tell you what to do.

Careful to notice and check small things, so that your work is accurate and has very few mistakes.

Understanding how an organization operates in its market and earns or uses its resources.

The ability to learn from experience and apply that learning in unfamiliar situations.

The ability to find practical ways forward using available information and resources.

The ability to adjust effectively when tasks, conditions or priorities change.

Compatibility between a candidate's working approach and an organization's working culture.

The distinct perspectives or approaches a candidate could contribute to an organization's culture.

A fixed amount of money that an employer pays you for your work, usually agreed as a yearly figure and paid every month.

Things an employer gives you in addition to your salary, such as health insurance, a pension, extra holiday or a meal allowance.

The amount of pay you hope to receive in a new job, which employers often ask about on application forms or in interviews.

To discuss something formally with someone in order to reach an agreement, for example about your salary, start date or working hours.

The fixed amount of pay you get before bonuses, commission, overtime or benefits are added.

An extra payment added to your normal pay, usually for good performance, good company results or at a certain time of the year.

An increase in the amount of money you are paid for doing the same job.

The number of paid days off work you are allowed to take each year for holidays or rest.

A phrase in job ads meaning the pay is similar to or better than what other employers offer for the same work, without giving an exact figure.

The lowest and highest amounts an employer is prepared to pay for a particular job, for example £40,000 to £48,000 a year.

An extra advantage you get from your job in addition to your pay, such as free lunches, a gym membership or a company phone.

Everything an employer gives you for your work, taken together: salary, bonus, shares, pension, insurance and other benefits.

A record of the pay someone received in earlier jobs.

The combined cash pay from salary and cash incentives, excluding noncash rewards.

An additional payment whose award or amount is decided by the employer rather than fixed in advance.

Pay earned in one period but arranged to be received at a later time.

Additional pay for being available to respond to work outside scheduled duties.

Additional pay for working specified shifts such as nights or rotating hours.

The process of choosing or registering for employer-provided benefit plans.

A formal proposal from an employer to give you a job, usually stating the salary, start date and main conditions.

The time you must continue working after you tell your employer you are leaving, or after they tell you your job will end.

The day on which you begin working in a new job, agreed between you and the employer.

A legal agreement between an employer and an employee that sets out the job, pay, hours, holidays and other conditions of work.

The first weeks or months in a new job, when the employer checks that you are suitable and either side can usually end the job more easily.

To say no to an offer or request, for example when you decide not to accept a job you have been offered.

A new offer made in reply to another one, such as a candidate asking for more money, or a current employer offering more pay so that you stay.

A check an employer carries out before or after an offer to confirm a candidate's identity, education, work history and sometimes criminal record.

A formal letter or email from an employer that confirms a job offer and states the job title, salary, start date and main terms.

To move to a different city or country for work, or, for a company, to move an employee or an office to a new place.

A job offer with a very short acceptance window that puts pressure on the candidate.

Another job offer a candidate is considering at the same time.

To withdraw from a job offer after having already accepted it.

A job offer that the employer has withdrawn.

A working arrangement specifying total hours for a year rather than identical hours each week.

A work agreement that does not guarantee a minimum number of working hours.

An offer to come back to an employer after an internship or earlier placement.

The series of jobs and roles a person moves through during their working life, or a planned way to progress inside a company.

A move to a higher position or level in your organisation, usually with more responsibility and more pay.

Learning and training that helps you improve the skills and knowledge you need for your job, such as courses, certifications, conferences or coaching.

A period of time when you were not working, which shows as a gap between jobs on your CV.

To learn new skills or improve the ones you have, often so that you can keep up with changes in your job or industry.

An experienced person who gives regular advice and support to someone less experienced to help them grow in their career.

A move from one type of work or profession to a different one, for example from teaching to software development.

A first chance to enter a company or industry, usually in a junior position, which may lead to better jobs later.

A structured work programme helping experienced people return after an extended career break.

A programme combining practical work and structured learning to learn an occupation.

An employee whose role centers on their own specialist work rather than managing staff.

A move to a different role at a similar organizational level.

A working life combining several roles, projects or income sources rather than one main job.

A model of career development allowing movement across roles as well as upward.

An employee's intentional adjustments to aspects of their work to improve its fit or meaning.

A gradual reduction in working commitment before full retirement.

A systematic review of current abilities and gaps against intended work or development goals.

Professional guidance helping someone explore work options and make career decisions.

Moving an existing employee into another role within the organization.

Movement of employees between roles or opportunities within an organization.

A development task that requires capabilities beyond a person's current routine experience.

A career route focused on progressing into responsibility for managing people.

Parallel advancement routes for specialists and people managers.

Someone who returns to work for an employer they previously left.

Moving between employers frequently over a period of time.

A senior leader providing ongoing executive work for a fraction of a full-time commitment.

Temporary leadership work covering a management gap or a defined period of change.

A job taken as an intermediate step between career stages or before full retirement.

A later-life career phase often combining paid work with a strong sense of social purpose.

Formal assessment of knowledge gained earlier to recognize it toward a qualification or programme.

An informal running record of work achievements, contributions and positive feedback.

A table mapping people or roles against skills and levels of ability.

A structured description of capabilities and behaviors expected at different roles or levels.

A deeply held combination of values, motives and perceived abilities that guides career choices.

Your personal page on LinkedIn, the professional networking site, showing your photo, headline, experience, skills and education.

Meeting and keeping in contact with people who work in your field, so that you can share information and hear about opportunities.

A person you are linked to in your professional network, especially someone you have added on LinkedIn.

A recommendation of a candidate for a job by someone who already works at the company.

On LinkedIn, a quick confirmation by one of your connections that you have a particular skill listed on your profile.

A LinkedIn setting and label showing that you are looking for a new job, either privately to recruiters or publicly with a green frame on your photo.

A short, clear summary of who you are and what you offer, short enough to say during an elevator ride, about 30 to 60 seconds.

A conversation with a professional to learn about work rather than compete for a specific vacancy.

A professional network connecting former members of an educational institution or organization.

A professional contact shared by two people.

An influential person who actively advocates for another person's advancement.