The career glossary

ATS

Applicant Tracking System: the software most employers use to receive and filter applications. It scans your resume for relevant words before a human sees it, so a resume written for the role gets read.

Base salary

Your fixed yearly pay before bonuses, equity, or benefits. When you compare offers, compare the whole package, not just the base.

Behavioural interview

An interview that asks about real past situations (a time you led, failed, or disagreed) to predict how you will act. Answer with specific stories, structured as STAR.

Competency

A specific skill or quality a role needs, like problem solving or communication. Interviews probe these directly, so have a concrete example ready for each one in the posting.

Cost of living

How far your pay actually goes in a given city: rent, transport, tax, and daily costs. A higher salary in an expensive city can leave you with less, so compare net, not gross.

Counteroffer

A revised offer an employer makes after you ask for more, or that your current employer makes to keep you. Get any counteroffer in writing before you act on it.

Cover letter

A short note to the employer that says why you, why them, and why now. A good one is specific to the company and reads like a person wrote it, not a template.

Equity

A share of ownership in the company, often offered by startups instead of higher pay. It can be worth a lot or nothing, so weigh it honestly against cash you can count on.

Ghost job

A posting that is unlikely to hire anyone: left open for months, reposted endlessly, or used to collect resumes. Applying to these wastes effort, so we filter the obvious ones out of your feed.

Graduate scheme

A structured first job for new graduates, often with rotations, training, and a cohort you join. Many hire on a rolling basis, so applying early in the cycle helps.

Notice period

The time you must keep working after you resign before you can start a new job. Knowing yours helps you give an honest start date when an offer comes.

Probation period

An initial stretch in a new job, often three to six months, during which either side can end things more easily. Normal, and not a reason to worry.

Recruiter

The person who manages hiring for a role. Reaching the right one with a short, genuine note can turn your application from a number in a pile into a name in an inbox.

Referral

When someone inside a company recommends you for a role. Referred candidates are far more likely to be interviewed, which is why a warm introduction is worth seeking.

Relocation package

Money or support an employer gives to help you move for a job: flights, temporary housing, or a lump sum. Always worth asking about for a role in another city or country.

Right to work

Legal permission to be employed in a country, through citizenship, a visa, or a graduate route. Employers must confirm it, which is why visa questions appear on applications.

Rolling intake

A role or programme that reviews applications as they arrive and hires until the spots are full, rather than after a fixed deadline. The earlier you apply, the better your odds.

STAR

A way to structure an interview answer: Situation, Task, Action, Result. You set the scene, say what you needed to do, what you personally did, and how it turned out. It keeps stories clear and concrete.

Take-home

A small task an employer asks you to complete in your own time, usually after a first interview, to see how you actually work. Treat it like real work and explain your choices.

Visa sponsorship

When an employer agrees to support your right to work in their country, usually by petitioning for a work visa. Roles that state they sponsor are worth prioritising if you need it, because many do not.

Want to put these into practice? The free account includes the visa map, the resume X-ray, and a mock interview.