Job application glossary
Recruiting has its own vocabulary, and nobody hands you the dictionary. Here it is: every term explained in plain English, alphabetical.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
The software companies use to collect, parse and filter job applications. It converts your CV into structured data and lets recruiters search the pile. If it cannot read your CV, you are invisible.
ATS parsing
The step where the system extracts your name, job titles, dates and skills from your CV file. Two-column layouts, tables and graphics are the most common reasons parsing fails.
Boolean search
How recruiters search candidate databases, combining terms with AND, OR and NOT. Example: "marketing AND (SEA OR PPC) NOT intern". Another reason exact keywords in your CV matter.
Cover letter
The one-page letter that answers the question your CV cannot: why this company, why this role, why now. Strongest when it references the specific listing instead of repeating your CV.
CV Killer Score
JobAmmo's free 0 to 100 score of how well your CV survives ATS parsing, readability and impact criteria, with your top three issues.
Follow-up email
The short message you send after applying or interviewing. A polite check-in after one to two weeks of silence, or a thank-you within 24 hours of an interview. Few candidates send them, which is exactly why they work.
Hiring manager
The person the role reports to, and usually the real decision maker. Recruiters filter, hiring managers choose. Reaching them directly with a short, specific message can bypass a crowded portal.
Impact bullet
A CV bullet that describes a result instead of a task, usually with a number: "cut onboarding time 30%" instead of "responsible for onboarding". The single fastest CV upgrade.
Keyword matching
How an ATS or recruiter compares the words in your CV with the words in the listing. Assume literal matching: synonyms and clever paraphrases often score zero.
Knock-out question
A yes/no question in an application form ("Do you have a valid work permit?") that automatically rejects you on the wrong answer, before anyone reads your CV.
LinkedIn headline
The line under your name on LinkedIn, and one of the heaviest-weighted fields in recruiter search. "Growth marketeer | SEA & CRO | B2B SaaS" beats "Looking for new opportunities" every time.
One-pager CV
A CV condensed to a single page. Standard advice for fewer than 10 years of experience in the UK and US. Two pages is fine when the content earns it, and always beats shrinking the font size to 8.
Reverse chronological
The standard CV format: most recent job first. ATS parsers and recruiters both expect it. Creative orderings confuse the software and cost the reader seconds they were not going to spend.
Salary anchor
The first number named in a salary negotiation, which pulls the whole conversation toward it. Whoever anchors first, frames the range. Going in without a prepared number means accepting theirs.
Screening call
The short first call with a recruiter, usually 15 to 30 minutes, to verify basics: motivation, availability, salary expectations. Not an interview, but you can fail it. Have your salary range and notice period ready.
STAR method
The structure interviewers expect for behavioural questions: Situation, Task, Action, Result. "Tell me about a time you..." is an invitation to tell a 90-second STAR story, not to philosophise.
Tailoring
Rewriting your CV and letter for one specific listing: its keywords, its priorities, its vocabulary. The highest-leverage activity in a job search, and the most skipped.
Thank-you email
A short note within 24 hours of an interview: appreciation, one specific point from the conversation, your continued interest. Two sentences of effort, disproportionate signal.
Transferable skills
Abilities that carry across roles and industries: stakeholder management, analysis, writing, leading projects. The bridge you build in your CV when switching fields, always evidenced with concrete results.
Vanity title
An internal job title nobody searches for ("Customer Happiness Ninja"). On your CV, translate it to the market-standard equivalent ("Customer Support Specialist") so search and matching can find you.
Want the deeper dives? Read the guides.
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