Glossary
Glossary of Common Terms
Accomplishments
What you have achieved in life regarding the workplace and what you would like to accomplish in the future.
Recruiter or Agency Worker
Somebody who works through a third party for finding you employment.
Assessments (method of checking)
Your knowledge of different subjects and also checking your work – assessments often take the form of a test.
Background Checks
A method of checking any individual for a criminal record used by the state or a company.
EI Benefits
Something that anyone is entitled to claim for if they are currently out of work, except in in some countries where the Government will try and screw you out of every response and thank you for coming.
Career Assessment
To check your career history and achievements thus far in order to test what you are capable of.
Career Branding
The title of the career which is a long-term job.
Career Change
To change your job to one that is totally different.
Career Coach
Someone who advises and gives training to a person in order to improve their prospects or look for a new job in a different field. A coach can also advise on what action is necessary to get a new career. Recruiters are a great source for this information, as they know the market conditions.
Career Exploration
To look into your career or investigate routes that could lead to a new career through training or courses that could result in further qualifications relevant to starting a new career.
Career Fair
A public event to help people look for a career or a change of career. A place where companies advertise their organization to attract new employees.
Career Objective
What you intend to accomplish in your career (your major long-term goals in life) and the necessary strategy to get where you want to go.
Career Planning
To create a plan, blueprint or list of goals which you intend to achieve within a given timescale. This is then written down and read every day so it is then acted upon with daily updates so that these goals are accomplished. With proper research methods this will allow you to achieve your goals over a shorter period of time and improve your employment prospects.
Career Portfolio
A list of companies that you have worked for, including any relevant accomplishments or goals that have been achieved. Usually contain a brief résumé of any duties fulfilled while in the posts.
Career Research
To do a study and look into new possibilities pertinent to life improvement so that career prospects may be bettered and an outline of necessary training or any relevant courses that you need to do in order to commence a new career.
Case Interview
To take and study one interview of a person or yourself as a case example so you can learn about what makes a good interview, what things to avoid and thus what makes a perfect interview.
Chronological Résumé
A résumé which gives the details of your education and work history based on dates from the first to the most recent. This is the preferred method of working through someone’s skills and responsibilities.
Co-worker
A person or persons who have worked alongside you in your job. Normally not the best person to use as a reference, as many employers require a supervisor, not a peer.
Cold Call
To phone a person or company without warning or to visit a company without a prior appointment.
Company Research
To do a study about a company - what they do, produce, manufacture and how many people they employ.
Compensation Package
How you can be compensated with money or other benefits for your time, skill set and knowledge.
Consultant
Someone who is an expert and gives advice on a specific subject.
Contract Employee
A person who has signed a contract of employment which outlines the rules and that the person has agreed to fulfill if they sign.
Contract of Employment
An agreement between employer and employee which is signed by both parties and may be binding in law.
Corporate Culture
A culture which is controlled by large corporations, and ran by the people working in the company.
Counter Offer
A proposal that is made which is different to the offer currently under review.
Cover Letter
A letter sent with your CV which introduces yourself to prospective employers.
CV
A document which gives prospective employers a record of your work history and education and gives them an idea of what you can do for them.
Client Advisor
A person who advises clients on how best to go about getting paid work.
Declining Letter
A letter informing you that an unsuccessful application has been made.
Degrees & Qualifications
Certificates/documents which prove you have completed successfully certain courses in specific subjects.
Desirable Qualifications
Qualifications which you would like to attain and employers would like you to have.
Diversity Jobseekers
A person who is multi-skilled and is therefore capable of working in several different fields.
Domino Effect
A chain reaction caused by something out of control e.g. in a line of dominoes when one is knocked over the resultant collapse makes them all crash.
Dress for Success
By dressing well and looking good you create the impression that you are a success and are taken more seriously by prospective employers.
E-mail Cover Letter
A cover letter sent to a person or company by e-mail.
Electronic Résumé
A brief work history that is stored on a computer.
Elevator Speech
An oratory presentation that gives the listener a lift. Also an exceptional way to market yourself during networking events, user groups and other collaborations.
Employee
A person who carries out tasks for an organization.
Employment Gaps
Unexplained gaps in your work history between jobs, such as education or maternity leave.
Employment Status
The position you hold within a company.
Entry Level Skills
The basic skills you need to have gained before you can gain employment.
Flex-Time
The ability to choose the hours you want to work, or the ability to trade overtime for time off.
Follow-up
To make a phone-call to a company you have already applied to work for in order to remind them, which verifies your interest.
Freelancer
Somebody who works for themselves and is paid for their specific services.
Full-time Jobs
Employment of more than 37.5 hours per week (In Canada Anyway).
Functional Résumé
An easily understandable account of your work record which can be useful in many ways to increase the potential of finding a successful career.
Hidden Job Market
Vacancies that are not advertised publicly – companies recruit from within their own organization. Recruiters commonly know about these markets as they deal with the people working in each company and understand the market.
Home-Based Careers
Careers that be organized by working from home either full-time or while on holiday from your main job.
Independent Contractor
A person who works for many different companies gaining contracts to supply their services to each.
Internships
Someone who spends time training while employed by a company that is willing to invest in the future of their employees to improve their prospects.
Interview
The company sees prospective employees after reviewing an application in order to gauge their suitability for that position.
Interview Skills
How to talk to people in an interview situation, answering questions correctly and knowing the right questions to ask. Creating a good impression so that any prospective employers will take notice and be more likely to consider your application.
Job Application
To attempt to gain employment by means of filling in an application form.
Job Boards
Boards on which jobs are advertised, such as www.workopolis.com, www.monster.com and www.therecruitersworld.com
Job Clubs
A club which you can join so people can exchange ideas and improve their chances of getting into the jobs market.
Job Fair
A convention where employers advertise positions within their industry and clients can attend to approach potential employers.
Job Hunting Etiquette
The correct way to approach companies/people when you are enquiring about a job, ensuring that the right behaviour is observed in the process.
Job Hunting on the internet
To look for jobs on the internet.
An immediate way to contact companies/employers to respond to job advertising and enquires.
Job Interview
Enquiry about education and experience and what you can offer to the employer/company. Personality - can you work on your own initiative, as well as a member of a team?
Job Objective.
Apart from wanting employment, what do wish to gain personally from the position offered and any future ambitions.
Job Offer
If someone offers you a position, you want to know the terms and conditions of the job, such as salary, holidays, and job requirements. Confirmation of what future prospects the company has in that position.
Job Satisfaction
To enjoy the work, to amicably get on with work colleagues and clients, and find the day fulfilling.
Job Search Agent
An agent who could find you suitable work within your skills or with some flexibility in that area. Recruiters are commonly referred to as Agents, or Headhunters.
Job Search Domino Effect
In your job search you will come across several employment areas which overlap with your employment interests causing a domino effect, these overlapping positions should always be investigated.
Job Security
As long as I work hard, efficiently, and without internal personal company problems I hope to enjoy long term employment. This is typically a false expectation.
Job Shadowing
To follow somebody in their job, observing procedures so that eventually training leads to ability to fulfill the role.
Key Accomplishments
A list of your most important accomplishments starting with most outstanding achievements.
Keyword Resume
A resume where important words are highlighted so they grab the reader’s attention and have a positive effect on the reader.
Keywords
Words which can be used to enhance the strong points and grab the attention of the reader.
Letter of Acceptance
A letter which confirms that the employment offer has been accepted.
Letter of Agreement
A letter which is sent or given to you in order to state the terms or conditions of the employment offer.
Letter of Interest
A letter which is sent to somebody with a statement of intent, registering interest in a specific job or subject.
Letter of Recommendation
A back-up letter to recommend somebody for a particular position due to a specific reason. Can apply to promotions or new job positions.
Marketing Preparation
To do a study of the market before you sell a product or service. To investigate different means of advertising your product or service. Market research is essential when about to commit to certain projects, so that target audiences and clientele can be assessed.
Mentor
Somebody who you can trust and discuss problems with so that advice and support can be given. Recruiters are typically Mentors.
Moonlighting
To do extra work at night after completing a full day’s work in a regular job – can include bar work or taxi cab work for instance.
Networking
By using as many different means of communication as possible you can build up a collection of useful contacts that help find what you want specifically.
Technology Careers
Careers based on new technology to do with computers or electronical engineering.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
A handbook which gives you new information regarding developments in your career or occupation so that you are kept aware of any improvements.
Over Qualification
A person who has the required skills and a lot of additional qualifications as well so that they are over-qualified. Also used by companies to explain the reason they do not want to hire you for other reasons, as this is the politically correct way to say that.
Part-time Job
A job that entails working less than 30 hours per week.
Private Sector
A term that applies to private companies, large corporations and banks etc.
Qualifications
Documents that explain your abilities and work experience through training (usually accompanied with evidence in the form of certificates).
Qualifying Period
A period of time in which one has to successfully complete a course, training session or work trial so suitability can be examined.
Recruiters
People who recruit prospective employees for positions within a company and know what to look for when holding interviews.
Reference List
A list of books providing information on a specific topic that can recommend further areas for research or suggest experts that may be consulted.
Renumeration
Payment for your services, labour or product that is manufactured.
Resignation
To stop working for a company by writing a letter of intent explaining reasons for decision to cease the relevant contact of employment.
Resume
A detailed letter explaining your qualifications, work history and what you have to offer an employer.
Salary
The amount you are paid by a company for your work usually on a monthly basis.
Shift Work
Work that is done in shift periods of 10-12 hours over a four-day week, or work that entails seven days on followed by four days off.
Summer Jobs
A job that can only be feasibly done in the summer.
Survival Job
A job that is done purely to maintain the bare minimum necessary to exist which pays the bills. Or work in a retail outlet selling survival equipment.
Telecommuting
Commuting between telephones in an office, or Thin Client, Blackberry usage etc…
Testing
To participate in an examination that discovers if you can fulfill the role of a specific job.
Text Resume
A resume that is then sent by means of a text message usually on a mobile phone or electronic mail.
Trainee
Somebody who is undergoing a period of training in order to learn the skills essential to a particular position.
Transferable Skills
Skills that can be used in a different job to the one you currently hold e.g. an engineer who becomes a carpenter.
Trial Period
A period of time spent by a worker on a certain job to see if the person is suitable for the job.
Under-Qualification
A person who does not hold the required qualifications to fulfil the role of a certain job.
Unfair Dismissal
A person claiming they were unfairly dismissed from a specific job for unreasonable actions.
Vocation
A career or job which really interests you and requires skills that you are prepared to work to achieve.
Workaholic
A person who is addicted to working and gets obsessed with it to the point of dominating their lifestyle.
Workplace Values
Ethics and values in the workplace – ability to get along with colleagues, giving your best efforts towards fulfillment of job role, generally being polite and efficient as well as punctual and well organized.