Job search glossary 2026, 32 terms you actually need to know
The terms that come up in job searching, ATS screening and recruiting. Defined the way we at careerify define them, to help you surface your honest red thread, not to game an ATS. Short definitions, no fluff. Bookmark and look up as you go.
The vocabulary matters because it decides how your profile gets read. The work of choosing what your CV leads with starts in the pillar on positioning and the step-by-step method is in the honest positioning playbook.
Terms are not tricks. An honest glossary helps you name your red thread precisely, not guess at what an ATS wants to hear.
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- 2-page rule, Two-page rule
- CV is max 2 pages. Junior 1, mid 1-1.5, senior max 2. Three pages starts losing readers. ATS parses more pages but semantic score weight focuses on the first two. The full structure, section by section, is in our CV template for 2026.
A
- ATS, Applicant Tracking System
- The software companies use to receive, parse, and rank applications. Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Teamtailor are common. It is what reads your CV first. To see how an ATS reads your own CV, run a free ATS scan.
- A typical Workday install ranks incoming CVs mostly on keyword match, with semantic similarity as a secondary signal, before a human even sees them.
- AI screening, AI screener pass
- An LLM pass most modern ATSs run before human review. The LLM flags inconsistency (CV vs letter), missing hard requirements, quality of achievements. Different from keyword match, which is pure string comparison.
B
- Boolean search, Boolean search
- Sourcing technique where the recruiter combines terms with AND/OR/NOT in LinkedIn Recruiter. "Controller AND SAP NOT junior" surfaces senior controllers with SAP experience. Useful to understand so you can be found (right terms in your LinkedIn profile).
C
- Cover letter, Cover letter
- The letter that accompanies the CV. 250-300 words, one page. Complements the CV, does not mirror it. Nordic recruiters still read it to calibrate CV credibility.
- CV, Curriculum Vitae (American: Resume)
- Structured document with your professional history. Nordic: max 2 pages. American CV (academic) is longer. "Resume" in business English usually means Nordic-style CV.
E
- Easy Apply, LinkedIn Easy Apply
- LinkedIn's one-click apply. Sends your LinkedIn profile as the default. Fast but low differentiation, the recruiter sees the same profile as the other 500 who clicked.
- Embedding-based matching, Embedding-based matching
- ATS that matches meaning, not exact strings. "Led a team" matches "team leadership" without being identical. Workday and SAP SuccessFactors have run this since 2024.
G
- Greenhouse, Greenhouse (ATS)
- Leading ATS for tech companies in the US and Europe. Structured scorecards per interview, aggregated candidate scoring.
H
- Hard requirement, Hard requirement
- A requirement in the ad that is non-negotiable. "5+ years SAP S/4HANA" is a hard requirement. ATS filters out candidates who do not match.
- Hiring manager, Hiring manager
- The person who will actually have the candidate as a direct report. Different from the recruiter (who runs the process).
I
- Interim role, Interim role
- Time-limited employment, often 3-12 months, for a specific gap or project. Common in senior finance, IT, leadership. Typically paid 40-80 % above the equivalent permanent salary.
J
- JobScan, JobScan (tool)
- Established ATS-score tool from the US. Upload CV + ad, get a 0-100 keyword density score. Helps for exact-match keyword focus but misses semantic matching and AI screening.
K
- Keyword stuffing, Keyword stuffing
- Stuffing the CV with terms from the ad that do not belong. Worked 2018-2022 against keyword-only ATSs. Today, semantic models and LLM screeners flag it as not credible. Costs more than it gives. The right keywords, the ones you can actually back up, are broken down domain by domain in ATS keywords for finance.
L
- LLM screening, LLM screening
- See "AI screening". The LLM (GPT, Claude, etc.) reads CV+letter together and judges credibility, consistency, quality. Decisions are "explainable" under the EU AI Act since 2024.
M
- MBB, McKinsey, Bain, BCG
- The three top strategy consultancies. When an ad asks for "MBB background or equivalent", it is filtering for a consultant toolkit (case frameworks, structured problem solving, executive presence). Common in senior finance/strategy roles at PE portfolio companies.
- Master CV, Master CV
- The complete version of your CV that does not get sent out. Contains every role, every bullet, every number. The source from which each tailored application version cuts.
- Mock interview, Mock interview
- A practice interview against a mentor, coach, or AI. You run through typical questions under time pressure and get feedback.
N
- NDA, Non-Disclosure Agreement
- A confidentiality agreement you sign during the process, often for senior roles with access to strategic details. Standard practice, nothing to worry about.
O
- One-pager, One-pager
- A CV exactly one page long. Standard for juniors (under 5 years). For senior, 1-1.5 pages is fine, but a condensed one-pager works for intro meetings with C-level.
P
- PE-backat bolag, PE-backed company
- A company owned by a private equity fund. Hallmarks: aggressive growth ambition, financial discipline, 4-7-year exit horizon. Roles there are usually high-tempo with quarterly reporting to PE owners.
- Pre-screen, Pre-screen call
- A short 20-30-min call with the recruiter before the first interview with the hiring manager. Verifies basic fit: availability, salary, location, deal-breakers.
R
- Recruiter, Recruiter
- The person running the recruiting process. Can be in-house or external (agency like Jefferson Wells, Alumni Global, People of Finance).
- Reference check, Reference check
- When the company calls your listed references (usually 2-3: current or former manager + a peer). Final filter before the offer.
S
- STAR-metoden, STAR method
- A framework for answering behavioural interview questions. Situation, Task, Action, Result. Standard prep, especially at MBB and tech companies.
- Skräddarsytt CV, Tailored CV
- A version of your CV adapted to a specific ad. Bullets reordered, core competencies reordered, headline maybe changed, but chronology and facts unchanged. Not fabricated, just reoriented around the red thread the role is looking for. How you find and lead with that thread, for finance roles, is in finance positioning.
- Sourcing, Sourcing
- When the recruiter actively searches for candidates instead of waiting on inbound applications. Mostly via LinkedIn Recruiter with boolean search. If you get contacted without applying, you have been sourced.
- Stretch story, Stretch story
- A pre-approved framing for a gap that ads often raise, like "no formal master's degree but ran the work in practice for several years". Stored in the knowledge bank and reused when the same gap reappears in new applications, always true and defensible in the interview.
T
- Take-home, Take-home task
- A practical task you do at home between interviews. Common for senior finance + tech. Usually 3-8 hours of work.
- Two-stage interview, Two-stage interview
- Common Nordic process: pre-screen + hiring manager + final round. Total time: 2-4 weeks from first contact to offer.
V
- VAT-ID, VAT registration number
- The company's VAT registration number. Relevant if you apply as a consultant: B2B EU invoicing applies reverse charge (0 % VAT) when both parties have valid VAT IDs.
W
- Workday, Workday (ATS + HR)
- The largest enterprise ATS globally. Used by Volvo, IKEA, H&M, AstraZeneca in the Nordics. Strict on CV format: single column, no icons, clear date formats.
Missing a term?
I add terms here as they show up in careerify\'s tailoring flow or in applications I have seen. If you want a specific term added, drop me a line on LinkedIn, most updates here come from user questions.
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