Job search & recruiting glossary

Plain-English definitions of the terms behind modern hiring — how recruiters search, how matching works, and what it means for getting discovered.

Applicant tracking system (ATS)

Software employers use to collect, filter, and manage job applications — historically keyword-matched.

A search technique using operators like AND, OR, and NOT to filter candidates by exact terms.

A structured summary of your experience, skills, and availability that recruiters search and AI matches on.

How recruiters actively find and reach out to potential candidates, rather than waiting for applications.

A recruiter who proactively seeks out and approaches candidates — often for senior or hard-to-fill roles.

Someone not actively job hunting but open to the right opportunity if a recruiter reaches out.

Semantic search (or semantic matching) ranks people by the meaning of their experience and a query, instead of counting exact keyword matches.

A searchable group of candidates a recruiter or platform can draw from when filling roles.