Glossary
Résumé & Job Search Glossary
The words that come up when you apply for a job — especially a remote or international one — defined plainly. Where a term matters differently abroad, we say so.
- Résumé
- A short, targeted summary of your work history, skills, and achievements, usually one page (up to two for senior roles). It's the standard application document in the US and Canada, and it's tailored to each job rather than listing everything you've ever done.
- Related:CVApplicant Tracking System (ATS)Reverse-chronological résumé
- CV
- Short for curriculum vitae. In the UK, Europe, and much of the world, "CV" is the everyday word for the application document and is typically 1–2 pages — effectively what Americans call a résumé. In US and academic contexts, a CV is a longer, comprehensive record of your full career, publications, and credentials. Which one a job wants depends on the country.
- Related:RésuméDigital Nomad
- Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Software that employers use to collect and filter job applications. It scans résumés for the literal keywords in the job posting so recruiters can search and shortlist quickly — which is why matching the posting's exact wording (for skills that are genuinely yours) matters, and why complex formatting can get a résumé misread.
- Related:Keyword matchingRésuméScreening
- Keyword matching
- Aligning the specific terms on your résumé with the skills, tools, and requirements named in a job posting, so an ATS keyword search finds you. It's literal, not clever: "Kubernetes" and "container orchestration" don't match. Only add a keyword that's genuinely true of you.
- Related:Applicant Tracking System (ATS)Hard skillsJob description
- Cover letter
- A short letter accompanying your résumé that addresses a specific role and explains why you're a fit, in prose rather than bullet points. A strong one references something concrete from the job posting and leads with substance, not "I am writing to apply for."
- Related:RésuméJob description
- STAR method
- A structure for answering behavioural interview questions — Situation, Task, Action, Result. You tell a short, real story from your past, spending most of the answer on the Action (what you personally did) and closing with a concrete Result. It's the standard way to answer "tell me about a time when…" questions.
- Related:Behavioural interviewQuantified achievement
- Behavioural interview
- An interview built around questions about your past behaviour ("tell me about a time you…"), on the premise that past behaviour predicts future performance. Remote employers lean on these heavily to assess self-management and communication they can't observe across a screen. The STAR method is how you answer them well.
- Related:STAR methodScreening
- Job description
- The employer's posting listing the role's responsibilities and requirements. It's your keyword source and your tailoring target: mirror the terms that are genuinely true of you, and address the specific role — not the industry — in your cover letter.
- Related:Keyword matchingCover letter
- Hard skills
- Specific, teachable, verifiable abilities — a tool, language, certification, or method (e.g. SQL, Salesforce, GAAP, Spanish). These are what an ATS searches for and what a résumé should name explicitly where you have them.
- Related:Soft skillsKeyword matching
- Soft skills
- Interpersonal and self-management qualities like communication, adaptability, and time management. They're real but hard to verify on paper, so show them through concrete examples and results rather than claiming them outright — especially important for remote roles.
- Related:Hard skillsSTAR method
- Quantified achievement
- An accomplishment expressed with a real number — "cut response time 20%," "managed a 60-person team," "grew revenue to $2M." Numbers make claims credible and memorable, on both a résumé and in a STAR answer. Never invent one; a genuine qualitative result beats a fabricated figure.
- Related:STAR methodRésumé
- Reverse-chronological résumé
- The most common résumé format, listing your experience from most recent to oldest. ATS parsers read it reliably and recruiters expect it, which is why it's the safe default over functional or heavily designed layouts.
- Related:RésuméApplicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Screening
- The early filtering stage of hiring — an ATS keyword filter, a recruiter's quick scan (often just a few seconds), or a short screening call — that decides who advances. Passing it is about clarity and relevance, not volume.
- Related:Applicant Tracking System (ATS)Recruiter
- Recruiter
- The person (internal or agency) who sources, screens, and shepherds candidates. They search the ATS by keyword and do the six-second first scan, so a clean, relevant, keyword-honest résumé is aimed as much at them as at the hiring manager.
- Related:Hiring managerScreening
- Hiring manager
- The person the role reports to — who makes the actual hire and runs the deeper interviews. Where a recruiter screens for fit on paper, the hiring manager is evaluating whether you can do the job, which is where STAR-backed examples earn their keep.
- Related:RecruiterBehavioural interview
- Follow-up email
- A short, timely note after applying or interviewing that keeps you top-of-mind. A pre-interview follow-up can't reference a conversation that hasn't happened; a post-interview one should add a specific, genuine detail from the actual discussion rather than a generic thank-you.
- Related:Cover letter
See also the Digital Nomad & Remote Work Glossary.
Practical guides
Deep-dive into these concepts with step-by-step guides.
Resume Format For Digital Nomads: How to Write a Remote-Ready Resume
Learn how to format your resume for remote jobs. Includes ATS-friendly tips, sample resumes, and advice for digital nomads with no remote experience.
Resume vs CV for International Jobs: What's the Difference and Which One Do You Need?
The real difference between a resume and a CV, how the terminology and expectations shift by country, and how to know which one a specific job actually wants.
How to Beat the ATS: Résumé Keyword Matching That Actually Works
How applicant-tracking systems really scan your résumé, how to find the keywords that matter in a posting, and how to add them honestly — without keyword-stuffing your way into a bad interview.
The Ultimate STAR Method Guide: Answer Behavioral Interview Questions with Confidence
How to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer behavioral interview questions, with worked examples across tech, sales, ops, and more. Master the framework hiring managers trust.
International Cover Letter: How to Get Hired Abroad
How to write an international cover letter that gets you hired abroad — the one-page format, the three-paragraph structure, and how to state your visa status.
How to Find a Truly Global Remote Job: A Practical Guide for Aspiring Digital Nomads
Remote jobs are in high demand but scarce, with many postings being region-locked. Learn how to find genuinely global remote jobs, beat the ATS, and land your ideal role.