Job Hunting Terms, Decoded

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) — the software that reads and filters resumes before a human sees them. It's why formatting matters more than beauty. See the Resume Clinic.

JD (Job Description) — the posting itself. The words in it are the keywords you should mirror in your resume.

Minimum qualifications — the non-negotiable requirements (education, experience, eligibility, training). In government hiring especially, failing one of these means automatic disqualification regardless of everything else.

Shortlisting — when the employer narrows applicants to a small group for interviews.

Ghosting — when an employer simply stops replying after an application or interview. Common, not personal, and no reflection on you.

Ghost job — a posting that isn't attached to real hiring (pipeline-building, or appearing to grow). Signs: reposted monthly, vague duties, no salary, "always hiring."

Talent pool — being kept "on file." In practice this usually means no.

Endorsement — being forwarded to the client or the next stage. "Na-endorse ka na" is good news.

Backing out — accepting an offer then not showing up. It can get you blacklisted with that employer, and sometimes with the agency.

Blacklisted — flagged in an employer's system so future applications are refused. Usually caused by no-shows, AWOL, or falsified documents.

BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) — companies that handle work outsourced by foreign firms; in PH usage it usually means call centers. Full guide: The BPO Guide.

Account — the client company you support. Your account determines your schedule, difficulty, and often your pay.

Voice / non-voice — phone work versus email, chat, or back-office work.

Inbound / outbound — customers call you, versus you calling them. Outbound often carries sales quotas.

AHT (Average Handling Time) — the average length of your interactions, including after-call work. Watched closely.

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) — the rating customers give after an interaction.

QA (Quality Assurance) — the score given when your calls are monitored against a checklist.

FCR (First Call Resolution) — whether the issue was solved without the customer calling back.

SLA (Service Level Agreement) — the performance standard promised to the client, e.g. answering a set percentage of calls within a time limit.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) — any metric you're measured on.

Nesting — the transition period after training when you take live calls with support nearby.

Mock call — a simulated customer call used in interviews to test how you'd handle the real thing.

Spiel — the scripted opening and closing you're required to say.

Versant — a widely used automated English assessment (read-aloud, repeats, dictation, story retelling). Free practice tips are in Interview Prep.

SME (Subject Matter Expert) — an experienced agent who supports others on the floor; usually the first promotion.

TL (Team Leader) — supervises a team of agents.

WFM (Workforce Management) — the team that forecasts volume and builds schedules.

Graveyard shift — the overnight shift, common because many accounts serve North America.

Gross vs. net — gross is your salary before deductions; net is what actually reaches your account. See the salary guide.

Night differential — the legally required pay premium for work between 10PM and 6AM.

13th month pay — a legally mandated additional payment for rank-and-file employees, due on or before 24 December. Not a discretionary bonus.

HMO — private health coverage provided by the employer. Ask when it starts and whether dependents are included.

Allowance — rice, meal, transport, or communication subsidies on top of base pay.

SSS — Social Security System, the mandatory social insurance for private-sector workers.

GSIS — the government counterpart of SSS, for government employees.

PhilHealth — the national health insurance program.

Pag-IBIG (HDMF) — the national savings and housing fund.

BIR Form 2316 — the certificate of income and taxes withheld that your employer issues. Your next employer will ask for it, and it quietly confirms your real employment dates and salary.

COE (Certificate of Employment) — proof of your position and dates of employment. Always request one when you leave.

Back pay / final pay — what you're owed after separation (unused leave, last salary, pro-rated 13th month).

Probationary — the trial period, generally up to six months, before regularization.

Regularization — becoming a regular employee with full security of tenure.

AWOL — absent without leave. It follows you: background checks and your BIR 2316 tend to reveal it, so it's better to be honest about it in interviews.

PDS (CS Form 212) — the Personal Data Sheet, the government's official application form. Complete walkthrough: the PDS guide.

CSC — Civil Service Commission, the central HR agency of the Philippine government.

Eligibility — the qualification (from a civil service exam, a PRC license, or by law) that entitles you to hold certain government positions.

SG (Salary Grade) — the fixed pay grade, 1 to 33, attached to a government position. Published in the posting, so there's no guessing.

Plantilla — a permanent, funded position with benefits and security of tenure.

JO (Job Order) / COS (Contract of Service) — engagements paid by daily rate with no benefits and no security of tenure. Critically, this is not creditable government service — never declare it as "Permanent" on your PDS.

Letter of intent — the formal application letter addressed to the agency head, required by most agencies.

PESO — Public Employment Service Office, in every city and municipality, offering free job matching and referrals. See Gov't Benefits.

SPES / JobStart — DOLE programs for students and for out-of-school or unemployed youth.

DOLE — Department of Labor and Employment. DMW — Department of Migrant Workers, for overseas employment. TESDA — technical and vocational education authority. DICT — Department of Information and Communications Technology, which runs free digital skills training.

NC I / NC II (National Certificate) — TESDA competency certifications. The online course may be free while the assessment that grants the certificate is paid and in person. See Free Training.

RA 11261 — the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, which makes several pre-employment documents free for first-time job seekers.

VA (Virtual Assistant) — remote support work; specializing beats being a generalist. See the 30-day plan.

Niche — the specific service plus specific client type you focus on, e.g. "Shopify order processing for US e-commerce brands."

Escrow — money held by a platform until work is delivered, protecting both sides. Upwork has it; OnlineJobs.ph does not.

Connects — Upwork's paid credits, spent each time you submit a proposal.

Retainer — a recurring monthly arrangement for a set number of hours, more stable than one-off projects.

Paid trial — a short, compensated task to test fit. Legitimate. An unpaid "trial week" across many applicants is free labour, not a test.

Async (asynchronous) — working without being online at the same time as your client; usually paired with written end-of-day updates.

SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) — a written step-by-step process document. Making good ones is a genuinely marketable VA skill.

Loom — a screen-recording tool widely used to demonstrate work; a two-minute Loom often beats a certificate.

Time tracker — software (Hubstaff, Time Doctor, Upwork's tracker) that logs hours and takes periodic screenshots. Standard for hourly remote roles.

Chargeback / withheld pay — when a client reverses payment or refuses to pay. The main risk on platforms without escrow — which is why you ask for weekly payment or a deposit early on.

Illegal recruitment — recruiting for a fee or for jobs that don't exist, without a licence. A criminal offence.

Task scam / "recharge" scheme — you're paid small amounts for simple online tasks, then asked to deposit money to unlock more. The deposit is the scam.

Money mule — someone who lets another person's money pass through their bank or e-wallet account. Under RA 12010 (AFASA) this carries criminal penalties for you, even if you didn't know.

Overpayment scam — a fake transfer "for too much," and you're asked to return the difference in real money.

G2G (Government-to-Government) — overseas hiring arranged directly between governments, with no private agency and no placement fee.

Placement fee — a charge for overseas placement, tightly regulated and prohibited entirely for many destinations. Local employers and agencies must never charge you.

The full defensive checklist is in Avoid Scams: The 12 Red Flags.