Glossary
Quick definitions for the jargon our guides use. Each one links to the full guide.
- ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
- Software companies use to collect, parse, and store job applications so recruiters can search and filter candidates later. It doesn't make reject/accept decisions itself — it structures your CV into fields for someone (or something) else to search. How an ATS actually reads your CV →
- CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
- The A1-C2 controlled vocabulary Europass and EURES use to encode language proficiency as a structured, comparable value instead of free text like 'fluent' or 'conversational.' CV practices by country →
- EU AI Act (recruitment AI)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 classifies any AI system used to recruit, filter, or evaluate job candidates as high-risk under Annex III, point 4(a) — not discretionary. Triggers risk management, data governance, technical documentation, transparency, and human-oversight obligations. Full compliance required by December 2027. AI hiring bias, and what the law now says →
- Europass / EDCI
- The European Commission's free CV builder and digital-credential infrastructure. Actively maintained and mandatory or preferred for EU civil-service, Erasmus+, and cross-border EURES applications — but almost never used by private-sector employers or commercial ATS platforms. Why there's no universal CV format →
- JSON Resume
- An open-source, MIT-licensed JSON schema for representing a CV as a single structured document, maintained by a volunteer developer community. Popular for portfolio sites and open-source tooling — not read by any major ATS or employer as an intake format. Why there's no universal CV format →
- Lexical matching (TF-IDF)
- The oldest, crudest layer of CV-to-job matching — literal keyword overlap between your CV and a job posting. Cheap to run, still used as a baseline floor, but easily gamed by keyword-stuffing and blind to whether a claimed skill is actually demonstrated. The résumé keyword myth →
- NYC Local Law 144
- In force since July 5, 2023. Prohibits employers from using an automated employment decision tool unless an independent third party has conducted a bias audit within the past year, examining selection rates by race, ethnicity, and gender. AI hiring bias, and what the law now says →
- Semantic matching
- Comparing the meaning of your experience to a job description's requirements, not just shared words — so 'led sprint planning' can match 'Scrum Master experience' without using that exact phrase. Built on transformer-based embeddings (Sentence-BERT and similar models). The agentic problem →
- Trusted Career Profile (TCP)
- Released January 2026 by HR Open Standards with backing from the Gates Foundation, Walmart, and the U.S. Chamber Foundation — the most institutionally serious attempt yet to unify verifiable career records. Zero committed ATS-vendor adoption so far. Why there's no universal CV format →
- W3C Verifiable Credentials
- A cryptographic standard (W3C Recommendation since May 2025) for signing individual claims — a diploma, a certification — so they're tamper-evident and independently checkable, rather than trusted on your word. The substrate Open Badges 3.0, Comprehensive Learner Records, and the Trusted Career Profile all build on. Why there's no universal CV format →