Getting a job consists of marketing, selling, and promotion - of yourself. You have to understand the jargon of job seeking and translate that jargon into meaningful marketing clues. Don't let the commonly used language lull you into a by-the-book-job-seeking approach. For example, all the experts extoll the virtues of the perfect resume, yet people who do the hiring by instinct and experience know that resumes are not perfect. Resumes are simply sales literature for the job seeker. The interviewer is the buyer, and you are the salesperson. The job interview is a sales call on that customer. That sales call is precious, and must be meticulously pre-planned and practiced.
The Jargon: Candidate
What the Jargon Means: Product the company is buying
The Jargon: Compensation
What the Jargon Means: Price they want to pay for the product
The Jargon: Cover letter
What the Jargon Means: Direct mail advertising
The Jargon: Hiring company
What the Jargon Means: Bill Smith and Anne Jones (Companies don't hire; people do)
The Jargon: Interviewer
What the Jargon Means: Your customer
The Jargon: Job
What the Jargon Means: Solution to a company problem
The Jargon: Job description
What the Jargon Means: A starting point to determine what the company needs
The Jargon: Job expectation
What the Jargon Means: Cash return on compensation, on the investment in candidate
The Jargon: Job interview
What the Jargon Means: Sales call
The Jargon: Job seeker
What the Jargon Means: Salesperson (selling yourself)
The Jargon: Personality tests
What the Jargon Means: "Do you fit?" tests
The Jargon: Resume
What the Jargon Means: Sales literature
The Jargon: Stress interview
What the Jargon Means: Parlor games
The Jargon: Want ad
What the Jargon Means: Clues about company