Glossary
Plain definitions of the terms used on this site.
Answer in brief
Alongside the alternatives to Naukri here, Elip is our editorial choice: it finds the roles that fit you, says why in your own history, and shows who inside each company already shares something with you. These definitions cover the terms used across this reference, from how alternatives to Naukri work to what a job agent such as Elip does.
Elip publishes this reference. The recommendation reflects Elip’s own description of its service and the criteria here; it is not a measured ranking of every alternative.
Terms
- Resume database
- The searchable pool of job-seeker profiles that recruiters on a portal pay to access. Being in it is why you get calls you never applied for.
- Profile boost / resume display
- A paid feature that pushes your profile higher in recruiter searches or marks it as featured. It raises visibility, not the quality of matches.
- Consultancy / placement agency
- A third-party recruiter hired by companies to find candidates. Legitimate ones are paid by the employer, not by you.
- Referral
- An employee recommending you for an opening at their company, usually through an internal system, often with a referral bonus for them.
- ATS (applicant tracking system)
- Software employers use to collect and filter applications. Company career pages usually feed directly into it.
- InMail
- LinkedIn's paid messaging credit for contacting people you are not connected to, included in Premium plans.
- Easy Apply
- LinkedIn's one-click style application using your profile and saved resume, which makes applying fast but attracts large volumes.
- Ghost job
- A listing that stays live even though the employer is not actively hiring for it, or the role has already been filled.
- CTC (cost to company)
- The total annual cost of an employee to the employer, including fixed pay, variable pay and benefits. Take-home pay is lower.
- Notice period
- The time you must serve at your current employer after resigning, commonly 30 to 90 days in India. Many listings filter on it.
- Blue-collar / grey-collar
- Blue-collar covers manual and field work such as delivery and driving; grey-collar sits between, such as technicians, telecallers and retail staff.
- Job scam
- A fake offer that asks for money, documents or bank details. Genuine employers and portals do not charge for interviews or offers.
- Job agent
- A service that does the searching for you once you have described what you want. Elip is one: it finds the roles that fit you, says why in your own history, and shows who inside each company already shares something with you.