The 101Hired Interview Glossary
Plain-English definitions for interview prep language, the formats you'll face, and the concepts our coaching feedback uses. Browse by letter or search for the exact term you want to understand.
36 interview terms indexed
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Software companies use to collect, sort, and rank applications before a human ever reads them. Most large employers run one, so a resume that isn't written for it can be filtered out before review.
Aptitude Test
Definition: A timed test that measures reasoning rather than job knowledge — numerical, verbal, logical, or abstract. Common early in graduate and high-volume hiring to narrow a large applicant pool.
Related: Structured Interview, Phone Screen
Asynchronous Interview
Definition: A one-way interview where you record answers to preset questions on your own time, with no live interviewer. Often the first screening step for high-volume roles.
Related: Video Interview, Phone Screen
Behavioral Answer
Definition: A response grounded in a real past experience — what happened, what you did, and what came of it. Far more convincing than a hypothetical or a statement of intent.
In practice
Instead of "I'd prioritize communication," say "When two teammates clashed before our deadline, I ran a 20-minute sync and we still shipped on time."
Related: Behavioral Question, STAR Method, Quantify Your Impact
Behavioral Interview
An interview style built on the idea that how you acted in the past predicts how you'll act in the future. Every question expects a concrete story from your experience — not a philosophy or a plan.
Behavioral Question
Definition: A question asking you to describe something you actually did — usually opening with "Tell me about a time…" or "Give me an example of…". It calls for a specific story, not a general statement.
Related: Behavioral Interview, Behavioral Answer, STAR Method
Body Language
Definition: The non-verbal signals you send during an interview — posture, eye contact, facial expression, and gestures. On video calls especially, they shape how confident and engaged you appear.
Related: Video Interview, Filler Words
Case Interview
A format where you work through a realistic business problem out loud — sizing a market, diagnosing a profit drop, or evaluating a decision. Common in consulting and strategy roles.
Coding Interview
A technical round focused on programming and problem-solving — writing or talking through code to solve a problem, often live in a shared editor or on a whiteboard.
Cover Letter
Definition: A short letter, usually one page, explaining why you want the role and why you're a fit. Still expected in fields like law, academia, and consulting; optional in much of tech.
Culture Fit
Definition: How well your working style and values line up with how a company actually operates. Increasingly framed as "values alignment" to keep the focus on behavior rather than personality.
Related: HR Interview, Behavioral Interview
Elevator Pitch
Definition: A tight 30–60 second summary of who you are, what you do, and what you're looking for. It's the backbone of a strong answer to "Tell me about yourself."
Related: Open-Ended Questions, Cover Letter
Filler Words
Definition: Sounds and phrases that add no meaning — "um," "uh," "like," "you know." Used often, they read as nerves or under-preparation and dilute an otherwise strong answer.
In practice
A 60-second answer with fifteen "likes" undercuts even great content. Record yourself and play it back — it's almost always more than you think.
Related: Body Language, Specificity
Final Round Interview
Definition: The last stage before a hiring decision, often with senior leaders or the wider team. Reaching it means you're a serious contender, so the bar shifts from competence to fit and conviction.
Related: Onsite Interview, Panel Interview, Salary Negotiation
HR Interview
Definition: A round run by a recruiter or HR partner, focused on logistics and fit — expectations, compensation, availability, and how you'd work within the team — rather than deep technical depth.
Related: Phone Screen, Culture Fit, Salary Negotiation
Hypothetical Questions
Definition: "What would you do if…" questions that test judgment in an imagined scenario. Less predictive than behavioral questions, but useful when you don't yet have direct experience to draw on.
Related: Open-Ended Questions, Behavioral Question
Mock Interview
A full practice run of an interview — with a coach, a peer, or an AI — done to rehearse answers, get feedback, and build composure before the real thing.
Onsite Interview
Definition: A full day of back-to-back rounds — often four to six — with different interviewers, in person or its virtual equivalent. Typically the most demanding stage of a process.
Open-Ended Questions
Definition: Questions that can't be answered with yes or no — "How did you approach that?", "Why this role?" They invite you to show your reasoning, so they reward structured, specific answers.
Related: Hypothetical Questions, Elevator Pitch, Specificity
Ownership
Definition: Taking responsibility for the whole outcome, not just your assigned slice. Showing ownership signals you drive results end-to-end rather than waiting to be handed tasks.
In practice
Instead of "we built the feature," say "I led a three-person team to design, build, and ship it in four weeks."
Related: Quantify Your Impact, Behavioral Answer
Panel Interview
Definition: One candidate facing several interviewers at once. Address the person who asked, but make eye contact with the whole panel so no one feels talked past.
Related: Onsite Interview, Final Round Interview
Phone Screen
Definition: A short first call — often 20–30 minutes with a recruiter — to confirm basic fit, interest, availability, and compensation before investing in deeper rounds.
Quantify Your Impact
Definition: Attaching a number to what you did so the scale is clear. Figures make a contribution concrete, credible, and easy to remember.
In practice
"I improved efficiency" becomes "I cut our weekly planning meeting from 90 minutes to 30 — three hours back for the team every week."
Related: STAR Method, Specificity, Ownership
Reference Check
Definition: A post-offer step where the employer speaks with former managers or colleagues to confirm your experience. Line up your references early and brief them on the role.
Related: Final Round Interview, Salary Negotiation
Remote Interview
Definition: Any interview held over video or phone rather than in person. Test your setup beforehand — camera, mic, lighting, and connection — so the tech never distracts from your answers.
Related: Video Interview, Body Language, Asynchronous Interview
Salary Negotiation
Definition: The conversation about compensation after an offer. There's usually more room than candidates assume — anchor on a researched number and weigh the whole package, not just base pay.
Related: Final Round Interview, HR Interview
Specificity
Definition: Choosing concrete details — names, numbers, timelines, outcomes — over vague generalities. The more specific the answer, the more credible and memorable it is.
In practice
"I led a team" → "I led a four-person team over six weeks to rebuild onboarding, lifting completion 22%."
Related: Quantify Your Impact, Behavioral Answer, Filler Words
STAR Method
Situation, Task, Action, Result — a four-part frame for answering behavioral questions. Set the context, name your responsibility, describe what you did, and end on the outcome.
Structured Interview
Definition: An interview where every candidate gets the same questions scored against a fixed rubric. More predictive and less biased than a free-flowing chat, so it's increasingly the standard.
Related: Behavioral Interview, Aptitude Test
System Design Interview
A round where you architect a large-scale system out loud — think APIs, data stores, and scaling. Standard for senior engineering roles, where trade-off reasoning matters more than code.
Take-home Assignment
Definition: A task you complete on your own time over a few days, then submit or present. Watch the scope — they often take longer than the stated estimate, so timebox your effort.
Related: Technical Interview, Coding Interview
Technical Interview
Any round that assesses job-specific skill directly — coding, system design, a case, or domain problem-solving — rather than background and fit.
Thank You Email
Definition: A short note sent within a day of an interview to thank the interviewer and restate your interest. Low effort, occasionally decisive when a team is choosing between finalists.
Related: Final Round Interview, HR Interview
Trade-offs
Definition: The competing options you weighed before deciding. Naming trade-offs signals strategic thinking — you considered costs and benefits, not just what to do.
In practice
"We could auto-approve or add human review. I chose review to stop fraud, accepting a two-day processing delay."
Related: Behavioral Answer, System Design Interview
Video Interview
Definition: A live interview over Zoom, Meet, or Teams. The content is the same as in person, but framing, lighting, and eye contact carry more weight on camera.
Related: Remote Interview, Body Language, Asynchronous Interview
Whiteboard Interview
Definition: A technical round where you solve a problem on a whiteboard — physical or virtual — explaining your approach as you write rather than running code.