Careers & Education Glossary

Academic qualifications taken after GCSEs, often needed for university.

Making sure everyone can use a website, tool, or resource easily.

The process of formally showing interest in a job.

The last date you can apply for a job or course.

A paid job where you learn practical skills while working and studying.

💡 inyourroots® tip: inyourroots® maps apprenticeship pathways across Essex, Hertfordshire & Suffolk.

A UK tax on employers with a pay bill over £3 million per year, used to fund apprenticeship training. Smaller employers can still access apprenticeship funding without paying the levy.

An event where employers test applicants' skills with tasks and interviews.

Software employers use to manage job applications.

💡 inyourroots® tip: inyourroots® bypasses ATS filtering - we match on strengths, not keywords.

Business-to-Business. When a company sells products or services to other businesses rather than directly to consumers.

Business-to-Consumer. When a company sells directly to individual customers. Think retail, hospitality, and entertainment.

An employer's process of checking your history (like criminal record or references).

Extras from an employer: like paid holidays, pension, or discounts.

A product or website still being tested and improved.

Work that involves manual labour or skilled trades — construction, manufacturing, mechanics, plumbing. These roles are in high demand and often well-paid.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Don’t let anyone tell you blue-collar work is “less than.” Many of these careers offer great pay, job security, and genuine fulfilment.

A work-related qualification mixing classroom and practical learning.

Computer-Aided Design. Software used to create 2D and 3D models of products, buildings, or mechanical parts. Essential in engineering, architecture, and manufacturing.

The total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person, business, or product. Increasingly important across all industries as the UK targets net zero by 2050.

Skills and behaviours needed for a job.

An expert hired for advice or specific tasks.

Ongoing learning to keep skills up to date.

A legal agreement about your job terms.

A job for a set time or project.

A letter sent with your CV explaining why you want the job.

Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of health and social care in England. CQC inspects and rates care services.

Jobs in arts, design, media, and entertainment.

Customer Relationship Management. Software used to track and manage interactions with customers and clients. Common in sales, marketing, and service roles.

Construction Skills Certification Scheme card. Required to work on most UK construction sites. Proves you have the right training and qualifications for your role.

A document listing your education, skills, and experience.

💡 inyourroots® tip: On inyourroots®, you don't need a CV to get started. Your strengths profile does the talking.

A check for criminal records, needed for some jobs.

Disclosure and Barring Service check. A background check required for roles working with children, young people, or vulnerable adults. Common in education, care, and health.

A university qualification, usually taking three or four years.

Your online presence and what people can find about you.

Skills needed to use computers and online tools.

The guided conversations inside inyourroots® that help uncover your 24 strengths.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Not a quiz - a conversation. Discoveries surface what you're naturally good at in real life.

Welcoming people from all backgrounds and identities.

Basic skills for getting, keeping, and doing well in a job.

Support services for employees, like counselling or advice.

Fair treatment for everyone, regardless of background or identity.

Environmental, Social, and Governance. A framework businesses use to measure their impact on the environment, communities, and ethical leadership. Increasingly important for employers and investors.

Comments from employers about your application or interview.

Working for yourself and taking on short-term jobs for different clients.

Financial Times Stock Exchange. The FTSE 100 is the index of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Used as a benchmark for the UK economy.

Working the standard hours for a job, usually 35-40 per week.

Practical qualifications in English, maths, or ICT for work and daily life.

Using game-like features (points, badges) to make something more engaging.

Qualifications usually taken at age 16 in a range of subjects.

General Data Protection Regulation. UK law that protects how personal data is collected, stored, and used. Every business that handles customer data must follow it.

Short-term, flexible jobs (like delivery or ride-share).

A way of working based on short-term contracts or freelance work, rather than permanent jobs. Common in creative, tech, and delivery sectors.

A job aimed at recent university graduates.

A structured training programme for recent university graduates.

Gross pay is before tax; net pay is what you take home.

The learning and development area inside inyourroots® - badges, worksheets, and skill-building resources.

A two-year work-related higher education qualification.

A mix of working from home and in a workplace.

Training and information for new employees.

The section of inyourroots® mapping 50+ industries and 600+ role pathways with local context.

A temporary work placement, often for students or recent graduates.

A meeting where an employer asks questions to see if you're right for the job.

A group of people who ask questions during an interview.

An announcement about a job opening.

A website or page listing job vacancies.

A summary of what a job involves.

When your strengths and skills fit a job.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Job fit is at the heart of how inyourroots® matches young people to roles.

When an employer formally offers you a job.

The lowest amount an employer can legally pay.

Meeting people to share information and find job opportunities.

People whose brains work differently (like autism, ADHD, dyslexia).

💡 inyourroots® tip: inyourroots® is designed to be neurodivergent-friendly - no timers, opt-outs, and a calm pace.

The pay scale system used across the NHS. Jobs are placed in bands from 1 to 9 based on responsibility, skills, and experience. Band 5 is a typical starting point for graduate nurses.

How long you must work after resigning or being let go.

A practical qualification showing you can do a job to a set standard.

Support to keep employees healthy at work.

A formal letter confirming a job offer.

Welcoming and training a new employee.

Applying for a job using a website or online form.

Working fewer hours than a full-time job.

A document showing your pay and deductions.

A meeting to discuss how you're doing at work.

A job with no set end date.

How you present yourself and your skills to employers.

A collection of work examples to show your skills (common in creative jobs).

Having several part-time or freelance roles at once.

Choices after GCSEs: A-levels, BTECs, T-levels, apprenticeships, or work.

Personal Protective Equipment. Safety gear like hard hats, gloves, goggles, or high-vis vests. Required in construction, manufacturing, labs, and outdoor work.

Businesses owned by individuals or companies.

A trial period at the start of a job.

The process of finding, buying, and managing goods or services for a business. A key function in large organisations, local government, and the public sector.

Moving to a higher level or better-paid job.

Jobs in government or publicly funded organisations.

A checkpoint inside inyourroots® that ensures young people are ready before connecting with employers.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Only pre-vetted, engaged candidates reach employers - quality over quantity.

Changes to help disabled or neurodivergent people succeed.

A company that helps people find jobs.

Someone who can confirm your skills and character to an employer.

A person who can vouch for your skills or character.

Following the rules, laws, and standards that apply to a specific industry. Every sector has its own regulations — from food safety to financial conduct.

Working from somewhere other than the office, usually home.

Another word for CV (mainly used outside the UK).

Proof you're allowed to work in the UK.

Return on Investment. A measure of how much value you get back compared to what you put in. Used in business, marketing, and finance to assess whether something is worth doing.

Software as a Service. A business model where software is delivered online via subscription rather than installed locally. Many UK tech companies are SaaS businesses.

Protecting people's health, wellbeing, and rights at work.

Your yearly pay, usually shown before tax.

A job search you can save and repeat easily.

A short phone or video call to check if you meet the job basics.

Working for yourself, not an employer.

Jobs with set hours at different times of day or night.

Working outside regular 9–5 hours, often in rotating patterns (mornings, afternoons, nights). Common in healthcare, hospitality, retail, and manufacturing.

When employers pick a smaller group of applicants for the next stage.

A small job or business alongside your main work.

💡 inyourroots® tip: inyourroots® supports side hustles as a valid career path - not just a backup plan.

A test where you're given work scenarios and asked how you'd respond.

The last two years of school (ages 16-18) for A-levels or similar.

Small or Medium-sized Enterprise. A business with fewer than 250 employees. SMEs make up 99.9% of UK businesses and are a huge source of entry-level and early-career opportunities.

💡 inyourroots® tip: inyourroots® focuses on connecting young people with local SMEs — businesses that often hire for attitude and potential, not just qualifications.

A business with fewer than 250 employees.

💡 inyourroots® tip: inyourroots® focuses on connecting young people with local SMEs - the backbone of local economies.

Personal qualities that help you work well with others.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Soft skills are strengths too - inyourroots® helps you identify and articulate them.

The AI companion inside inyourroots® that guides young people through their strengths journey.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Sprout is calm, patient, and designed for neurodivergent and first-time job seekers.

A newly created business, usually in its early stages of developing a product or service. Startups often move fast, wear many hats, and offer hands-on learning opportunities.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Startups are brilliant for young people who want to learn quickly and take on real responsibility early.

Jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths.

Connecting people to jobs based on what they're naturally good at.

💡 inyourroots® tip: The core of how inyourroots® works - we match on strengths, values, and fit, not just experience or qualifications.

A personalised summary of your top strengths, built through your inyourroots® journey.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Your strengths profile replaces the need for a CV when connecting with local employers.

The full journey of a product from raw materials to the customer. Includes manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and retail. A huge employer across the UK.

A new qualification for 16-19s, mixing classroom learning and work placements.

A notification about new job opportunities.

💡 inyourroots® tip: Employers on inyourroots® can set talent alerts to be notified when a matching candidate joins.

A group of people an employer considers for future jobs.

💡 inyourroots® tip: inyourroots® builds local talent pools so employers can find you - even before a role is posted.

A job lasting for a set period.

Charities and voluntary organisations.

An organisation that supports workers' rights.

A short course with work experience to prepare for a job or apprenticeship.

Skills you can use in different jobs or industries.

The organisation that manages applications to UK universities.

A place for higher education, usually leading to a degree.

Learning new skills to move to a new job or industry.

An interview done over video call.

A qualification focused on practical job skills.

Office-based or professional work, as opposed to manual or physical labour. The term is becoming outdated as more roles blend both types of work.

How you manage your time between work and the rest of your life.