Most job application terms are simple labels in formal clothing: MI is your middle initial, suffix is Jr. or III after your name, employer means the company you worked for, and CTC is your full yearly cost to company. This page explains each confusing word you may meet on a form, with what to type, and links to a full guide for the bigger fields.
Forms are written by HR teams and software vendors, not by the people filling them in. If a word stops you, it usually has a plain meaning and a short answer. Find it below by group: your name, your work history, pay, schedule, trust checks and portal words.
Quick answers
MI
Middle initial: the first letter of your middle name, or leave blank if you have none.Suffix
Jr., Sr., II, III or similar after your last name. Not your degree.Employer
The organization that paid you, written as its legal or common name.CTC
Cost to company: your full yearly pay package, larger than take home pay.Bondable
You could be covered by an employer's fidelity bond against theft or dishonesty.Requisition number
The employer's ID for the opening. Copy it exactly if asked.
Name terms: MI, suffix, preferred name and salutation
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| MI, M.I. | Middle initial, one letter | J |
| Suffix or legal suffix | Generation marker that is part of your legal name | Jr., Sr., II, III |
| Preferred name | The name you go by day to day | Sam (legal name Samuel) |
| Salutation or title | The courtesy title before your name | Mr., Ms., Mx., Dr. |
| Other names used | Maiden or earlier names, used to match records | Former last name |
A suffix is not a degree or license. Do not type MBA, RN or PhD in the suffix box; put those under education or licenses. If you have no middle name, leave MI blank or choose "None" if the form requires it. Use your legal name in the main boxes because background checks and payroll match on it.
Work history terms: employer, title, direct reports
- Employer or name of employer: the organization that paid you, such as "[Company name], Inc.". For agency work, name the agency and add the client in brackets.
- Job title or title: the title your employer used, not a description. "Sales Associate", not "helped customers".
- Supervisor: your direct manager's name and title.
- Direct reports or employees supervised: how many people reported to you. Write 0 if none; that is normal.
- Start date and end date: month and year are usually enough. For a future job, start date means the first day you could begin.
- May we contact: whether they can call this employer. Saying no for your current job is common and accepted.
For the boxes that need sentences, use the role description guide and the reason for leaving examples.
Pay terms: CTC, per diem and desired salary
CTC is used mostly in India. It means cost to company, the full yearly amount the employer spends on you: basic pay, allowances, the employer's provident fund contribution, gratuity and bonuses. Your take home pay is lower. When a form asks for Current CTC, give the figure in your offer or salary letter; for Expected CTC, give the package you want.
Per diem has two meanings. As a pay item it is a daily allowance for travel costs such as meals and lodging. As a job type, especially in nursing and therapy, it means you work as needed, shift by shift, without a fixed schedule. A form that asks "Are you interested in per diem work?" means the second.
For the Desired salary box, read what to put for desired salary; many states now limit questions about your past pay.
Schedule and location terms
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Swing shift | The evening shift between day and night, roughly mid afternoon to around midnight |
| Open availability | Every day of the week and every shift are fine for you, nights included |
| Travel domestically | The job may need trips within the country; the form asks how much travel you accept |
| Geographic mobility | Your willingness to relocate to another city or region for the job |
| Remote, hybrid, on site | Where the work happens: from home, a mix, or at the workplace |
| Start date | The earliest day you could begin, after any notice period |
Answer geographic mobility honestly. "Open to relocation within [State]" is a fine middle answer. For how long you must stay at your current job before starting, see notice period.
Trust and screening terms: bondable, security clearance, lobbying warnings
Bondable means an insurance company would be willing to cover you under a fidelity bond, a policy that protects the employer if an employee steals or acts dishonestly. Jobs handling cash, keys or clients' homes ask about it. Most people are bondable; a recent theft or fraud conviction is the usual reason someone is not.
Security clearance is a decision by the federal government that you may access classified information, at levels such as Confidential, Secret and Top Secret. You cannot apply for one by yourself; an agency or contractor sponsors it when a job needs it. The form asks whether you hold an active clearance and at what level. Write "None" if you have never had one.
Canvassing appears in a warning on many public sector forms, often "Canvassing in any form will disqualify". It means trying to influence the selection by contacting board members, officials or interviewers on your behalf. Normal follow up with the named HR contact is not canvassing.
Portal terms: internal, requisition number, supplemental information
- Internal: the opening is for current employees, or the form asks whether you already work there. Choose external if you do not.
- Requisition number or job ID: the employer's code for this opening. Copy it into emails and cover letters.
- Requisition closed: the employer has stopped taking or reviewing applications for that ID, because it was filled, paused or cancelled.
- Supplemental information: extra questions, documents or essays after the main form, such as a writing sample or license copy.
- Not indicated: the answer was left blank or you chose not to say. On voluntary questions this is fine.
- E signature: typing your name or ticking a box to sign. It counts as your signature, so read the certification text above it first.
- Referred by: the person or channel that pointed you to this opening. See referred by meaning.
For what each status word means once you submit, read application status meanings.
Qualification terms: certification, license, transcript
A qualification is anything that makes you eligible: a degree, a certificate, years of experience. A license is permission from a government body to do a job, such as a nursing or driving license, and it has a number and expiry date. A certification comes from a training or professional body, such as CPR or a forklift card. List both under Licenses and certifications with the issuer and expiry.
A transcript is the official record of courses and grades from a school or college. Employers ask for it to confirm a degree or for graduate roles; an unofficial copy is often enough until an offer. Formal checks are covered in education verification.
Sample answers for tricky job application terms
Suffix: Jr.
MI: R
Employees supervised: 0
Security clearance: None
Are you bondable? Yes
Geographic mobility: Open to relocation within the region
Current CTC: as stated in my latest salary letter
Supplemental information: Attached license copy and two writing samples as requested
Do: leave MI blank when you have no middle name.
Don't: put "BSc" in the suffix box or a duty description in the job title box.
Field guides on this site
The bigger fields get their own pages with samples and do and do not pairs. Start with the one you are stuck on.
| Field | What the guide covers |
|---|---|
| References | Who to name, how many and how to ask them first |
| References template | A one page layout to copy, with filled examples |
| Notice period | Two weeks, 30 or 90 days, serving notice or immediate |
| Reason for leaving | Short neutral wording, including when you were let go |
| Skills | Hard skills first, with lists for common job types |
| Keywords | Pulling search words from the posting and placing them honestly |
| Headline | The one line summary some portals ask for |
| Objective | A goal line for first jobs and career changes |
| Referred by | Naming the employee or source that sent you |
| Desired salary | Ranges, negotiable and digit only boxes |
| Role description | Writing duties and results for each past job |
| Disability and veteran questions | Voluntary self identification and what happens to it |
Questions people ask
What does MI mean on a job application?
MI means middle initial, the first letter of your middle name. Type just the letter, with or without a period. Leave it blank if you have no middle name.
What is a suffix in a job application?
A suffix is a generation marker that is part of your legal name, such as Jr., Sr., II or III. It is not a degree or title. Most people leave it blank.
What does employer name mean on a job application?
Type the organization that employed you, not your manager. Use the name on your pay slips or the common business name. For staffing agency work, name the agency.
What does security clearance mean on a job application?
This box checks whether you hold a federal government clearance to access classified information, and at what level. Most applicants write "None". Only an agency or contractor can sponsor one.
What does per diem mean on a job application?
Usually an as needed job where you pick up shifts without a set schedule, common in healthcare. In pay sections it can also mean a daily travel allowance. The surrounding question tells you which.
What is a requisition number on a job application?
That is the employer's internal ID for the opening, sometimes called a job ID. Copy it into your cover email or letter so HR can match you to the right job.
What does the warning against lobbying the selection panel mean?
Public sector forms often warn that trying to influence the decision through officials or panel members will disqualify you. It covers asking a friend in the department to put in a word or contacting interviewers privately. Asking HR about your status is fine.