Job application terms explained: what each field is really asking.
Application forms reuse a handful of terms that confuse even experienced applicants. This glossary explains what each one asks, with an example answer for each.
Application fields usually ask for something simple in unfamiliar words. 'Employer' is the company that paid you, not your manager. 'Title' is your official job title. 'Headline' is a one-line summary of who you are professionally. 'Role description' is a short summary of your duties and results. 'Per diem' is a work arrangement or daily allowance. Answer each accurately, using the same facts as your resume.
What each field means
Employer
The organisation that employed you: the company name, not your manager's name. If you worked through an agency, list the agency as employer and the client in the description.
Title
Your official job title as the employer recorded it. If it was unusual, add a plain equivalent in brackets: 'Customer Happiness Lead (Customer Service Supervisor)'.
Headline
A one-line professional summary, similar to a LinkedIn headline: 'Payroll specialist, multi-state payroll and audits'.
Role description
Two to four lines on what you did and achieved. Reuse your strongest resume bullets.
Per diem
On a job posting, per diem usually means work scheduled day by day as needed, often in healthcare. On expense forms it means a daily allowance for travel costs. Read the context.
Security clearance
A government determination that you can access classified information. Answer only with a clearance you actually hold, its level and status.
Salary history
Your past pay. Rules on whether employers may ask vary by state and city, and the field may be optional where you live.
2 copy-ready examples
Illustrative: names, companies, dates and numbers in these templates and examples are fictional. Replace every bracket with your own true details before you use anything.
Example field answers
When to use: Adapt each to your own facts.
Employer: [Northwind Logistics Inc.] Title: [Operations Coordinator] Headline: [Operations coordinator, carrier scheduling and freight cost control] Role description: [Scheduled 120+ weekly shipments across 14 carriers; cut late deliveries by renegotiating two carrier contracts.] Supervisor: [Jordan Lee, Operations Manager]
Agency or contract work
When to use: When you worked through a staffing agency.
Employer: [Agency name] (assigned to [Client company]) Title: [Contract Data Analyst] Role description: [12-month contract supporting the client's finance team; built weekly cash reports.]
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Tricky cases
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Agency placement | Agency as employer, client named in the description. |
| Self-employed | Your business name, or 'Self-employed', with your role. |
| Unofficial title | Official title plus a plain equivalent in brackets. |
| Field is optional and sensitive | You may leave optional fields blank where the law or form allows. |
| Unsure what a field means | Ask the recruiter rather than guessing. |
The same move, done two ways
Illustrative example with fictional details.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | Employer: Mike. Title: Did a bit of everything. Role description: See resume. |
| Strong | Employer: Brightline Dental Group. Title: Front Office Coordinator. Role description: Ran scheduling for four dentists; reduced no-shows with a reminder process. |
Why it matters: Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search these fields. Precise, consistent entries make you findable and match your resume.
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing your manager's name as employer.
- Typing 'see resume' in every box.
- Inflating a job title.
- Claiming a clearance or credential you don't hold.
Keep going
Questions people ask
Is the employer the company or the person?
What is a headline on a job application?
Can I write 'see resume'?
What does per diem mean on a job application?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. The steps, scripts and timing guides are practical advice, labelled as advice. We do not publish response rates, success rates or shares of employers, and every example uses fictional details.
- How a specific employer, recruiter or manager will act: practices vary by company, industry and person.
- Legal advice: for contracts, background-check disputes, pay classification or a termination, talk to an employment attorney, the U.S. Department of Labor or your state agency.
- Outcomes: no message, plan or program can promise an interview, a raise or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 4, 2026.