intern

Definition

A person working for experience instead of money, which is definitely a fair trade according to your employer. Often found fetching coffee and mastering the art of looking busy while learning that their degree taught them nothing about the actual job. The term technically means someone imprisoned, which feels surprisingly accurate around month three.

Example Usage

The intern spent six months building our entire social media strategy and got paid in 'exposure' and free bagels.

Source: Common HR terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

job rotation

A development practice where employees temporarily move between different roles or departments to build broader skills and understanding. Cross-training disguised as career development.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

versatile

The resume buzzword that means you're willing to do literally anything because you're desperate to seem valuable. Describes someone who can competently juggle multiple tasks, though 'competently' is doing some heavy lifting here. The corporate equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, except you're the knife and your employer keeps finding new things to cut.

👥 Human Resources

Advanced

FLSA

Fair Labor Standards Act—the 1938 federal law establishing minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor standards. It's the reason you get paid extra for working more than 40 hours, assuming your employer classifies you correctly.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

employer brand

A company's reputation as a workplace and the value proposition it offers to employees. The carefully curated Instagram version of your company that bears little resemblance to actual office life.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

mediator

A neutral third party who gets paid to listen to two sides argue, nod sympathetically, and suggest compromises that neither side particularly likes but can live with. In workplace contexts, they're the professional peacemakers called in when HR realizes that another 'team building exercise' isn't going to fix the fact that Karen and Susan genuinely cannot stand each other. The mediator's superpower is getting people to agree without technically forcing anyone to do anything.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

evergreen job posting

A continuously open job requisition used to build a talent pipeline for frequently needed roles. It gives the illusion of always hiring while allowing the company to ghost 99% of applicants at their leisure.

👥 Human Resources

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