SDI Productions/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. There are many terms, phrases, and acronyms used by talent acquisition that job seekers should know. These include KSA, DOE, purple squirrel, ATS, poaching, blind screening, and exploding offer. Knowing these terms can give you a competitive edge in both the application and interview process. If it feels like job descriptions and hiring emails are loaded with an alphabet soup of words you've never heard before, you're not alone. "Within talent acquisition, there are so many terms and acronyms we use on a daily basis that it is sometimes forgotten that it is not everyday common language," Jona Jennings, a senior technical sourcer at Terminal.io who's worked in recruiting for Microsoft, Wayfair, and Tesla, told Insider. "Lately, I have seen a couple of these make it to job descriptions and can only imagine how job seekers feel."