Workplace language

[Lavender14]

So I currently work in a field which is very accessible language wise. Purpose being that anyone using the service I work for should be able to understand all our processes and terms straight off the bat. So we use very very simple language.

I've applied for a job which is in a similar vein but would be an incredible step up and great opportunity for me but it's broadening into the world of academia.

I am well educated but I've been working in charity sector my entire life so I don't have experience with more 'corporate' terms and language and I'm worried that if I go for interview I'll have the experience they want but I might not understand what exactly they are asking me.

Would anyone have any advice on how to handle this? I know I could do the job and I have so much to bring to the post it's right up my street going from the job description and personnel spec but some of the language in the application itself was very wordy and to me could have meant a few different things. Such as the term "technically focused project". Upon googling this seemed to mean a project with a very specific goal or outcome as a target.

Is it appropriate to ask the interviewers exactly what they mean if something comes up in interview that I don't fully understand or will that just make me look incompetent and should I just try to guess?

This would be literally a life changing job for me and would mean I can do what I do now but in a much better paid capacity so I'm really keen to do the best I can at interview. Any advice would be so appreciated!

I actually think that this is a huge positive in your application and you should make the most of it. I have a corporate background and so much of what people say is incomprehensible - jargon, people using complicated words because they think it makes them look intelligent. Being able to communicate simply to a range of different stakeholders is a huge advantage.

Thankfully so much@mynameiscalypso if you were on a hiring panel would you think less of a candidate asking you to clarify exactly what you mean by certain terminology? Or would you want them to explain the context as in why we don't use that terminology in my current workplace? Just want to give the best first impression possible!

I would think absolutely nothing of someone asking to clarify a term; it happens all the time and I generally view it as positive. I'd prefer someone check that they understood the question and could answer it to the best of their abilities rather than they clearly floundered because they didn't know what they were answering.

@Lavender14 your background is a huge advantage. Being able to explain complex things simply is a skill many people don’t have.

Most of the terms are bullshit pomposity/ management speak. No interviewer will mind if you ask for clarification. You could word it “ do you mean a project with a specific goal” checking your understanding.

Much better to ask them to clarify corporate speak than to guess and blunder your way through.

I'd think worse of someone who guessed and blustered than simply clarified the question. It's always fine to ask for clarification about interview questions imo.