Common Internet Job Recruitment Slang and Acronyms Explained

I believe many people are initially confused by abbreviations such as OC, JD, RD, Package, HC, QA, and other industry jargon.

1. Company‑related terms

HC : Headcount, the number of recruitment positions a company has.

BG : Business Group, e.g., Tencent's WeChat BG, QQ Music BG.

BU : Business Unit, a sub‑division under a BG, usually a product line.

OD : Outsourcing Dispatch, used for R&D positions like Huawei OD.

OT : Overtime.

2. Position‑related jargon

base : Can refer to salary (e.g., 15k × 16 base) or the work location.

JD : Job Description, outlining responsibilities and requirements.

HR : Human Resources, the department handling recruitment and personnel management.

RD : Research and Development engineer, includes front‑end or back‑end developers.

QA : Quality Assurance, commonly known as testing.

PM : Product Manager or Project Manager, responsible for product planning and execution.

PR : Public Relations, covering media monitoring, client management, and event planning.

PD : Product Designer, the person who designs product features.

3. Salary and offer terminology

八股文 : Fixed‑answer interview questions such as OS process vs. thread, data structure differences, or TCP three‑way handshake.

OC / Intent Letter : An oral offer without salary details, indicating the company’s intention to hire.

开奖 : The disclosed salary amount after an offer is made.

泡池子 : Being placed in a talent pool without a concrete offer.

保温 : Periodic HR follow‑up before an offer is finalized.

A (argue) : Negotiating salary, usually after having a higher competing offer.

总包 : Total compensation package, including base salary, bonuses, allowances, and benefits.

白菜 / 大白菜 / 小SP / SP / SSP+ : Slang for different salary tiers, from average offers (白菜) to elite offers (SSP+).

4. Big‑company endorsement

Having experience at a top tech company serves as a “golden stamp,” increasing the likelihood of receiving offers from other firms.

5. Nicknames for major tech firms

Examples include: 鹅厂 (Tencent), 猪场 (NetEase), 狗厂/兄弟厂 (JD.com), 菊厂 (Huawei), 动物园/猫厂/福报厂 (Alibaba), 开水厂 (Meituan), 宇宙厂 (ByteDance), etc.