Recruiters, like many specialised professionals, have pet words and phrases that they regularly use to classify certain types of candidate. These code words can speak volumes about what a search executive is thinking about a candidate.

Here is a sampling of terms -- some more common than others -- that recruiters say they often rely on when assessing the potential of their candidates:

TMI: Short for: Too Much Information.  This term refers to candidates who give long-winded answers.  On...