The Value of a Title During the Job Hunting

Employers started using bizarre job titles a few years ago in an effort to stand out and appear innovative. Ninjas, rock stars, gurus, ambassadors, and mavens appeared all of a sudden. The most innovative job titles from 2012 may not be as innovative today, but despite the fact that the initial excitement has subsided, these titles provide insight into a crucial topic: the importance of a title when seeking for work.

More than an employer's originality or a lively and dynamic work environment should be implied by a job title. In actuality, a job title is actually just a few words that serve several purposes, and much like the employee it describes, if it's not picked carefully, it could result in missed chances. Examining some of the purposes that job titles ought to fulfill will help us understand how doing so can impact a job hunt.

Explain Your Position

What does a job title actually mean? Simply explained, it's a designation given to employees that shows next to their name in the corporate directory and email signature. But what it stands for is much more significant because it should, at the very least, reflect the function that employees play for the organization. Most recruiters and hiring managers simply give each resume a cursory glance for six seconds on average before deciding whether to read it in full or move on to the next.

During those six seconds, attention is concentrated on identifying keywords and well-known job titles that indicate prior experience relevant to the position being sought after. Candidates who have titles that are distinctive but don't garner attention or accurately reflect their role in the organization risk losing out on job prospects.

Display Increasing Responsibility

Employees who do well in their positions frequently receive promotions. To potential employers, however, taking on extra work may not be enough to prove career advancement. As responsibility increases, there should be a matching change in title and, eventually, in pay. A potential employer can assume that an employee who has had their title for a number of years is unable to learn and grow or is unwilling to accept new tasks and responsibilities. In a similar vein, people who work for the same company for a number of years without experiencing a title change may find it challenging to refute these assumptions on a resume. Employers will look for this when hiring, and job titles should correspond to career advancement.

Establish Salary

Proposed policies in several states and towns have made it more challenging for employers to ask about the history of an employee's pay. As a result, they need to come up with alternative methods for figuring out wage starting points for applicants and unfilled positions. One typical strategy is to ask for a wage survey, while another is to look up fair and competitive pay on websites like Salary.com or Glassdoor. However, both of these approaches depend on a variety of elements, including job responsibilities, experience, and, obviously, job titles, to decide salaries. It may be challenging for candidates to persuade potential employers of their genuine value if their current or past job titles are too unusual, don't reflect their responsibilities, or don't correspond to their experience level.

Identify Upcoming Roles

A certain job title is frequently regarded as a need for a higher-level position. For instance, one would anticipate a job title with a financial or accounting focus to come before the position of Controller. Employers may be reluctant to offer senior responsibilities to those whose prior titles don't clearly demonstrate a path of career growth, therefore job seekers with ambiguous or misleading titles may find them to be a barrier to their career ambitions. Although a savvy employer will look further into applicants' backgrounds to see if their knowledge and experience qualify them for the position, some may never have the opportunity because their title may prevent hiring managers or recruiters from ever coming across their resume in a title or keyword search.

Employees at a hip, new startup may value a different job title that distinguishes them from the competition more than recognition. However, if they leave the organization to hunt for another job, problems may arise. People who have been blissfully employed by the same employer for years may not feel the need for a title change, even if they have taken on additional roles and responsibilities.

To ensure that their title accurately reflects their growth and advancement, employees should make an effort to request a title upgrade if their job responsibilities alter or grow. To match employers' keyword searches, folks with unusual or original job titles can think about adding the typical equivalents next to theirs in parenthesis on resumes and LinkedIn profiles. The quickest route to employment for job seekers will be for individuals whose present and previous titles are easily correlated with certain work functions and skill sets.

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