How important is a job title?
Discussion
How important do you see a job title?
I always used to think they were fairly empty, something to be used to make someone feel good about themselves. For example where someone could be called a Director and not actually hold much clout at all or when they tart up a title to make it sound less menial/junior than it actually is.
Reason for asking are firstly I am intrigued and secondly mine has been changed randomly on my email signature at work to something that sounds like a more junior role and I'm not sure if I should care or not?
Discuss!
I always used to think they were fairly empty, something to be used to make someone feel good about themselves. For example where someone could be called a Director and not actually hold much clout at all or when they tart up a title to make it sound less menial/junior than it actually is.
Reason for asking are firstly I am intrigued and secondly mine has been changed randomly on my email signature at work to something that sounds like a more junior role and I'm not sure if I should care or not?
Discuss!
A very large multi-national corporate, who shall remain nameless but who employ c. 500,000 globally, actually simply employ a grade-related process for job titles. Therefore if you are grade x, you are "Head of" (even if you are the only person in your department), if you are grade y, you are, indeed, a D
r, and one small grade jump up from the dreaded D-role makes you a Vice President. There are probably more Drs and VPs in this company than the entire square mile of London.
It's all very well - and all very pointless - but one of the worst aspects is that if/when you decide to move on, if you include your actual job title on your CV (for example Dr) you potentially give the appearance of being in a different role/at a different level to where you are and where you want to be and it makes it difficult to sell yourself appropriately.
r, and one small grade jump up from the dreaded D-role makes you a Vice President. There are probably more Drs and VPs in this company than the entire square mile of London.It's all very well - and all very pointless - but one of the worst aspects is that if/when you decide to move on, if you include your actual job title on your CV (for example D
r) you potentially give the appearance of being in a different role/at a different level to where you are and where you want to be and it makes it difficult to sell yourself appropriately.Externally, it's not at all important to me, nor to clients, which is why I never use one.
Internally, it can be absolutely crucial. I went through the grievance procedure at one company because they changed my title (and internal grade) without consultation as part of a reshuffle. Lovely people gave me the same title I had had 15 years previously
Internally, it can be absolutely crucial. I went through the grievance procedure at one company because they changed my title (and internal grade) without consultation as part of a reshuffle. Lovely people gave me the same title I had had 15 years previously
In my day to day role my job title is not important. I know what I do, as do my co-workers.
I do deem a job title important if I was looking to change companies though. For instance, I currently have a management role. I run a department, I am reponsible for it's success/failures, I make the decisions and manage the team. I get paid for this and people internally understand my role.
That said, I do not have a managers title. Not an issue at the moment, but I will need it for my CV if I decide to leave in the future. It probably doesn't matter so much for older folks, but I'm only 27 and applying for another management role is easier if I've already held the title.
I do deem a job title important if I was looking to change companies though. For instance, I currently have a management role. I run a department, I am reponsible for it's success/failures, I make the decisions and manage the team. I get paid for this and people internally understand my role.
That said, I do not have a managers title. Not an issue at the moment, but I will need it for my CV if I decide to leave in the future. It probably doesn't matter so much for older folks, but I'm only 27 and applying for another management role is easier if I've already held the title.
The Beaver King said:
I do deem a job title important if I was looking to change companies though.
Exactly this.Some people in some situations may deem a job title important, therefore it is important.
However it is not the be all and end all. In my company an Assistant Project Manager could be more senior than a Project Manager, if the Assistant PM's role was part of a far larger overall contract.
The Beaver King said:
I do deem a job title important if I was looking to change companies though.
Exactly this.Some people in some situations may deem a job title important, therefore it is important.
However it is not the be all and end all. In my company an Assistant Project Manager could be more senior than a Project Manager, if the Assistant PM's role was part of a far larger overall contract.
I never thought it was important.....until it mattered.
Through a number of company restructures over 5 or 6 years I went: Team Manager > Team Supervisor > Senior Analyst.
At each change I fought for redundancy, but they wouldn't give it to me. My pay and conditions didn't change, so HR didn't see it as a problem.
The final straw was when during another re-organisation my new role was supposed to be on the team I used to manage!
I had previous letters from HR assuring me that none of the previous changes were a demotion, yet I was now effectively back in the position I started in 10 years ago. Eventually they folded and gave me redundancy, but even then it was a compromise agreement, not proper redundancy.
Through a number of company restructures over 5 or 6 years I went: Team Manager > Team Supervisor > Senior Analyst.
At each change I fought for redundancy, but they wouldn't give it to me. My pay and conditions didn't change, so HR didn't see it as a problem.
The final straw was when during another re-organisation my new role was supposed to be on the team I used to manage!
I had previous letters from HR assuring me that none of the previous changes were a demotion, yet I was now effectively back in the position I started in 10 years ago. Eventually they folded and gave me redundancy, but even then it was a compromise agreement, not proper redundancy.
in the absence of consistency it;s immaterial
in an organisation with a published grading scheme it's easier to spot / find out where someone actually fits into the hierarchy ...
It can lead to nonsensical situations where you have someone with a job title that bears no resemeblance tpo their real role ( e.g. all the Ops support people in the fire service who are qualified firefighters sso are 'crew commanders' and 'watch managers' even though they don't ride appliances or work on a station - ironically under the old titles it was less silly with the rank titles)
in an organisation with a published grading scheme it's easier to spot / find out where someone actually fits into the hierarchy ...
It can lead to nonsensical situations where you have someone with a job title that bears no resemeblance tpo their real role ( e.g. all the Ops support people in the fire service who are qualified firefighters sso are 'crew commanders' and 'watch managers' even though they don't ride appliances or work on a station - ironically under the old titles it was less silly with the rank titles)
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff