 |
 |
 |
While self-titling your role allows for creative freedom, it also has the drawback of limiting you from future opportunities. Sure, being progressive and throwing in a “ninja” may sound cool, but honestly, you’re not sneaking into your prospects’ email inboxes and slashing unsubscribes with your katana. I’ve known several hiring managers that will pass up on a resume because it contains unnecessary lingo that lacks professionalism. Don’t do it. Instead, opt for Marketing/Finance/Sales “Professional”. Or “consultant”. While professionals or consultants might not have as many groupies as “rockstars” or as much business zen as a “guru”, they hold much more esteem with recruiters than the glorified descriptors.
Oh, and if you’re in operations, don’t go with “janitor”. While it sounds self-deprecating and charming, it inherently has the reverse effect because you’re the one who coined it. Besides, I hear they prefer to use the word “custodian”.
Yes! It also can make it harder to get your next job—future hiring managers can’t easily categorize what you did.
Inflated titles are just as bad—I sometimes see people with director titles based on 1-2 years of experience (typically because a small company was giving a better title instead of market-rate pay). To later go from “Director of Marketing” to “Marketing Manager” looks like a step back, even if it was really a move up.
That’s an interesting take on it Karl– how would you recommend positioning an inflated title to someone who definitely has one?