Dear Jobs Guru: ‘I’m apprehensive my job title makes me sound like I’m not essential’
Reader Peter says he’s a senior staff member at his firm, but he has concerns about his underwhelming job title. Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice
‘I’m looking for a role as an Emperor of Leadership’(Image: Getty Images/Westend61)
Dear James
My job title doesn’t sound very impressive, even though the work I do is quite senior.
Could that actually affect how employers see me?
Peter, Cornwall
Answer:
Yes, it can.
It may not be fair, but job titles do a lot of heavy lifting. Recruiters and employers scan quickly, and titles act like shortcuts. They help people make a snap judgement about level, seniority and likely scope.
So if your title sounds junior, admin-heavy or just plain vague, it can absolutely drag down how your experience is read.
That does not mean you are stuck with it. What matters is making the level of the role obvious as quickly as possible. If your title undersells you, the description underneath has to do more work.
Team size. Budget responsibility. Strategic input. Commercial impact. Senior stakeholders. Those are the details that help correct the picture.
You should not invent a grander title out of thin air. That is asking for trouble. But you do need to make sure the substance of the job is impossible to miss. A weak title can hurt you. An unclear CV can finish the job.
Top Tip:
If your title undersells your level, use the first few lines of the role description to show scope, seniority and impact immediately.
Spotlight On: Why Titles Matter
People like to believe employers judge experience in a perfectly thoughtful way. They usually do not. They use shortcuts.
Job titles are one of the biggest. They shape first impressions before the rest of the CV has even had a chance. That is why someone doing senior work under a bland or misleading title can end up looking more junior than they really are.
The fix is not exaggeration. It is context. If the title is weak, the evidence underneath must be strong. The more clearly you show scale, influence and results, the less power the title has to mislead.
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .
