Are Ineffective Job Titles Hurting Your Search?

Digital Marketing Magician 

Chief Visionary Officer 

Director of Fundom

These job titles definitely stand out – but not in a good way.

In an effort to attract job seekers’ attention, employers sometimes go a bit overboard with position titles. The practice may wind up serving companies’ needs, but it can also create real problems for professionals when they’re trying to land their next job.

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Case in point: Can you imagine being taken seriously by a recruiter with a job title like “Director of Fundom”?

Too often, today’s job titles do not accurately describe the job being performed. If you’re stuck with an ineffective job title and you’re on the hunt, use these three tips to tweak job titles on your resume – so they help you stand out in a good way:

Show a logical progression. If you’ve taken a step up in responsibilities but are stuck with job titles that don’t reflect it, provide more accurate titles in parentheses right after the “creative” ones. The fact-based titles may be boring, but at least they’ll demonstrate to the hiring manager that you’ve been progressing within your field.

Emphasize what employers want to see. Of course, what a recruiter wants to see will vary, depending upon the type of position to which you apply. Review the job posting carefully. If your job title doesn’t convey your technical and functional competence for the role, highlight those qualities at the top of your resume, as well as within individual position summaries.

Consider the culture of your field or the target employer. If you’re in a highly creative field like digital design or marketing, recruiters may be more accepting of creative position titles and not stigmatize you. You may not need to worry about changing a bizarre job title, as long as you include an accurate summary of your responsibilities and accomplishments.

The same principle holds true for the type of company to which you apply. If you do your homework and find out that an employer is progressive, laidback or highly creative, a unique job title may work to your advantage. Just be sure that the summary for such a position clearly explains the work you did and what you accomplished.

But if you’re in a very conservative field like finance, stay away from “cutesy” job titles which could backfire, either because they turn a hiring manager off or fail to convey exactly what you did. Lead with a straightforward job title, and then put the actual position name in parentheses.

Looking for your next professional job opportunity?

Make the right impression by registering with your local Corps Team office. Experts in the industries we serve, we can help you tweak your resume so that it stands out in a good way – and gets the attention it deserves from hiring managers.

Interested? Search Corps Team’s professional jobs near you.

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