Question

Topic: Career/Training

From Director To Specialist

Posted by stranger on 10/26/2012 at 10:49 AM ET 250 Points
Hi guys,

If a marketing director was to accept a new position with the title of a specialist would that be a serious mistake? Would that be seen as a detrimental regression?


Thanks,

S.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 10/26/2012 at 12:24 PM Accepted
    I'm not big on titles one way or the other. I'd say the title doesn't matter. If the job is what you want, then take it. Don't worry about the title. And if it isn't what you want, don't let the title tempt you for a second.

    If it bothers you that the title isn't what you want, maybe you can ask the employer if it's negotiable.

    For me, I don't even tell people what my title is. If they don't value what I can do for them, the title isn't going to make a difference.
  • Posted by stranger on 10/26/2012 at 12:30 PM Author
    I couldn't agree more. I really don't care about titles, but worry about creating the impression that I'm regressing. and we all know how misdealing titles typically are and how often a job that requires a lot carries a title that implies less responsibility and consequently translates into a lower salary.
  • Posted on 10/26/2012 at 12:43 PM Accepted
    If you feel the job title might have a long-term negative impact on your earnings, then I'd explain that to the employer and see if you can change the title to something that accurately reflects the job specs.

    Alternatively, can you just create a more accurate title for yourself and use it whenever anyone cares what the title is? Are you stuck with the title of the new job? Can you ignore the title?
  • Posted by stranger on 10/26/2012 at 2:08 PM Author
    These are great questions to consider!
  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 10/26/2012 at 9:15 PM Accepted
    I also am not big on titles - seen way too much title inflation in Silicon Valley over the years.

    But I do think going from a Director to a Specialist will look bad on your resume/CV. At the very least, it will bring questions into the minds of people looking at it.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 10/27/2012 at 8:54 AM Accepted
    From a responsibilities perspective, can you show how this new job showcases more responsibilities, bigger market, etc.? If you're a director of a tiny company (with a small budget) vs. a specialist in a multinational corporation (with a huge budget) - then it's an easy point to make in your career advancement story.
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