http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2012/12/20/are-job-titles-going-extinct.html
The above linked article asks whether job titles are going the way of "the 8-track tape player, the Edsel, and the Dodo bird." Are job titles sooooo 20th century?
It's a good point, though, and might give you some insight into how to construct your resume. If you have previous experience, whether part-time or fulltime, how does it help a prospective employer if you set down only that your title was "Chief Compliance Inspector of Widget Regulatory Qualifications" at XYZ Company?
Job titles have become obscure and obfuscatory. A secretary is now an "administrative assistant." A garbage collector is a "sanitation engineer." A "language arts pedagogical specialist" is still an English teacher. Hey--these are jobs with dignity, no problem there. But why add more syllables and specialized language when that only makes it harder to know what a job is?
Beyond my beef with ways to torture the English language, in many cases the job title often tells only a fraction of the story. In order to survive in a lousy economy, workers need to make themselves indispensable. In order to make themselves indispensable, they end up doing a little of this, a little of that--stuff they are good at, stuff the company needs, but not necessarily stuff that is in the job description.
Next time you put together a resume and think about job titles--or when you look at postings for jobs you might want to have--think about what value added you can bring to the table. Go beyond the job title.
From the English Department at Niagara University. Clips and comments specifically for English majors. Finding a job; upcoming events; money management... the essentials of a professionally fulfilling life after college!
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Friday, December 21, 2012
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