What do you do for a living?
It’s a simple question most of us will hear many times throughout our adult lives. But, throw in a fancy job title, and you could find yourself with some explaining to do.
We all know what a Teacher does, for example. But how many of us could admit to understanding the duties of a Transaction Banking Systems Migration Specialist? If you can, you’re probably in the minority.
What is ‘Uptitling’?
The practice of ‘uptitling’, in other words, conferring grandiose or slightly convoluted titles on employees with otherwise comparatively simple jobs, has become commonplace within organisations around the UK. And as a result, the obligatory small talk about the jobs we do has become a whole lot more complex.
And it doesn’t seem to matter what industry you’re positioned in. Roles as varied as Receptionists (Directors of First Impressions), Recruitment Consultants (Chief Talent Acquisition Officers/CTAOs) and Window Cleaners (Vision Clearance Engineers) are becoming elongated, embellished and acronym-ed wherever possible.
And let’s not even get started on what a Technical Evangelist does.
What’s with all the Ninjas?
So why the rush of inflated job titles? Well in some respects, it reflects the tough economic times in which we all live. When an employer wants to motivate and retain a valued member of staff, but doesn’t have the financial means to do so, a change of job title can have a similar effect.
And whilst the cynical view might be that this is just a way for managers to increase their employees’ workloads without paying the appropriate reward, uptitling can not only be used as a recognition of status, but it can also work wonders for an individual’s career progression. A Junior Editor or Deputy Editor, for example, may not get paid any more for their input, but may be much more attractive to employers looking to fill a full-time Editor position.
Just call me ‘Chief Know-it-all’…
At the opposite end of the scale, another strain of uptitling seems to be emerging. Particularly prevalent in tech companies or with high profile positions, with those in question essentially attempting to make their roles more relatable.
The Managing Director is dubbing her or himself as ‘Chief Thinker’, ‘Chief Imagineer’ or ‘Chief Know-it-all’ (in the case of the late Steve Jobs), and every emerging media company worth their salt has a raft of Gurus, Ninjas and Jedis ready and waiting to wage war on your social media enemies.
So, are we nurturing a generation of children who aspire to become Mission Control Analysts and Chiefs of Listening in the Community rather than Firemen or Teachers?
Perhaps only a Head of Futuring and Innovation could tell us.
Know anyone with a weird job title? Let us know your favourites below…
