Part 2 of a 2 part series on job title inflation. Read part 1 by clicking here.
Job title inflation isn't just limited to the lofty executive and management titles. Another breed of job title inflation is also prevalent at the workplace -- job title fluffing. What does Web Developer IV mean? Does a Sr. Business Analyst do more than a Business Analyst or are they just older? How can someone possibly be a Customer Support Engineer? What the heck is a Barista? These questions encompass only a fraction of the overall confusion regarding job titles. Like executive job title inflation, job title fluffing is also used to please the masses.
There's a guy who knows how to celebrate job
title fluffing.
Courtesy of Nick Whittome -
http://msmvps.com/blogs/thenakedmvp/Default.aspx
What is job title fluffing?
Job title fluffing is the practice of taking a very normal occupation and 'fluffing' the job title to sound like something important.
Who fluffs job titles?
No one is certain, but the easiest target is Human Resources. They are already despised, so the blame might as well be directed at them.
Why do they fluff job titles?
Because people love to feel like they're part of something important. Posting a job opening with an impressive title draws people in. The title Functional Hunter may give more meaning to your job, but your organization forces you to use Business Analyst. It's fancy and makes many Business Analysts feel special. Drawing more demand for a job and making people feel special all lead to two things: smaller salaries, and smaller increases in pay. Inflate the ego, deflate the wallet. Job titles are like iced tea. It looks good, because of it's visual similarity with soda. It's appeal draws you in. But upon your first sip, you realize it tastes like crap and you really just wanted a Coca-Cola Classic.
What are the side effects from fluffing job titles?
There are two side effects from job title fluffing:
1. Job title ambiguity.
Job title ambiguity causes massive confusion while job searching. Read more about job ad jargon here. On the plus side, friends and family will have no idea what you do, so you never need to talk about work. Examples of job titles in this category are:
a. Job titles that include roman numerals. The only thing "IV" means to me is that Rocky defeats Ivan Drago and he proves that if two boxers can get past the divide caused by the Cold War, then we all can.
b. Job titles that include a Jr. or Sr. prefix. Will I be working with my father?
c. Job titles that include engineer. Chemical engineers are real engineers. A Solution Engineer? No one has a clue.
2. Job title embarrassment.
There are some job titles where the organization intended to fluff the job title. But it backfired. Examples of embarrassing job titles are:
a. Sandwich Artist. If you work at Subway, it's highly unlikely you'd ever describe yourself as a Sandwich Artist unless it's done as a joke.
b. Cast Member. If you're a clerk at the Disney Store, you aren't just a clerk. You are part of the Magic Kingdom.
c. Coach. Managers at Foot Locker are awarded the coach label. This doesn't make any sense since their employees are referees. If they were going to stick with embarrassing job titles they should have gone with Head Linesman, or Umpire.
d. Examiner. If you're a writer on Examiner.com you are above and beyond the skill set of a writer. Or in my case, several notches below. So perhaps Examiner makes sense.
e. Barista. I don't care if it means something in another language. If you work at Starbucks, you are a coffee guy or coffee girl. Clerk is fine too.
When will job fluffing end?
Never. That is why we need to celebrate it. Do you have additional examples of job fluffing titles? Feel free to add them in the comments section below.
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Related Articles: Job title inflation part 1, Is Donald Trump an unemployment engineer?, 7 habits of a typical bad manager, Job ad jargon
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Comments
Dudley, when do you become a Senior Life in the Cubicle Examiner?
As soon as I get sponsorship from Wilford Brimley.
How about...Life Coach. What in the heck does that mean?
And, GURU. The name/title sounds gross.
I once met a Conical Distribution Manager - He stood on the back of a highways maintenance truck throwing traffic cones onto the highway...
At my place, we are all "consultants." Yeah, there's no fluffing, but it seems somehow worse than Senior Quality Engineer III.
Dear, Barista means someone that works in the bar...
You know banks give out vp titles like candy. Really meaniless. Title is an HR thing and sometime is nothing more than stroking. The most important item is your role and how much impact to change you have or influence for change. IMHO
Here's some I made up:
* Senior Wildlife Refuse Engineer (Road Kill Collector)
* Spherical Distribution Engineer (Ball boy)
* Culinary Equipment Sanitation Director (Dish Washer)
* Livestock Fertilization Specialist (Cow Inseminator)
* VP of Perspiration Management (NBA sweat mopper)
* Fecal Disposal Unit Quality Assurance Manager (Janitor)
Ok that last one was a stretch, but hey, I just killed enough time to logoff for the day.
Imagineer- another Disney term for an idea person, usually fired after their work drives the stock price down.
Material Handler = guy with the cart/dolly that moves boxes for a living
Sales Associate = clerk, holiday temp, pee-on
In fact any title with "associate". Hello, employee, serf, vassal, etc.
The best one I ever came across belonged to a guy at IBM RTP. His business card simply stated "Computer Whiz".
I have worked in the education departments at several museums and have heard and/or held several ambiguous or ridiculous titles including...
Science Interpreter II (translation: make sure kids don't squash butterflies in the butterfly house or feed hermit crabs to the sea anemones at the tidepool... and train "Science Interpreter I"s to do the same.)
Interpretive Operations Lead (translation: assistant floor manager)
Exhibit Helper (translation: load and unload trucks when new exhibits come and move stuff out of the way when the museum throws a party)
A.C.E. Leader (translation: camp counselor)
A.C.E. Support Lead (translation: camp administrator)
I am dealing with the planning departments (zoning in the US?) of local authorities in the UK and have noticed a common thread on busines cards.
If there is no job title, ie their card merely gives their name and the division they work in, (Such as "Planning department","Traffic Control" etc), then they actually do stuff and are useful enough to actually be worth talking to.
However, if there is a job title next to their name, such as Urban Design Co-ordinator or Director of Regeneration, then they have been promoted away from the obligation to do any useful work and should therefore be ignored by anybody wanting to get anything done.
The perfect storm in this inverse job-title/workload equation is the local Council Chairman, who hasn't been seen at all for 6 months, and is officially overseas on a "regional initiatives awareness" campaign.
Brilliant.
At my old job, managers would always add the word "Technician" to everything. It's another one of those ploys to become politically correct.
You can't call them janitors, they're "Custodial Technicians." The people that sort mail were called "Mail Room Technicians." Just like someone was scared to call me short (I'm 5' tall), so they called me "Vertically Challenged."
It's all rather ridiculous these days.
2 great examples in here - 1 sounds a little like Brangelina doesn't it?
Date: 6/15/09
Who: Pyramid Breweries
Position: Brandvangelist - Web Marketing Coordinator
Where: Seattle
What: Independent Brewers United, home of the award-winning Pyramid beers, is seeking a hard working, bright, enthusiastic, optimistic, flexible, well-rounded Web Marketing Coordinator. Or, as we like to call it, a Brandvangelist! This is a new position on our Marketing Team reporting to Director of Brand Magnetism and works closely with the IBU staff on current and future Pyramid internet endeavors.
Responsibilities: This position will lead the development and implementation of an internet marketing strategy that will be a core element of the company’s overall brand marketing plans.....blah blah blah
Dudley, does that mean you are the "CEO" of Life in the Cubicle Examiner?
Personally I'm a big fan of the job title fluffing. Like the small company with just a couple employees and the owner calls themself the "CEO" or the "President". Really?
Or the famed online internet business with the contact page that has sales@whatever.com, info@whatever.com, support@whatever.com, marketing@whatever.com and the business is a 1 person show with the emails all going to the 1 person show.
Been there. In fact, HR had to involve us in the job title fluffing charade by asking us for our input. We were just regular old 'data entry clerks', but HR wanted to jazz it up. Well, the department we worked in was alternatively called Advancement Records/Advancement Services. So we had a lot of fun coming up with acronyms that spelled out ARSE and ASS. HR was not amused.
And, once upon a time, at another job, there was actually a hot debate over being called Executive Secretary or Executive Assistant, the latter being preferred. Pffft.
I know the computer technicians with Best Buy Geek Squad go by various titles involving "Agent," including special agents, double agents and covert agents. They even have "mission controllers." Goofy.
yes, i'm a receptionist lol
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