# Are Titles important to you?



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

I know a company where the employees seem to get "promotions" and a new title about once a year. 

Now, I've got nothing against promotions, especially from a financial point of view, but I've never been big on titles. However, I'm not always certain if a manager is higher or lower than a manager or if it even matters...


I've never had much more than my name on my business card, and I rarely look at the person's title on their card. Generally you know their standing in the company after a few minutes of talking to them. 

So, the question is, are titles, ignoring the financial implications, important to you?


----------



## lightcycle (Mar 24, 2012)

Personally, I don't care about titles.

However there are some jobs, like sales, where having an outward-facing title is important to some customers who want to feel like they are being engaged at the same level from the sales organization. So it's not so much you wanting a title as trying to gain every competitive edge in a sales situation.

Someone with middle-management experience can probably speak better to this, but if you're trying to climb up a corporate ladder, a title can delineate where you are in the hierarchy and whether a move within the organization is a lateral one or a step up.


----------



## fraser (May 15, 2010)

No. I was in a business meeting a few years ago. There were three so called VP's from a large Telco in the room. We were trying to finalize a deal. Between the three of them they could not have authorized the purchase of a box of paperclips. They were embarrassed. The other two parties in the room, including the company that I represented, were ready to sign and commit subject to legal review. The VP's said that they required 'senior VP approval'. 

Some companies use titles to impress their clients. It is not unusual to have a 'public title' such as VP even though the person is not really at that level of responsibility within the firm. At the end of the day the business card does not impress, the person does. By their actions, decisions, and business acumen.

I was never concerned with title-only total compensation package. That is where the rubber hits the road.


----------



## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

A title is really only important when it comes to impacting the effectiveness in your position. For some jobs that is very important, particularly outside the organization with people you might deal with. For some people however, it is very important for their ego even if it doesn't greatly impact the job they do. Some companies exploit this in lieu of compensation.

In my corporate career the overall financial package and the true responsibility/authority with the job was much more important than title. When I owned my business I did not even put a title on my card.


----------



## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

We went from a very flat culture in the firm prior to being acquired. There were project enginers and project managers that would interface with clients. You professional status would be on your business card as well.

Now post merge, there are about 4 levels of manager designations visible externally.

Since it is a private corp, there is an internal management level structure. That is where your stature counts.
There iare a fixeed number of job level points in a management bonus program pool. 
Payments from this pool make up about 15-20% of the more junior mangers compensation, apart frm any stock dividend payments due form thier stock holdings. JLP bonuses for more senior managers get higher percentages. Our base salaries of even most senior managers top out at about 140K, but JLP bonuses if your division and personal goals have met or exceeded targets can me 2-3x your base salary at higher levels. 

As shareholders retire their JLP's go back into the pool for reassignmnet. You need to have a certain level of responsibility to get the minimum level. then a certian number os shares above the minimum for that level to be even copnsidered to get more JLP's, and the recommendation of a few levels up the pecking order.


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Just a Guy said:


> ... So, the question is, are titles, ignoring the financial implications, important to you?


 .. no as they're just letters from the alphabet when


> Generally *you know their standing in the company after a few minutes of talking to them*.


 is more important. :encouragement:

Cheers,


----------



## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

"So, the question is, are titles, ignoring the financial implications, important to you?"

Nope, not at all 

Titles can help however in the ability to influence with and without authority.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

I could actually see this as a multi part question now that it's in the wild...originally I thought about is as your own title as viewed by yourself, but it could also be discussed about how you see other's titles, or how your title is seen by others.


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

My Own Advisor said:


> "So, the question is, are titles, ignoring the financial implications, important to you?"
> 
> Nope, not at all
> 
> *Titles can help however in the ability to influence with and without authority*.


 ... true but when it comes to accountabiltiy, titles mean squat.


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Just a Guy said:


> I could actually see this as a multi part question now that it's in the wild...originally I thought about is as your own title as viewed by yourself, but it could also be discussed about how you see other's titles, or how your title is seen by others.


 ... if it was on even-playing field, titles should be treated as invisible.


----------



## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Titles? Geez, I never got beyond the "Hey, You!" level.


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Of which you should respond "hey you too" (stoopid punk if needed). :biggrin: 

As that saying goes .. treat others as you would want to be treated.


----------



## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

Self employed so officially "President" although I always referred to myself as "Manager" Now I refer to myself as "Retired" early, did take a voluntary pay cut though, lol


----------



## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Titles are important to show off to friends as a vanity item. The real title is signing power.


----------



## sags (May 15, 2010)

Sanitary engineer...........garbage collector.

Logistics analyst............pizza delivery.

Everyone has an important sounding title these days.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

I always liked "Dyslexic Dog ".


----------



## nortel'd (Mar 20, 2012)

Back in 1992, when Bob Rae was the NDP premier of Ontario, rather than get a raise my job title changed from "teaching master" to "professor". I had lots of laughs for the next 22 years asking my colleagues and management, "How do I spell professor, one f or two"?:encouragement:


----------



## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I have a buddy that is a city bus driver,few years back when we were into the bar scene he used to always say to chicks when asked what he did was that he was a transportation engineer,I always used to laugh about that lol!


----------



## Retired Peasant (Apr 22, 2013)

I think that 'credential' titles matter more to me than 'organizational' titles.


----------



## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

More than a few nights my friends and I used to mess around(back in the day)at the bar.
Playing for the farm team of a NHL team lol
Being drafted soon,usually worked!
Can't be alone in this!lol


----------



## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Beaver101 said:


> ... true but when it comes to accountabiltiy, titles mean squat.


You can delegate responsibility but you can't delegate accountability. So, as far as titles go, the closer to the top the more accountable you are. 

I'm not saying everyone 'at the top' is good at it


----------



## sags (May 15, 2010)

donald said:


> More than a few nights my friends and I used to mess around(back in the day)at the bar.
> Playing for the farm team of a NHL team lol
> Being drafted soon,usually worked!
> Can't be alone in this!lol


All we ever had to say is we had a job with "benefits".


----------



## DayTek (Sep 26, 2013)

As far as dealing with companies go as a client, "management" titles are only important to me if I want change done that "customer" employees can not provide. You expect someone with the title of manager to have more knowledge or authority. In the working world, this is sometimes not always the case.

I have worked 8 years as a 'Customer Service Representative'. Over the last year or so, they have tried to unofficially rename that role to 'Service Professional'. Why? I don't know. Doesn't change my job and it doesn't pay me any more. My guess would be it's a ploy by the thinktanks in upper management to make us feel more special. It's sort of a demeaning tactic to me, really. It's like calling a stay-at-home Mom a "Domestic Engineer". Does that make her role more valued or important?

I start as an Administrative Assistant next month, which will earn me a 30% pay raise. From an 'egotistical' standpoint, my title really means nothing to me...If it did, I would not have stayed in Customer Service as long as I did. I enjoyed my role as a CSR. And that's typically the first question I ask when people tell me their titles - Do you like it? Maybe they hate their six-figure, "big-titled" job. It's really not that impressive to me if they do.


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

I don't like titles.
I don't like business attire, either.

Anyone can wear a suit.
Anyone can look professional. A title is just another accessory.

The most successful people in the world rarely have a title until after they are successful, and at that point, the title is their birth name.

Some managers are as competent as a rock, while some employees _should_ be managers.


----------



## alingva (Aug 17, 2013)

Would you go to FSR 3 (CIBC) or Senior Account Manager (RBC)? Most people would choose the last one but they are absolutely the same 'designations'.


----------



## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

The only time it is important is if I need to perform a disciplinary action or make an important decision- because the title puts it out that one has the position from which to execute.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

alingva said:


> Would you go to FSR 3 (CIBC) or Senior Account Manager (RBC)? Most people would choose the last one but they are absolutely the same 'designations'.


I've rarely found anyone who works in a branch to have any power or decision making ability...nowhere has a title been more meaningless than a bank.


----------



## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Banks and other bureaucracies give away titles instead of raises (and authority).

The only titles that mean anything to me are Land Titles.


----------



## NorthKC (Apr 1, 2013)

Titles are helpful in my profession due to the clients and perception that we deal with. In addition, with each new title comes with more responsibilities and provides a clearer role in the company so yes, titles are important me due to the profession that I'm in.


----------



## Sammi (Nov 12, 2013)

God where I work there are a thousand levels.

We have CEO, EVP, SVP, VP, Director, Snr Manager. Manager, then Senior Staff and Assistant Staff and then so on...

Titles mean nothing to me andmy job title does not even match what I do, it's just from the job document my company has. Luckily they will change it to something more reasonable but I could care less if it says Senior os whatever.


----------



## Ebin (Feb 9, 2013)

I have a relatively junior/intermediate job title but am paid as like a Director so the money makes me generally not care (my responsibilities are somewhere between the two spots). However, one day I'll be moving home and looking for a new job and not having the nicer job title will make it more difficult to open doors to the senior level jobs that I'm qualified for (the name of my employer, however, should open doors for me). In that case it matter quite a lot (recruiters who call me are typically offering jobs that pay half what I make with a lot less responsibilities).


----------



## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

^ Well, you're an oddball here (nothing personal). But why would your job title matter to you since the junior/intermediate job title will not work in your favour when looking for a senior level job? Your work responsibilities on your resumé should matter more.


----------



## Ebin (Feb 9, 2013)

Beaver101 said:


> ^ Well, you're an oddball here (nothing personal). But why would your job title matter to you since the junior/intermediate job title will not work in your favour when looking for a senior level job? Your work responsibilities on your resumé should matter more.


The more senior job title acts strictly as a door opener when applying to jobs for me - not having the "Senior" or "Director" attached to my name results in more people passing without looking at the responsibilities (or recognizing the quality of work). I see this already with some recruiters who have my resume or who see my LinkedIn profile - I get calls for jobs with much lower pay and responsibilities. I'm not actively looking for work so I don't have the prettiest resume or LinkedIn page but the basics that are called out are those of someone with a higher job title (some recruiters do recognize my skills appropriately but not a lot). As long as I'm not looking for work I don't care much what title I have as long as my compensation and responsibilities match but when the day comes it'd help me open a few extra doors.


----------



## Jagas (Feb 11, 2013)

Titles are not terribly important to me but they are clearly very important to some. My titles currently include Director, Vice-President, President x 2, plus others. Proof positive that titles are meaningless. And I might have some sort of addiction to collecting corporations.


----------

