Why Your Job Title Could be Hurting You

A job title means a number of things to different people in the business world. The title of manager may imply someone in the middle of the pack, whereas a vice president is often above a manger, and presidents are upper-level executives. Titles may not seem like a big deal initially, but after a new position sets in, some misgivings about what a title truly means can arise.

Forbes contributor Liz Ryan answers a reader's question regarding his employment in a new position. The man's job title started as "manager of business development." When he began his position at a $50 million company, he did not supervise a team and did not want to be greedy by asking for a vice president's title.

Upon talking to his boss about regretting the manager's moniker, the man was told a job title was a big deal at the company. To become a vice president, he would have to get approval from the CEO and prove his worth. He felt as if he had a job at an "artificially depressed" level, and compensation was not the issue. At 33, he was older than the other managers who were 25. Yet, all of the other vice presidents and c-suite types had been with the company longer. The employee felt as if he could supervise all of the other managers at the firm.

Ryan suggests showing what it takes to earn a better title. The new employee should focus less on the job title and more on the job itself. A title is a mere perception and an attitude in a person's mind. If you want to rise up to the next level, earn the title. Plus, the development manager does not need a title to be a mentor to the younger managers.

The only person hurt by a perceived title is the employee himself. For the CEO and the employee's boss, the moniker of manager fits. As business development proceeds and the company makes money, the CEO will not care how the head of development is known within the ranks.

However, a job title can affect a business person's output. Customers, co-workers and colleagues may react differently to a vice president than to a manager. People at other firms may not respond to someone perceived as lower-level or mid-level management, even if a manager really is a vice president. A continuous lack of response can hurt sales, lower profits and fail to close deals. One of the only ways to overcome misconceptions by other people is to work smarter and harder.

A job title does not determine what an employee can do. Someone who feels as if he is vice-president material at manager-level status should prove it, continually, until the new title and higher salary come into play. A bad title may not be ideal, but it is not usually detrimental.

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