A job title is an easy description that refers to the liabilities of a job and the level of the position. An accurate job title is significant because it explains what you do and shows how you’re progressing up the career ladder in your field. Read on to learn how to mention your current and previous job titles on your job resumes and how to use job titles in your search.
Using the accurate job title on your resume and during job interviews is essential. You cannot just make up any term you need for your job description because it may not be accurate or mean anything to an interviewer. In addition, job titles can be useful tools you can use to search for jobs in your industry.
Mentioning Job Titles on Job Resumes
When you apply for a mid-career or upper-level job, interviewers review your resume to determine your career path and how that track fits with their needs. They want to see upward mobility.
For instance, when a candidate has progressed from a software engineer to a senior developer to a chief technology officer, most likely with other jobs in between those, the hiring manager sees that the candidate has been promoted, changed jobs, or otherwise advanced during her career.
Your current job title not just depicts the jobs you have held, it also provides companies with information on your career level. For example, if your job title includes the words “supervisor” or “manager,” it will indicate that you have management experience.
When you develop your job resumes, you’ll need to list your current and previous jobs, the companies you worked for, and the dates you worked there. The job title is the first thing you see for each entry.
Can You Alter a Job Title on Your Job Resumes?
When you develop your resume, you might wonder if it’s acceptable to change the job title of a position that you held, or maybe you’re thinking about expanding the amount of time you held the job.
Technically you can alter your job title, but it’s not a great idea. A resume is a synopsis of your employment and educational experience. It’s not a formal document on which you must attest that everything you have written is accurate, like a job application, but using alternative job titles could result in problems at some point.
The problem with changing your job title is that it will not match your employment history. When prospective employers check your background or review your LinkedIn profile (and many do), it will be a red flag when titles or times at work don’t match what you have on your resume.
For instance, if your resume says you worked as a process engineer, but your actual job title was junior process engineer, what you said is not going to match what your employer says, and that’s an issue. Details matter, and what you say about your work history needs to match what your previous employers say.
How To Use Job Titles in a Job Search
Relying upon where you are in your career, you might know exactly which job titles you qualify for so it’ll be easy enough to use job search engines such as Indeed.com. Use your current or desired job title as a keyword (a word from a job title or a related term), in the search bar and find a job that interests you.
For instance, if you do a search using the term “editorial manager” you’ll get a list of editorial positions. If you click on Title and More to see a list of the following related jobs:
- Marketing Manager
- Social Media Manager
- Communications Manager
- Content Manager
- Project Manager
- Public Relations Manager
- Marketing Communications Manager
- Web Content Manager
- Social Media Coordinator
Job titles can also be useful if you’re a career changer or not sure of all the positions that suit you.