Social Media Ninja. Email Marketing Guru. Director of First Impressions.
If you’re involved in the job search right now, chances are you’ve come across at least a couple of these unusual job listings. With recruiters and employers pulling out all the stops to attract top talent, many companies are utilizing unconventional titles in order to tout company culture and attract the “perfect candidate” — from Subway’s Sandwich Artists™ (yes, it’s a registered trademark) to referring to the director of HR as the Chief People Officer.
While these sassy titles hint at a relaxed and fun work environment, it’s important to note that not all companies will find success in this approach.
Job titles are the first thing a job seekers sees; they can either grab a candidate’s attention and push them to apply, or confuse them and prevent them from applying to a job they may be a great fit for. Not only can creative titles be polarizing for a job seeker, but listing one on a resume might even harm their prospects of securing a job in the future.
For example, while the Jolly Good Fellow at Google is well-known (Google employees are allowed to create their own titles), someone else with a title this abstract and offbeat may have a hard time securing a new position in their field.
If you’re deciding –- either as an employer or employee -– whether to stick to or stray from traditional job titles, here are a few pros and cons to consider.
