Title Soup and Your Resume

I have gone through a roller coaster of titles—Director to VP to Manager to Sr. Director—and have decided that, for me, titles are not paramount. My satisfaction with the job itself is. However, an employer looking at my resume might wonder why I was a VP and later a Manager.

The truth is that titles mean different things in different organizations. A VP position in a small association may not be the same in a large corporation. A Director in some organizations is tantamount to a Manager in others. It’s all in the details.

It is important to show prospective employers the progression of responsibility in your career, whether through titles or descriptions. Also, your accomplishments demonstrate your impact on outcomes, which also speak to your level of influence. Your management of programs and people are testimony to your level of responsibility.

Maybe your title was Specialist or Analyst or Coordinator, but your responsibilities were beyond the usual scope for these titles. Be sure to make this clear on your resume. One technique I have seen suggested is to insert a descriptive phrase above the job title (or in parentheses) on your resume, if the title you had doesn't truly fit the job. Also, be sure to accurately explain what you did in that job, including accomplishments attributable to your own efforts.