What would you choose as your new job title if you were in my shoes?

[Chris Ashdown]

As the OP talked about a VP I wonder if he is talking about the US not UK

 

[AlanJ1]

As the OP talked about a VP I wonder if he is talking about the US not UK

Regardless his question is still valid.

You also get VPs in the UK (albeit not as many as the US).

 

[Dannydee]

No. Your experience and skills and how you present yourself in your CV and interview will get you the job. Not because you call yourself Head of Whatever.

It's customary to label the position you hold before listing off skills. Most people assessing CVs don't have time to go back and re-read and try to figure out if you're an intern or middle-management.

To expect them to do so would be disrespectful of their time and won't work in your favour.

@Dannydee - can I ask how old you are?

I'm turning 40 in a few months. It's only in the last few years I've got myself into a career from which I can finally start to move up at a reasonably rapid pace; and I intend to take full advantage of that.

There's clearly no relevance between those two roles?

Ok so if I work on a production line building chairs for 1 year, then apply to be the CEO of another furniture manufacturer.

Tell a few fibs on my CV, it'll work out fine, right?

The job market is like a giant iceberg you just see the tip and be chasing for those, the real cream lies below the service and comes from word of mouth and personal introductions they don't care about your title

Entitled to your opinion.

 

[Dannydee]

As the OP talked about a VP I wonder if he is talking about the US not UK

Yeah, I work for a US company.

I'm in Ireland tho.

 

[fisicx]

It's customary to label the position you hold before listing off skills. Most people assessing CVs don't have time to go back and re-read and try to figure out if you're an intern or middle-management.

It’s customary to describe the position you held rather than the internal title.

Eg: Head of Marketing is your job. The job title in the company could be “Senior Business Promotion and Development Manager”

 

[WaveJumper]

US company mmmm......... keep those feelers out there and your networking current is my advice

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Lets end this with PUBLICITY MANAGER and call it a day

 

[fisicx]

@Dannydee - your were a topic of discussion last night in the pub. Not you personally of course but we were talking about employment and job titles.

One of the group owned a company with 250+ employees. He used to scan CVs looking for keywords. If he needed someone in marketing, operations, engineering or whatever he was looking for those words. The actual title was irrelevant. Is it was a senior post then he would be looking for management expertise. Didn't matter if you use the word Head, Senior, Manager, Lead etc. I mentioned VP and they all laughed. Which then led onto talking about generic CVs. Good applicants would rewrite their CV to match the job description.

Which brings us back to your question @Dannydee. You can call yourself anything you want. The job title doesn't matter. You then reword that title on your CV so it aligns with the post for which you are applying.

 

[WaveJumper]

And on a less serious note:

I’ve made a management decision here I told the family over dinner last night I now wish to be referred to as Head of Financial Planning, Fund and Trading Strategy

Wife said I don’t care what you call yourself you are still going to do what I tell you, now pay the bloody waiter so I can get home and watch Strictly ……..yes dear

 

[Dannydee]

It’s customary to describe the position you held rather than the internal title.

Eg: Head of Marketing is your job. The job title in the company could be “Senior Business Promotion and Development Manager”

Fair enough. You know what? The only job title I want is:

"Assistant to the regional manager"

IYKYK

 

[Dannydee]

I mentioned VP and they all laughed.

Sounds a bit snobby. Why was that funny?

Which brings us back to your question @Dannydee. You can call yourself anything you want. The job title doesn't matter. You then reword that title on your CV so it aligns with the post for which you are applying.

I find it amusing how some people think your job title is not important in any way.

If someone asks you what job is or what position you hold, do you just list off a bunch of keywords the way you would on your CV?

 

[Dannydee]

US company mmmm......... keep those feelers out there and your networking current is my advice

Why?

They've treated me better than most local/national/domestic companies I've worked for.

Eventually I will one day move on, but I'm confident it will be of my own volition and on my own time.

 

[Dannydee]

....

 

[fisicx]

I find it amusing how some people think your job title is not important in any way.

If someone asks you what job is or what position you hold, do you just list off a bunch of keywords the way you would on your CV?

No. I just describe my job the way you did in your opening post.

They laughed about VP because it’s a US thing. They like to call anything the VP of whatever.

 

[fisicx]

Fair enough. You know what? The only job title I want is:

"Assistant to the regional manager"

If that works for you, use it. But I’d never put it on a CV. Makes you sound like a secretary.

 

[Dannydee]

No. I just describe my job the way you did in your opening post.

Just seems unusual to describe your job when you could clearly indicate your role in one pop.

They laughed about VP because it’s a US thing. They like to call anything the VP of whatever.

Ah, so there is some element of snobbery. Is VP not a valid position? Are we allowed to have CTO's or COO's these days or do we just put "I'm in charge of the technology stuff" on our profile?

I was interviewing for a job a couple of years ago for a UK company that had been on Dragons Den. One of the guys who interviewed me was the VP.

It just comes across as very lazy, blasé, and uninspired to "not care" about the position you hold.

 

[Dannydee]

If that works for you, use it. But I’d never put it on a CV. Makes you sound like a secretary.

Ah, you didn't get the joke.

IYKYK (meaning if you watched the office, you'd have got it).

 

[fisicx]

Just seems unusual to describe your job when you could clearly indicate your role in one pop.

Except you don’t have a role that can be clearly defined.

I was a Senior Technical Author at one company. But I also did quality audits and looked after the company database and did H&S training. It’s often the case that you can’t give someone a simple job title.

If I’d been applying for an auditors role putting technical author on my CV would be pointless. Which is why you tailor your CV for each application.

 

[fisicx]

Ah, you didn't get the joke.

IYKYK (meaning if you watched the office, you'd have got it).

I watched the UK series. A much better parody.

 

[Dannydee]

Except you don’t have a role that can be clearly defined.

I was a Senior Technical Author at one company. But I also did quality audits and looked after the company database and did H&S training. It’s often the case that you can’t give someone a simple job title.

If I’d been applying for an auditors role putting technical author on my CV would be pointless. Which is why you tailor your CV for each application.

I can see how the tailoring thing comes into play. Perhaps I may consider it in the future if it seems appropriate.

When it's narrowed down, my role is along the lines of "digital content manager", "digital operations manager" or "digital asset manager" so it'll probably be one of those.

 

[Dannydee]

I watched the UK series. A much better parody.

If you only watched the UK version then you can't have an opinion on whether it's better than the US version. I mean, you can have an opinion, but it is totally void and can't be taken seriously. The only way one can have a valid opinion on, and essentially compare and contrast the two shows, is if you watch both in full.

Aside from that, my view is that there is no comparison. The US version absolutely smashes the UK version. The UK version was funny, and I enjoyed it, but it is a measly 13 episodes (two 6-part series and a Christmas special) and the US version is over 200 episodes. Based on quantity alone, the UK version simply can't compete with the US version. Overall the content, writing, and comedy are of much higher standard than the UK version. Again, part of this is due to quantity. With 200+ episodes, the opportunity to become greater than the UK version was inevitable.

 

[NickGrogan]

Aside from that, my view is that there is no comparison. The US version absolutely smashes the UK version. The UK version was funny, and I enjoyed it, but it is a measly 13 episodes (two 6-part series and a Christmas special) and the US version is over 200 episodes. Based on quantity alone, the UK version simply can't compete with the US version. Overall the content, writing, and comedy are of much higher standard than the UK version. Again, part of this is due to quantity. With 200+ episodes, the opportunity to become greater than the UK version was inevitable.

Its better coz there is more of it? Is that really your argument?

Presumably this means that Coronation Street is the program on TV ever as its run to over 11,000 episodes?

 

[Dannydee]

Its better coz there is more of it? Is that really your argument?

Presumably this means that Coronation Street is the program on TV ever as its run to over 11,000 episodes?

The point in this case is the 200 episodes allowed the show to evolve to a higher standard than the UK one. For the first season, the US version followed a similar dialogue and even the jokes and stuff as the UK one (jello-covered stapler, etc) but then it took off on its own trajectory from season 2 onward.

I hate soaps. Coincidentally, it's funny you mention coronation street because for over a decade I've held the view that the coronation street theme tune is the most depressing sound in existence.

It really is a horrible noise.

 

[NickGrogan]

the coronation street theme tune is the most depressing sound in existence.

Its been played more than 11,000 times over 60 years, following the logic of shows evolving it should be the sweetest sound known to man by now.

 

[Dannydee]

Its been played more than 11,000 times over 60 years, following the logic of shows evolving it should be the sweetest sound known to man by now.

Well, it's not to me, and that's all that matters.

Also, it's not only the quantity of shows from the US office. It's the quantity + content.

If you watched it, you'd see for yourself.

 

[fisicx]

If you watched it, you'd see for yourself.

The few episodes I have watched didn’t endear me to the series. So I stopped.

 

[Dannydee]

The few episodes I have watched didn’t endear me to the series. So I stopped.

By giving up without giving it a chance (more than a few episodes) you have really missed out

 

[fisicx]

By giving up without giving it a chance (more than a few episodes) you have really missed out

There are hundreds of programmes I’ve missed out on over the years. It’s not something I’m going to get stressed over.

 

[NickGrogan]

Things that make you go hmmm.

By giving up without giving it a chance (more than a few episodes) you have really missed out

Well, it's not to me, and that's all that matters.

 

[paulears]

Job titles also require some knowledge to understand them outside of normal usage. I work in theatrical production. Very often on paperwork I use the contractual title - Production Manager. This is totally different to a factory production manager as I discovered when insuring my van one year. On renewal they asked a question about mileage driven. I said the theatres could be close or a very long way away. She stopped me and said 'theatres'? I am now a theatrical production manager and my premiums went up.

As an aside for the non-luvvy folk amongst us - we have very odd titles. We have Assistant Stage Managers - (ASMs) - these people are the assistant to nobody at all - they have a very specific role and how they do it and what they do is determined by necessity. I am their line manager, but I have no clue what they do. In fact, they all list their show duties, so if they are Ill, I take the piece of paper and try to cover - usually badly. Go stage left collect sword from Hook, quickly replace it stage right for collection in 30 seconds. On the way, pick up rope and set upstage on pirate ship on step number 2.

I also have a Deputy Stage Manager who reports to me. I am NOT Stage Manager, we don't have one. I am company manager - in charge of cast and crew and all things admin. The Deputy Stage Manager is in charge of running the show. He or she decides when things happen, and coordinates everyone. He can talk to everyone, type on a keyboard to those who do not wear headphones and flash red or green lights for things to happen. Nobody does anything without him saying Go/green light or a had wave as appropriate. Even if you have done the same thing 70 times, each event is always cues, unless he specifically delegates a cue - and if this is done, it is done EVERY show - as in"stand by fly cue 23 - take as visual". So he is the key member, and has 'deputy' in his job title. ASMs do not automatically progress to DSM - totally different role and responsibilities. To confuse even further, we can have a technical ASM, who does very different roles to an ASM, and we can have an ASM (Book Cover) who does deputise for the DSM - who's show running script usually in a ring binder, is called 'the book'. If you apply for a job, these roles are understood. To confuse further, Amateur productions normally have a 'Stage Manager' who calls the show, and stage crew (not stage hands anymore). Even worse, corporate events now have a show caller, not a DSM, although the job is very similar. Clear as mud? We also abbreviate everything so SL (Stage Left) can also be called PS (Prompt side) - the opther side being SR or OP (opposite prompt), but in a few theatres where the DSM cannot be situated on stage left for perhaps structural obstacle reasons, SR becomes the DSM location. Older theatricals might then call this BS (b*stard side) and the other side becomes OB (opposite B*stard) - in theatrical terms b*stard is the word used to signify somthing odd/unusual/not normal/difficult and is NOT a swear word.

Try to fit that into a CV that ordinary people would understand. This is why job titles are clearly rather stupid. I now note that the old term 'supervisor' for the person on a few pounds more an hour, has morphed into 'team leader'.