What Is a Job Title and Why Is It Important?

A job title refers to your official designation in the company. It indicates your seniority level and roles and responsibilities in the organisation. Understanding the importance and usage of job titles can help you search and secure a suitable job to match your work profile. In this article, we explore the meaning, types and importance of job titles, along with the examples of common job titles used in different industries.

What is a job title?

A job title is the position you hold in an organisation. It denotes the types of tasks you perform in your company. It also indicates your level of seniority within the organisation. For example, if your job title is assistant social media manager, it indicates that you perform the tasks related to social media management and that you assist the social media manager. Job titles are typically a few words in length.

Related: 6 Differences Between A Job Position And A Job Title

Types of job titles

There are basically three types of job titles:

• A job title that indicates the seniority level, such as chief executive officer (CEO), managing director (MD), whole-time director, country head, regional manager, assistant manager, team lead and chief supervisor.

• A job title that describes what you do in the company, such as pilot, chauffeur, driver, automobile engineer, social media executive, customer service executive, housekeeper, programmer, mechanic, cook and waiter.

• A job title that reveals both the seniority level and the tasks performed, such as assistant marketing manager, director (technology), chief financial officer, head cook, lead accountant and production supervisor.

Read more: How to Get the Job You Want

Why is a job title important?

A job title is important because of the following reasons:

It reflects your career advancement

Most of the large companies use job titles that show a clear progression in your career. For example, you may start as a sales executive and move on to become a senior sales officer, sales team lead, assistant sales manager, sales manager and regional sales manager. This career progression can be with the same employer or with different employers over the course of your career. Your present and past job titles show the potential employers how well you are progressing in your career, which in turn reflects your talent and abilities.

Your career progression record also determines your suitability for the new position (job title) you are applying for.

It helps determine your salary-level

Potential employers would offer you a salary based on your job role and seniority level. Since your job title would reflect both these aspects, companies often use the job title to determine a matching pay package. Many companies have a certain salary range tied to specific job titles. Thus, job titles can also give you a broad idea about the pay you can expect for a certain position.

It helps in application screening

Large corporations often use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to shortlist suitable candidates for various open positions. This system uses job titles and relevant terms as keywords to filter candidates meeting the basic eligibility criteria. Thus, job titles play an important role in automating the recruitment process.

It helps in employee growth planning

Companies need to have a suitable employee development plan in place in order to retain employees for a longer period of time. Having a job title-based promotion policy and career path within an organisation can help companies engage employees in a more meaningful manner. For example, if a company has a transparent growth policy from an entry-level position to a senior managerial position, employees would be more motivated to work hard and reach the highest position in the organisation instead of looking for opportunities outside the company.

Tips for using job titles effectively during the job search

Your current job title and the title of the job you are looking for play an important role during the job search process. Here are some actionable tips to use job titles effectively to search and get a position of your choice:

Research various job titles

Prepare a list of job titles related to your field. You can browse through job portals and online job listings to get a better understanding of the type of job titles prevailing in the industry. You can then decide on the types of jobs that would be suitable for your personality, skills and qualifications. This will help you determine if you should be looking for a career change. You can also decide on the positions you should be aspiring for as you move up in your career.

Use job titles to refine your job search

Once you are decided about the type of job you need, choose a few common job titles that are most relevant to that job. You can then use these job titles to browse through current job openings. Indeed lets you search through a wide variety of job listings using job title and location as search parameters. You can also browse through jobs by category and then further refine your search by job title.

Read more: Guide: Using Indeed.com Job Search

Use appropriate job titles on your CV

Be sure to use appropriate job titles on your CV, especially in the career objective, profile summary and experience sections. It will help you pass the ATS filters and increase your chances of getting shortlisted for the interview. The specific job titles on your CV will also give a clear idea to the recruiter regarding your previous employments and the type of job you are currently looking for.

Read more: 10 Resume Writing Tips To Help You Land a Job

Examples of common job titles by functions and industries

Below is a sample list of job titles companies generally use across different functions and industries. It will help you get a basic understanding of what positions are usually available in your interest areas.

1. Sales job titles

Following are the common job titles for sales positions:

• Sales executive

• Sales trainee

• Sales consultant

• Direct sales associate

• Senior sales officer

• Sales coordinator

• Sales director

• Sales manager

• B2B sales specialist

• Head – corporate sales

• Regional sales manager

• Floor sales manager

• Store in-charge

• Retail sales head

• Wholesale sales manager

• Country head – sales

• Director – sales

2. Marketing job titles

Following are the common job titles for marketing positions:

• Field marketing executive

• Direct marketing officer

• Marketing associate

• Marketing analyst

• Marketing consultant

• Social media specialist

• Business development representative

• Product manager

• Marketing manager

• Brand manager

• Digital marketing manager

• Content marketing manager

• Marketing head

• Marketing director

• Assistant brand manager

• B2B marketing strategist

• Senior product manager

• Vice president – marketing

• Advertising director

• Media buyer

• Outreach expert

• Media planner

• Promotions manager

• Publicity manager

3. Finance job titles

Following are the common job titles for finance positions:

• Financial planner

• Financial analyst

• Financial advisor

• Personal finance consultant

• Investment advisor

• Investment planner

• Investment banker

• Portfolio manager

• Funds manager

• Wealth manager

• Accounts officer

• Auditor

• Internal auditor

• Loan officer

• Risk assessment officer

• Cashier

• Treasurer

• Lead business consultant

• Personal banker

4. Human resources job titles

Following are the common job titles for human resources positions:

• Human resources executive

• Human resources officer

• Human resources manager

• Chief human resources officer

• Administrative assistant

• Recruiter

• Trainer

• Talent acquisition manager

• Talent manager

• Human resources specialist

• Director – human resources

• Training and development manager

• Employee relations officer

• Personnel manager

• Employee welfare officer

• Factory inspector

• Labour law compliance officer

5. Information technology job titles

Following are the common job titles for information technology positions:

• Software developer

• Software engineer

• Computer programmer

• Data architect

• UX designer

• IT manager

• UI developer

• Web administrator

• Front-end web developer

• Database administrator

• Technical architect

• Cybersecurity analyst

• SQL developer

• Java developer

• .NET developer

• Mobile application developer

• Business analyst

• Chief information officer

• Web architect

• Android application developer

• IT support executive

• Technical support executive

• HTML developer

• IT executive

• Junior PHP developer

• SAP consultant

• Senior developer

• System administrator

• Software tester

6. Customer service job titles

Following are the common job titles for customer service positions:

• Call centre agent

• Phone banking officer

• Email support executive

• Chat support executive

• Online support executive

• Retail associate

• Customer support – social media platforms

• Client service representative

• Technical support representative

• Virtual assistant

• Customer care executive

• Customer service manager

• Help desk executive

• Customer relationship officer

• Customer relationship manager

• HNI relationship manager

7. Leadership job titles

Following are the common job titles for leadership positions:

• Team leader

• Supervisor

• Assistant manager

• Manager

• Senior manager

• Branch manager

• Area manager

• Country head

• Chief operating officer (COO)

• Director

• Executive director

• Non-executive director

• Whole-time director

• Managing director (MD)

• Chairman

• Chairman and managing director (CMD)

8. Engineering job titles

Following are the common job titles for engineering positions:

• Civil engineer

• Drilling engineer

• Welding engineer

• Mechanical engineer

• Automobile engineer

• HVAC engineer

• Chemical engineer

• Metallurgical engineer

• Telecommunications engineer

• Electrical engineer

• Electronic engineer

• Instrumentation engineer

• Biomedical engineer

• Quality control engineer

• Product engineer

• Petroleum engineer

• Process control engineer

• Plant engineer

9. Science job titles

Following are the common job titles for science positions:

• Lab technician

• Laboratory assistant

• Field technician

• Biochemist

• Scientist

• Senior scientist

• Research associate

• Senior research associate

• Clinical research associate

• Clinical research director

• Environmental scientist

• Oil exploration expert

• Forensic chemist

• Forensic scientist

• Molecular biologist

• Fingerprint analyst

• Clinical genome analyst

• Geoscientist

• Groundwater Technician

• Hospital research assistant

• Hydrologist

• Research fellow in immunology