Director at age 35 - Really? Me?
Discussion
I was classed as VP when at an american bank 2009-2011... the title meant bugger all, above me was my boss at Director role, he controlled 20 people, myself 2.
VP/Director means not a lot unless you are running the company self appointed or in a normal company and there is only 2/3 of you.
VP/Director means not a lot unless you are running the company self appointed or in a normal company and there is only 2/3 of you.
BoRED S2upid said:
Start a business you a mate and one employee one of you gets to be CEO!
Ha ha, just like that guy who runs the car customising place on TV, doesn't he describe himself as "CEO" of West Coast Customs or something? No, chap, what you actually do is run an upmarket bodyshop! You're the foreman!CAPP0 said:
What does the title "Director" mean and entail in this case?
In my previous organisation, a huge global corp, titles were assigned purely according to the HR grading of the role. Thus, there were thousands (literally) of middle/lower senior managers whose titles were "Director of.....", and anyone with any real degree of seniority, notwithstanding they were still a long way below the main board, was a VP. There were hundreds, again maybe thousands, of VPs. Someone heading a reasonably-sized department, perhaps 70-80 people, was a senior VP, with VPs & Directors as their direct reports. Yours truly, with a team which varied over the years between 3 and 15 staff, was in fact a Director. I'll leave my PH card at the door...and I won't make that mistake again.
Equally, I have worked in organisations where there were perhaps less than 10 Directors overall, and each one owned a large department, with a real seat on the board.
The other thing to consider is, if & when you move on, and your CV contains the D word, you may (depending on what your role entails then and what you want to move to) find it difficult to get interviews unless you massage your CV, because people will see, for example, IT Director and think you want to head up the entire function rather than "just" a team within that function. I know this from bitter experience.
This. Without wishing to rain on the parade, unless you're on the board you're not a director. Despite the proliferation of "director" titles in some organisations others assume you're more senior than you are. In my previous organisation, a huge global corp, titles were assigned purely according to the HR grading of the role. Thus, there were thousands (literally) of middle/lower senior managers whose titles were "Director of.....", and anyone with any real degree of seniority, notwithstanding they were still a long way below the main board, was a VP. There were hundreds, again maybe thousands, of VPs. Someone heading a reasonably-sized department, perhaps 70-80 people, was a senior VP, with VPs & Directors as their direct reports. Yours truly, with a team which varied over the years between 3 and 15 staff, was in fact a Director. I'll leave my PH card at the door...and I won't make that mistake again.
Equally, I have worked in organisations where there were perhaps less than 10 Directors overall, and each one owned a large department, with a real seat on the board.
The other thing to consider is, if & when you move on, and your CV contains the D word, you may (depending on what your role entails then and what you want to move to) find it difficult to get interviews unless you massage your CV, because people will see, for example, IT Director and think you want to head up the entire function rather than "just" a team within that function. I know this from bitter experience.
"So you're on the board?" Er no.
My current job title is "Head of....." which is fine because, guess what, I'm head of that team.
The Beaver King said:
What is your current role and industry?
I'm lined up for a Director role within the next 18 months and I feel perfectly up to it. In fact, having spent the last 4 years as a senior manager, I don't think it will be any worse in terms of work/life balance than what I already do. Currently working 7-5 anyway, with a couple of late nights as and when.
To be honest, I think management is something you get or you don't. Rather than focusing on a single task, you spend most of your time juggling 4/5/6 issues and delegating out the best course of action. Responsibility is par the course, but as long as you are confident that you know your stuff, you will grow into the role.
I'd definitely take it in your situation. 35 is a good age (not too young, not too old). At 28, my concern is getting my promotion quite young and not being taken seriously (I work in construction, where everybody has 30+ experience).
Go for it and good luck!
Hi, I am currently in Banking / Financial services and I am a 'Head of' within FinanceI'm lined up for a Director role within the next 18 months and I feel perfectly up to it. In fact, having spent the last 4 years as a senior manager, I don't think it will be any worse in terms of work/life balance than what I already do. Currently working 7-5 anyway, with a couple of late nights as and when.
To be honest, I think management is something you get or you don't. Rather than focusing on a single task, you spend most of your time juggling 4/5/6 issues and delegating out the best course of action. Responsibility is par the course, but as long as you are confident that you know your stuff, you will grow into the role.
I'd definitely take it in your situation. 35 is a good age (not too young, not too old). At 28, my concern is getting my promotion quite young and not being taken seriously (I work in construction, where everybody has 30+ experience).
Go for it and good luck!
I really fear for the youth of today, I really do. Do you want the right way to wipe your bottom after a No. 2?
Granted, I am 'getting on a bit' in youth parlance (56), but can anyone on here remember a day when people just took chances?
Whatever will the future hold if we all have to consult a random selection of the population before we decide?
Sometimes, OP, you just have to go for it and if it doesn't work, then start again!
Before anyone asks, yes I have, twice, and I would do do again if it seemed a good idea!
OK, on with your lives, (if it's alright with the rest of you?)
Granted, I am 'getting on a bit' in youth parlance (56), but can anyone on here remember a day when people just took chances?
Whatever will the future hold if we all have to consult a random selection of the population before we decide?
Sometimes, OP, you just have to go for it and if it doesn't work, then start again!
Before anyone asks, yes I have, twice, and I would do do again if it seemed a good idea!
OK, on with your lives, (if it's alright with the rest of you?)
swerni said:
Titles are ridiculous these days.
Traditionally you had an MD, SD, FD maybe one or two others. these were the people who owned the company.
I deal with a large global organisation where the number of people with a Director title is ridiculous.
Having a director title is meaningless in todays business, just replace the word " director" with the word "manager"
Agreed. I recently worked with an organisation that had 7 Directors in the IT Department. It wasn't a particularly big organisation. Traditionally you had an MD, SD, FD maybe one or two others. these were the people who owned the company.
I deal with a large global organisation where the number of people with a Director title is ridiculous.
Having a director title is meaningless in todays business, just replace the word " director" with the word "manager"
HannsG said:
I have just been offered an external junior director position outside of my current industry for a huge consultancy.
I am 35, and unsure on accepting.
Reasons being do I want the responsibility? Family life balance?
Did I mention the responsibility? Living with the knowledge I will probably be hated on the floor. Probably won't be able to have proper banter as I currently do as people would think I'm unapproachable.
For me it was a purely spurious opportunity to gain experience for interviewing for the next step up the food chain. I prepped and approached the process with a lot of due diligence.
Little did I know I would be offered the role.
OP - why do you think you'll be hated on the floor? Or that you won't have banter? Directors are just senior managers.I am 35, and unsure on accepting.
Reasons being do I want the responsibility? Family life balance?
Did I mention the responsibility? Living with the knowledge I will probably be hated on the floor. Probably won't be able to have proper banter as I currently do as people would think I'm unapproachable.
For me it was a purely spurious opportunity to gain experience for interviewing for the next step up the food chain. I prepped and approached the process with a lot of due diligence.
Little did I know I would be offered the role.
As I'm sure you're aware the word "Director" is meaningless - it depends on the size of the organisation and the level of responsibility.
swerni said:
Titles are ridiculous these days.
Traditionally you had an MD, SD, FD maybe one or two others. these were the people who owned the company.
I deal with a large global organisation where the number of people with a Director title is ridiculous.
Having a director title is meaningless in todays business, just replace the word " director" with the word "manager"
Traditionally you had an MD, SD, FD maybe one or two others. these were the people who owned the company.
I deal with a large global organisation where the number of people with a Director title is ridiculous.
Having a director title is meaningless in todays business, just replace the word " director" with the word "manager"
, this man speaks sense.Sheepshanks said:
My daughter is basically a teacher (in an ordinary state school) and has Director in her job title.
Agreed that she won't be the traditional "PH shaven headed goatee wearing red bull swigging" type of Director but IIRC "Director" in a school means she will have "whole school" responsibility for a specific something. She's probably at least middle management. In other words I've come across many more meaningless "Directors" than schoolteachers.At one place I worked the ratio of Directors to Staff was 1:6.. There were 3 levels of staff between Director grade and CEO..
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: IT is notorious for it.
Plenty of "IT Directors" simply because they're the only IT guy in the company so even though they can't sign off an order for a pack of copier paper, they're the IT Director.
Also a lot of service companies have "directors" to sit opposite a director of a company you're trying to do business with.Plenty of "IT Directors" simply because they're the only IT guy in the company so even though they can't sign off an order for a pack of copier paper, they're the IT Director.
The last place i worked had a load of "Regional Sales Directors" as it gave them more gravitas when approaching a company.
O/P
I would consider it more about the role, responsibility, position on the senior management team, people under you, share options and profit share. Oh and the salary.
If all of, or enough of those boxes are being ticked, and you're happy with the work / life balance sacrifice you'll have to make then go for it!
I would consider it more about the role, responsibility, position on the senior management team, people under you, share options and profit share. Oh and the salary.
If all of, or enough of those boxes are being ticked, and you're happy with the work / life balance sacrifice you'll have to make then go for it!
I think the term Director means more in a traditional UK company than it does for an American company. To be a Director of a UK company usually means you're on the board. For an American company you're just a senior senior manager with senior managers and managers underneath you.
It's still a big deal and you should be proud to be offered the role!
Go for it.
It's still a big deal and you should be proud to be offered the role!
Go for it.
If a Director is hated on the shop floor then they are doing something wrong.
Clearly you aren't there to be a friend but the days of them and us in the workplace have (or should) have gone.
If they haven't then it's the directors duty to deal with.
You all work together and if you are hated thats no environment to deliver a top grade performance at all.
Clearly you aren't there to be a friend but the days of them and us in the workplace have (or should) have gone.
If they haven't then it's the directors duty to deal with.
You all work together and if you are hated thats no environment to deliver a top grade performance at all.
Being a Director isn't everything. I left an SME (40 employees) where I could have been a Director if I stayed. At my age (29) I think it would've held me back from leaving in the future. It was hard enough trying to leave as a senior manager, with no experience of bigger companies.
I opted to leave and take a less senior job on a contract, but for a much larger company and a lot more money. Only time will tell if I made the right career move. Everything tells me I did and that is the most important thing.
I opted to leave and take a less senior job on a contract, but for a much larger company and a lot more money. Only time will tell if I made the right career move. Everything tells me I did and that is the most important thing.
T5SOR said:
Being a Director isn't everything. I left an SME (40 employees) where I could have been a Director if I stayed. At my age (29) I think it would've held me back from leaving in the future. It was hard enough trying to leave as a senior manager, with no experience of bigger companies.
I opted to leave and take a less senior job on a contract, but for a much larger company and a lot more money. Only time will tell if I made the right career move. Everything tells me I did and that is the most important thing.
Not wanting to belittle your idea, but going on contract is not a career move, its very difficult to move up whilst on contract and you might get senior/specialist against your name, but you don't suddenly get team lead and project manager without getting training outside of contracting first.I opted to leave and take a less senior job on a contract, but for a much larger company and a lot more money. Only time will tell if I made the right career move. Everything tells me I did and that is the most important thing.
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