Ridiculously overblown job titles.

[thatdude]

I had a good one the other day in a job posting email:

"multiskilled maintenance engineer"

So, odd-job man.


(interestingly, the spellchecker wants me to change multiskilled to semiskilled :lol

[98elise]

thatdude said:

I had a good one the other day in a job posting email:

"multiskilled maintenance engineer"

So, odd-job man.


(interestingly, the spellchecker wants me to change multiskilled to semiskilled :lol

Not always. I used to run M&E maintenance teams in large buildings. A multiskilled maintenance engineer would have electrical and mechanical experience/qualifications. They would be higher paid than an electrician or mechanic.

[ascayman]

It started off as an American thing, they love a title those septic's, pretty much everybody in the city under the age of 25 is a Vice President of something.

Its now become an ego thing though I genuinely think some people would rather have an impressive job title than a pay rise, I find it completely bizarre, in fact I am the only one in my company without a job title.

[BrabusMog]

ascayman said:

It started off as an American thing, they love a title those septic's, pretty much everybody in the city under the age of 25 is a Vice President of something.

Its now become an ego thing though I genuinely think some people would rather have an impressive job title than a pay rise, I find it completely bizarre, in fact I am the only one in my company without a job title.

I'd agree with that and it isn't just job titles, but stuff you get along with the job. I had a BlackBerry and business cards with my graduate job back when they weren't as common place and a couple of my friends were quite jealous as they "only" had a Nokia whatever, I could never really understand why. That alarm ring still gives me nightmares of having to go from Mile End to Farnborough every day whenever I hear it.

[CoolC]

Abagnale said:

BrabusMog said:

My email one now just says

BrabusMog
XXX Limited
T
F
M

But my business cards slip Sales and Operational Manager next to my name, it really annoys me!

You're sales & ops manager for a Porno business?

You have a fax machine?

[BrabusMog]

CoolC said:

Abagnale said:

BrabusMog said:

My email one now just says

BrabusMog
XXX Limited
T
F
M

But my business cards slip Sales and Operational Manager next to my name, it really annoys me!

You're sales & ops manager for a Porno business?

You have a fax machine?

Most porno businesses still use faxes

[ascayman]

BrabusMog said:

ascayman said:

It started off as an American thing, they love a title those septic's, pretty much everybody in the city under the age of 25 is a Vice President of something.

Its now become an ego thing though I genuinely think some people would rather have an impressive job title than a pay rise, I find it completely bizarre, in fact I am the only one in my company without a job title.

I'd agree with that and it isn't just job titles, but stuff you get along with the job. I had a BlackBerry and business cards with my graduate job back when they weren't as common place and a couple of my friends were quite jealous as they "only" had a Nokia whatever, I could never really understand why. That alarm ring still gives me nightmares of having to go from Mile End to Farnborough every day whenever I hear it.

Oh god phone envy good call, I re did our phones earlier in the year, we had supplied blackberry's for the previous 10 years but the moaning I had to put up with because they weren't iphones was farcical. I relented this year and every single one opted for an iphone! again bizarrely I reckon many preferred the phone upgrade to a pay rise.

[PurpleTurtle]

RenOHH said:

I don't list my job title, BSc, professional bodies, or other crap like that.

I work in a large blue-chip organisation, you don't have to be a graduate (the MD is my age and started quite literally sweeping the floor, but has worked his way up) but I'd say over 60% of people have been through higher education.

We have one bloke amongst 400-odd people who puts "BA Hons MBA" on his email signature. He is generally regarded as a dick and gets "promoted" into a series on non-jobs with little or no influence. Yet to read his LinkedIn profile you'd think he'd make Bill Gates feel inferior.

[Ganglandboss]

98elise said:

thatdude said:

I had a good one the other day in a job posting email:

"multiskilled maintenance engineer"

So, odd-job man.


(interestingly, the spellchecker wants me to change multiskilled to semiskilled :lol

Not always. I used to run M&E maintenance teams in large buildings. A multiskilled maintenance engineer would have electrical and mechanical experience/qualifications. They would be higher paid than an electrician or mechanic.

This. I started out as an electrician at a university, where I did the usual C&G qualifications. In those days we were all down as 'technicians' on our job descriptions. We were on the 'T' payscale which included lab technicians, electronics technicians, certain IT staff, workshop machinists etc. When we went down the multi-skilling route, we were expected to get a minimum NVQ II in a second trade, but as the university would fund as many courses as you wanted to do, many (myself included) did more. Following this, our job title changed to 'building services technician', but most would refer to themselves by their primary trade.

When I left there, I went to an M&E consultancy. One of the services we provided was maintenance management. We'd put together tender packages for commercial buildings and oversee the appointment of contractors. Our conditions of contract included minimum qualifications. We would then go to site at agreed intervals, inspect the buildings and audit the logbooks and statutory documentation.

A typical maintenance engineer will have served a recognised apprenticeship as well as trained in a second discipline. Usually you will find they have C&G electrical installation or similar, a recognised plumbing and heating qualification, C&G handling refrigerants, Gas Safe accreditation, IOSH certifications and several certificates for ongoing professional development. As well as responding to call outs and undertaking planned preventative maintenance works, they will be responsible for maintaining statutory documentation and supervising specialist sub-contractors.

[mybrainhurts]

crystalmethod said:

AOL has a guy with the title "Digital Prophet".

FFS, don't draw a cartoon of him...

[fadeaway]

crystalmethod said:

AOL has a guy with the title "Digital Prophet".

Brief article here which is worth a look: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/17/cryst...

I always liked "Product Evangelist"

[Number 5]

Captain Muppet said:

Number 5 said:

Gargamel said:

OP in the dark ages I am afraid.

Personnel is so 1980's

And yes Talent Acquisition is my job title...

Should I leave now?

Yes

Easy now, some guys I know who were in Personnel, then in Human Resources, are now Talent Acquisition and Development Executives.

They don't just shuffle CVs and deflect complaints about the company, they also make people redundant. So they are to be feared, if not respected. Although obviously whoever picked the job title is a tt.

[MonkeyBusiness]

Every digital agency I've worked with has more Directors than actual 'normal' staff.

[uncinquesei]

Silicon valley job title generator

Job title generator said:

SELF-QUANTIFICATION SEER

[Sheepshanks]

nick s said:

I don't think people truly realise just what a good PA does. Everyone assumes they make tea and book meeting rooms. My GF is EA (executive assistant) to the MD of a large tech company. Sounds overblown, but really, really isn't. She presents to the ILT on his behalf, puts proposals to the board and is currently restructuring the UK function and reporting structure. She's also implemented a new KPI & bonus structure for all the sales guys without any input from her boss. He didn't even ask her to do it, She just identified it as something that needed improving and started working on it. She came up with it and he will just approve it. She does these things all off her own back. She thinks for her boss and eases his workload massively. Huge responsibility. Yet most people we know make assumptions based on what the old image of a PA/EA does.

I work for a "large tech company" and I've no idea what "the ILT" could be?

Your GF sounds like she has far too much time on her hands - I hope someone from sales had some input on the new KPI and bonus structure.

Our CEO's EA just annoys us by messing around with the car policy and mobile phone contracts.

[okie592]

The staff who pick all the stuff you buy in Amazon off the shelf and then put it in a box are known as " associates" not just pickers

[VeeDubBigBird]

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician

Zappos Ceo & Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness
http://deliveringhappiness.com/team/jenn-lim/

The first one I think is overblown and the second was definitely invented by someone on drugs.

[HannsG]

Vice President - Investment Banks.

Glorified middle managers. I was one

[mybrainhurts]

Supermarkets making "colleague" announcements over the loudspeakers.

What's wrong with "staff"?

Is this meant to make them feel equal and wanted?

[anonymous-user]

mybrainhurts said:

Supermarkets making "colleague" announcements over the loudspeakers.

What's wrong with "staff"?

Is this meant to make them feel equal and wanted?

depends, in Waitrose they're not staff