Understand job titles before you apply
set up a phoner first? Great! broaden your search, cenThis is the perfect opportu- tering it around more comnity to gather more informa- mon terms like “sales rep” tion about that cryptic job as opposed to “sales officer,” title and get more details or “bartender” instead of about the position’s respon- “cocktail artist.” sibilities. “As long as your skills and
“In the interview, ask talents match up with what pertinent questions about you’ll be doing [in that particthe day-to-day responsibil- ular job], apply to it, regardities, job training, expecta- less of title,” recommends tions, and managerial needs Stephanie Troiano, talent (if applicable), along with acquisition manager at The short-term and long-term Hire Talent, a talent assessgoals,” says Christina Vanment company in Brea, CalBuskirk, a recruiter at Sasha ifornia. Research job titles the Mensch, a recruiting firm on the employer’s in New York City. “Be honwebsite est and confident about your
There are no rules for creown experience. Even if the ating job titles, so they may HR manager deems that Identify job vary widely between compa- you’re not the right fit for a description keywords nies. The best place to invescurrent role, if you leave a
It’s good to be ambitious tigate how a company uses great impression and have and apply for a few “reach” the titles, and what people in good rapport with the team, positions when you’re look- those positions are responthey will likely keep you in ing for jobs, but you need to sible for, is oftentimes the mind for future opportu- know how exactly the title About Us or Company tab nities.” will translate to responsibili- on the hiring company’s An example of a reveal- ties, no matter the seniority. website. ing question to ask is: What
Know how to decipher “Maybe they call everydoes a typical day look like? a job ad. “If you see words one VPs or have unusual “That will get the converlike administer, coordinate, titling conventions,” says sation moving in the right process — those are indicaIlana Youngheim, account direction,” says Justin Smith, tions of individual contribexecutive at PMBC Group, a founder of Outerbox, a web utor positions, not managepublic relations firm in Los design company in Akron, ment-level positions, regardAngeles. “It helps to do a lit- Ohio. “If you’re passionate less of title,” says Greg Szytle research on a company about spending your time manski, director of human before applying, to target in a specific way, tell your resources at Geonerco the right job, and also to potential employer, don’t Management in Seattle. demonstrate in your cover be shy. Remember, it’s a “Whereas, lead, influence, letter that you know some- two-way street, and they collaborate, direct, partner thing about them, that you want to hire you to work on with, head, and synthesize did your research. This earns tasks you’ll be passionate to are words that indicate high- lots of points with recruit- work on.” er-level responsibilities.” ers and hiring managers,”
Youngheim explains.
Anyone who has ever searched for a job knows the confusion that surrounds job titles.
Coordinator? Specialist? Associate? Senior associate?
How do you determine which job you should apply for?
Luckily, Monster career experts have come up with five strategies that can help you uncover the truth behind the title. These tips will show you what to look for in job postings to figure out which position would suit you best. Compare experience to the job duties
Your résumé should be updated regularly with relevant work experience. Use it as a quick reference check to see if your experience lines up with the job description.
“Are they duties you’ve performed recently? Duties that your boss normally performs?” asks Kelly Donovan, principal at Kelly Donovan & Associates, a career guidance service in Lake Elsinore, California. “You don’t need to have performed every duty listed [to apply], but you should have experience with most of them.”
Ask revealing questions
Got called into an inter- view, or maybe they’d like to Broaden your search to include common job titles
Running into too many flashy titles that are blatantly inflated? It might be time to Stay up to date on current job openings
One of the most important aspects of conducting a job search is staying current on openings as soon as they’re posted. The more job descriptions you read, the better you’ll get at deciphering them. Sign up to be a Monster member and get weekly alerts on jobs available in your area. You’ll also get expert career advice, including resume tips, interview hacks, and negotiation strategies.