HAVE you ever noticed how proudly people present themselves in business interactions? I am not referring to those situations when you meet someone new, and they introduce themselves with their birth name. What is more intriguing are those cryptic titles that you can never remember nor fully comprehend what they stand for. Here are a few examples that I encountered in my practice: field enabler manager (responsible for providing tools, training, and content for field managers), talent delivery specialist (recruitment manager), under-secretary to the sub-committee (no idea what tasks and responsibilities that designates), scrum master (idem), or alternatively Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) of … a one-person company.
Jokes aside, a title becomes your professional identity card. It reflects your status, as well as the investment and sacrifices you made to get to a certain level. No wonder people develop an ownership effect concerning their job label. One of the best pieces of advice that my mentor gave me when I was interviewing for the job in Paris was to negotiate the best title. Back then, I did not fully understand the future implications of what seemed to me a futile linguistic exercise. There were more critical aspects, such as remuneration and career growth possibilities. Nonetheless, I had faith in his professional judgment. Today I cannot thank him enough for looking out for me in that small but powerful detail. To this day, I remember to follow his counsel in each new appointment and job I accept.
A job negotiation consists of a jigsaw of elements, such as the salary level, additional benefits, training and development options, flexible work time, career advancement opportunities, health insurance, access to company assets, travel in style packages, and many others. A savvy negotiator will place the job title at the top of the list of their demands. A negotiation is an exercise in trade; you give away something of less value to you in exchange for something that has greater value. The more demands you prepare and bring to the table, the more opportunities for the trade you have. If you need to make concessions, make sure that the job title is not one of them.
The title you kickstart your career with or the one(s) you held in your previous job(s) will be your springboard to your next position(s). Many search engines are designed to pick up on keywords: manager, professor, consultant, and so on. If your curriculum vitae or profile on professional networking sites lacks certain buzz words, exciting business opportunities may pass you by. Enigmatic functions may put off potential business contacts. Mitigate that effect by making your title clear, universal, and easily understood. Try obtaining the highest possible rank, even if it means making a temporary concession on the salary level. In the long term, you will find that you can more easily increase your remuneration than enhance your professional title.
Furthermore, titles are a reflection of expertise power. They designate you as an expert in a given field, and increase your external credibility. This can have a substantial effect on the way others perceive you. Notice what happens when the so-called experts are invited to a negotiation or any other type of discussion. People naturally react to authority. Consequently, they are more prone to behave according to the expert’s opinion. They assume that the person possesses higher-level skills and knowledge. The title becomes a professional shield.
Lastly, labels are a self-fulfilling prophecy. Their power is inward-oriented. The acquisition of a specific title will lead to a modification of your behavior. Just as others’ perception of you will change, so will your own. You will carry yourself differently. A sophisticated title will make you want to live up to all the connotations related to the rank you hold. A title that you worked hard to get is an obligation to fulfill certain expectations linked to a specific role. Remember that the title affects the mind, but do not let it go to your head.
Guideline 6—Key Takeaways |
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1. |
Avoid cryptic titles. |
2. |
Never accept a lower title in exchange for a higher salary. |
3. |
Choose a clear, universal, and easily understood title. |
4. |
Negotiate the best possible title. |
5. |
Let the title be a source of your inner power. |