To think job titles have become very complicated

[user1485342611]

I was watching an old episode of a quiz from the 1980s and when the contestants were asked what they did for a living I understood immediately what their jobs were: an electrician, a librarian, a nurse and an chef.

Nowadays, on programmes like Location or Eggheads I haven't a clue half the time what the participants do: 'A customer service analyst', 'a retail designer', 'a systems co-ordinator'.

Nope. No idea. What do you actually do?

AIBU to wish we could do away with these silly job titles?

[Sparklesocks]

Times change, jobs change. Older people in the 80s probably found the same about new job titles then too

[ikeepaforkinmypurse]

I agree, some people need flattering title, it's getting ridiculous. It does make them look rather silly

[DailyMailReadersAreThick]

You're definitely right in my industry. In my last three jobs I've had three different titles - no words in common - but did exactly the same thing. My three bosses, also doing the same thing, have had totally different titles.

I recently had to write summaries of about 25 different positions in the industry (construction). I had to google half of them because I had no clue what they did.

[Bluelonerose]

I heard one person on tv other day describe themselves as something bizzare.
Turned out they were a window cleaner.

It does make me wonder though some jobs have so few people apply maybe it's because they don't actually know what the job is?

[GrumbleBumble]

I used to work some where that handed out flashy job titles like you wouldn't believe. I swear if we'd had a tea lady she would have been "director of hot beverage operations" and a post room boy would be " written communications processing operative".

[MatildaTheCat]

DS was a Conversion Optimiser Analyst. I had to have that one explained to me.

[itsallgravybaby]

I worked at subway for two weeks and my job title was Sandwich Artist

[halfwitpicker]

Customer Experience Server

I.e. Waitress.

[halfwitpicker]

It does make me wonder though some jobs have so few people apply maybe it's because they don't actually know what the job is?

^^

With bells on.

Other side of the coin, I'm job hunting and can look at anything from Office Manager to Project Coordinator.

[Skiiltan]

My first job after leaving university in 1985 was officially titled "operational courier". I was a van-driver.

[CoughLaughFart]

I had to change my job title on LinkedIn as it made no sense to anyone outside of the company I worked in. I kept getting approached about completely irrelevant vacancies because it sounded like something completely different.

[DontTouchTheMoustache]

A lot of these roles werent around in the 80s because technology has advanced since then

[ReadingRiot]

I once worked for a company where everyone was a "manager" except for the actual managers who were called directors. Directors were called Executives

[SemperIdem]

I look at some jobs and think ‘wtf does that mean?! Can I apply for that?’

The further blurb makes clear it is fully applicable to me. I’m 29.

Yanbu

[expatinscotland]

Meh. Lots of jobs didn't exist back then due to technology differences.

[Semster]

I struggle with working out what my job title is.

I build websites
Manage digital marketing for a magazine
Design print marketing materials
Design products such as tea towels and mugs
Design food labels
And sometimes I do some good old fashioned IT project management

Welcome people's thoughts.

[RubyWho]

@semster - Online Digital Operations Manager


My job title has four words in. My job is akin to herding cats on fire. This is not reflected in my job title.

[NorthernKnickers]

@Semster ' Jack -of-all-'I-Trades' (or Jill, obvs😉)

[NorthernKnickers]

I'm a teacher...no ambiguity there!

[ThistleAmore]

I have a technical job (and job title) that didn't exist in the 80s or 90s, because the technology didn't exist.

Times change, requirements change, language changes. You don't see a lot of ads for maltmen or coopers in the situations vacant columns these days.

[bananafish81]

Yep, my job didn't exist 20 years ago. There's an entire digital industry with jobs that didn't exist. Hence relatively opaque job titles

[Blaablaablaa]

@semster you've actually hit the nail on the head. Job roles are so varied and people are expected to perform such a wide range of tasks these days it can be quite difficult to think of a job title that accurately describes role. I used to have such a complicated job title that when people asked what I did they got the title and a a description!

[TERFousBreakdown]

My employer re-orgs so often that I've changed my job title on LinkedIn to something generic at the cost of understating the scope of my role. I just can't be bothered to update it every other week.

My current title is five words long. I had to look it up to be on the safe side as we might have re-orged. We haven't for a change. What it actually means: "middle manager". Doesn't sound half as fancy, though.

[NeonPink]

Mine is Business Support Officer = administrator!

[MismatchedStripySocks]

I have got a cringe worthy job title, I actually hate saying it I am moving jobs soon (promotion yay) and the title is still quite pretentious but a bit more self explanatory.