When did Job titles become so unfathomable?

[erikbloodaxe]

I'm old and remember when a job title informed anyone ( in that profession or not) of what they did. I've had to write DS's job title down and Google it (yes he explained but I was non the wiser ). So, in the interest of fun, will you say what your job title is and see if anyone can guess what you actually do (if you don't mind that is).

I'm an administrator at work.

At home I am a Disposable Paper Products Replenisher. I replace the loo roll.

I don't have an official title as I work for a tiny company (there's 5 of us including the cleaner). I manage a whole department. I will change it depending on who I'm emailing an external business, usually with the same level so I'll be an assistant requesting copy paperwork. If I'm dealing with a director or senior manager, I'll be 'Head of' or Manager. Internally, we don't use titles really, it's our names on a what's app group.

Quite thankful I work in journalism where it's still: apprentice, assistant, reporter, senior reporter, deputy editor, editor, editor in chief, CEO 😂

All very easy to work out who's doing what.

Don't worry btw I'm not interested in Mumsnet stuff. I write travel content so all sunshine and buttercups.

I work for a Swiss firm, and they do this VP thing - someone emailed me last week who was First Vice President!

I'm a community mental health nurse. OK you may not know the ins and outs of my role but at least you'd understand I'm a qualified mental health nurse but not in a hospital setting.

In my industry receptionists are now client care advisors .

I thought it was a new role within the industry when I first heard it. Nope, still receptionists, still on minimum wage.

I keep a close eye on the jobs market and honestly you have to open most of the ads to even know what the job is.

Sandwich artist always makes laugh, I'll have mine in the shape of a cat thanks .

Or possibly to make people think they had a higher or better job without the pay rise? I think this happened in the NHS years ago when ward assistants became nursing auxiliaries, which in turn became something else.
Basically, if it’s a poorly paid job, give it a grandiose title so people will think they’re getting more than they actually are.

Reading this thread I’m wondering how many of these fancy job titles basically translate day to day into “sending emails, having meetings, and writing reports” jobs. Quite a lot I’d wager.

Not that I’m knocking that - it’s pretty much what I do.

The widespread use of Vice President in some industries is really confusing to those people not familiar with the industry. I remember being surprised when I saw on linkedin that someone I knew was only in her late twenties was a VP in a shiny financial type organisation. Until I realised that virtually all of her colleagues were also VPs.

Marketing Executive and makes £18k in the southwest.

When I tell someone what my job title is I get given a description, or shown a photo, of their damp patch / crack down the side of their house and asked for my opinion. Then I have to say "no, not that kind of surveyor..."

It makes me laugh these days how everyone is a ' manager ' A spotty youth at McDonald's for example, 18 years old and on 16k p/a, but hey, he's a manager. 😂
To me a manager is at least middle aged and worked his / her way up to that position via hard graft and showing potential on the shop floor, not someone whose just left university with a Mickey mouse degree.

The "spotty youth" will at the very least be managing the shift, I.e. in charge of the restaurant and all staff in it at that time, probably 20-30 people. How else would you define manager, other than a person who manages?

And don't you sound delightful? They're working hard for an honest living.

The spotty youth might not be managing the shift, I seem to recall there was a floor management role below that in McD’s. They’d be running the kitchen or something.

They were definitely in charge though.

Loads if them are young though. The hourly paid floor and shift manager posts were often filled by students back in my day (much like everyone else on a friday night shift was). I don’t really think that’s a huge problem.

No one is claiming they’re overseeing finances for Europe and the Middle East or anything. They’re just in charge of a fast food restaurant (or a portion of one) for a specified shift.

Many so called Micky Mouse degrees are excellent preparation for retail and hospitality management.

You sound rather snobbish Norgie.

@Smartsub At that age, most if them can barely run a bath, let alone people.
Manager indeed.

Speak for yourself. Many young people are excellent managers.

I think you need to have a go at doing the job. I agree it's not entirely reasonable to have kids doing it for a few pounds an hour, but that is what they're doing and I have tremendous respect for anyone who started thee csree in McDonald's. They're doing hard physical work and dealing with all the customer and staff issues that people in much higher paid jobs do.

I can never remember my own job title, whether it's office administrator or administrative officer 😂

DH used to be a "relationships manager". Sounded like he worked for Relate, not in local government.

An RM is a totally normal job title.

When I worked in McDonald’s, one of our shift managers was a medical student. Just because he was 22, it didn’t mean he was incompetent.

One of my best friends started her career at MacDonalds. She’s now a senior diplomat.

Customer service supervisor but I don't supervise people I supervise a building.