It’s easy to get excited when a job title sounds impressive — anything with “senior/officer/executive/coordinator” can give the impression of real responsibility, influence, or progression. But in reality, those titles can sometimes be completely disconnected from the actual scope of the role.
You end up thinking you’ll be shaping things, contributing strategically, or developing professionally and then realise you’re just there to do the admin, chase invoices, process forms, take notes in meetings, and follow up on things that others have decided. It can feel like a fancy way of saying “general dogsbody” or “assistant” but with higher expectations and less clarity.
So AIBU to say that job titles can be incredibly misleading and people - especially those making sector switches or hoping to step up - need to be careful not to fall into the trap of assuming more autonomy or influence just because of what’s on the tin?
And has anyone else experienced this - where the title didn’t match the reality?