How should I express my internal promotion on my resume?

December 20, 2009 1:44 PM

I was recently received an internal promotion in my current team from a junior level to senior level title. This promotion is due to experience and performance: I will continue to work on the same projects as before in the same role. How should I express this promotion on my resume?

There's also a further complicating factor (to me at least): my manager has been trying to get me this promotion for a year, but due to the economy, it hasn't happened until now. So this doesn't represent an actual career milestone to me, just when HR got around to putting their stamp on it.

I see three options:

1. List it under the same job, with just the new title, and mention the promotion and promotion date in the summary. I like this one the best, since nothing except my title and pay have changed, but I worry that some people might think it's misleading.

2. List it under the same job, but with two titles. I don't really like this as much, since it could be confusing, but it is a little more up front than #1.

3. List it as a different job. I've seen this mentioned in other places, and it has the plus of calling attention to the new title, but it's awkward since I will either have to describe the same projects twice or divide them up arbitrarily.

posted by cosmic.osmo to Work & Money (11 answers total)

#2. That's what happened. Don't obfuscate.
posted by decathecting at 1:51 PM on December 20, 2009

I'd go with number two and list the dates that you worked this job for each title.
posted by Lobster Garden at 2:05 PM on December 20, 2009

Here's what I've done: List the new title, with the name of the company, dates, etc. List the job details. Then, for the last bullet, add something like "Promoted from x title within x months." You could also do something like "Promoted from x title in x date."
posted by runningwithscissors at 2:11 PM on December 20, 2009

I'd only list the last role with the employer and include a bullet point to say you started in role x and were promoted to your current role on date x.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:15 PM on December 20, 2009 [3 favorites]

I only list the last role held at a particular company -- unless I had two discrete positions, and then I'll list the last role held for each position. Why does everyone need to see the progression of positions? Is it important I started as a bottle washer and worked my way up to chef? I go for brevity on my resume, thus the abbreviated listing. If they want to know more about the specifics of my jobs, I go into it during the interview.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 2:43 PM on December 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

I think a nice way of doing number 2 is Present title (promoted from old title x.x.xxxx).

Would be different if the position change were more major or involved vastly different responsibilities. I think most jr->sr promotions happen because you were already doing the sr job in the first place..
posted by shownomercy at 3:42 PM on December 20, 2009

If you're in an industry where job titles are standardized and highly scrutinized by others, go for #1.

In a field like software development, where job titles are legendarily arbitrary and inflated -- hello 22-year-old "senior architects" -- the standard is what Geckwoistmeinauto says. #2 for the resume and explain more in person.
posted by xil at 3:55 PM on December 20, 2009

Ugh, reading comprehension. I meant "Last title for the resume, and explain more in person."
posted by xil at 3:57 PM on December 20, 2009

Response by poster: I'm in software development, by the way. I rewrote the question to be more generic, since I didn't know it would make a difference.
posted by cosmic.osmo at 4:17 PM on December 20, 2009

Best answer: Software engineer titles don't actually mean anything to anyone who doesn't work at your company (I learned at some point that engineers are hired straight out of college in some places into a position called "staff software engineer", which where I work implies around a decade of experience). I would list the last title on your resume and elaborate on what that means if someone actually asks. In general, if someone sees on your resume that your first job out of school is called "senior software engineer" they will (rightly) include that you were hired in a less lofty-sounding position.
posted by crinklebat at 10:39 PM on December 20, 2009

I'd just use whatever your most recent title was.
posted by chunking express at 1:02 PM on December 21, 2009