Help me create my own job title!
December 3, 2014 8:38 AM Subscribe
I get to put my job title of choice, within reason, on my business cards and in the company directory and my email signature. Unfortunately, there is no job title for what I do other than "admin assistant," which is fine by me, but my company wants everyone to have a "more important" title. If my company had a sense of humor, I'd have this covered, but they don't. Help me come up with something appropriately corporate sounding for what is essentially a jack-of-all-trades position.
I work for a multinational corporation in real estate, in an office of about 130 realtors. Just in our metro area there are 15 other offices for our corporation. There are only three other employees, and in any other company we would be labeled "admin" or "assistant," but corporate is really gung-ho about making everyone feel super-important, and to a lesser degree they do realize we do far more than the standard job description for an admin, so we get titles that reflect the more important parts of our work to put on business cards and our email signatures. Even though all three of us do a variety of admin duties (phones, filing, scheduling, blah blah), the bulk of each of our jobs is actually several different jobs (hooray for "lean" companies. Blugh).
My job aside from the standard admin work has three main focuses: marketing, office IT, and closings (when people actually finally buy or sell the property they've been trying to buy or sell). They're pretty disparate (obvs) so I would have chosen "Jack of All Trades" but was denied. "Marketing-IT-Closings Person" won't fly with my superiors either. They said it makes it look like our company is supported by scattered people who are spread too thin (which it is) when they want it to look like everyone is "more than just a this or that" (which I think is dumb but whatever).
My other two compatriots are "Office Coordinator" and "Listings Database Manager." (They spend time making copies and flyers and answering phones, but like I said, they also do much more.)
Is there a term or phrase that is basically "Jack of All Trades but Isn't Allowed to Wear Jeans" or something? Or can any of you come up with a decent job title for someone who splits time between writing copy and building ecards, flyers, and other marketing materials for homes for sale, and tech support for 120 people who don't understand how email works, let alone how to set it up on their phones and certainly not how to work with database queries, and tracking and coordinating real estate transactions (when they happen, who gets paid what, etc.)?
I work for a multinational corporation in real estate, in an office of about 130 realtors. Just in our metro area there are 15 other offices for our corporation. There are only three other employees, and in any other company we would be labeled "admin" or "assistant," but corporate is really gung-ho about making everyone feel super-important, and to a lesser degree they do realize we do far more than the standard job description for an admin, so we get titles that reflect the more important parts of our work to put on business cards and our email signatures. Even though all three of us do a variety of admin duties (phones, filing, scheduling, blah blah), the bulk of each of our jobs is actually several different jobs (hooray for "lean" companies. Blugh).
My job aside from the standard admin work has three main focuses: marketing, office IT, and closings (when people actually finally buy or sell the property they've been trying to buy or sell). They're pretty disparate (obvs) so I would have chosen "Jack of All Trades" but was denied. "Marketing-IT-Closings Person" won't fly with my superiors either. They said it makes it look like our company is supported by scattered people who are spread too thin (which it is) when they want it to look like everyone is "more than just a this or that" (which I think is dumb but whatever).
My other two compatriots are "Office Coordinator" and "Listings Database Manager." (They spend time making copies and flyers and answering phones, but like I said, they also do much more.)
Is there a term or phrase that is basically "Jack of All Trades but Isn't Allowed to Wear Jeans" or something? Or can any of you come up with a decent job title for someone who splits time between writing copy and building ecards, flyers, and other marketing materials for homes for sale, and tech support for 120 people who don't understand how email works, let alone how to set it up on their phones and certainly not how to work with database queries, and tracking and coordinating real estate transactions (when they happen, who gets paid what, etc.)?
At one of my previous jobs, basically everyone was some sort of "specialist" even though we were mostly all various kind of admins. Maybe "Marketing Technology Specialist" or something?
posted by augustimagination at 8:48 AM on December 3, 2014
posted by augustimagination at 8:48 AM on December 3, 2014
Internal Operations Supervisor!!!!
posted by JenThePro at 8:48 AM on December 3, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by JenThePro at 8:48 AM on December 3, 2014 [5 favorites]
Operations Manager would sort of cover the IT and the closings duties, though it leaves out the marketing. Marketing Manager or Business Development Specialist would get at the marketing. Or you could keep the admin tag but call yourself Administrative Director instead of Admin Assistant.
You also might think about whether you'll ever want to move to a different company, and if so what kind of work you'll want to do. Picking a title that emphasizes the work you like the best helps set you up to do more of that kind of work in the future.
posted by aka burlap at 8:49 AM on December 3, 2014 [7 favorites]
You also might think about whether you'll ever want to move to a different company, and if so what kind of work you'll want to do. Picking a title that emphasizes the work you like the best helps set you up to do more of that kind of work in the future.
posted by aka burlap at 8:49 AM on December 3, 2014 [7 favorites]
My rule of thumb for this kind of thing is to pick 1 or 2 'primary' roles, and describe them in the way that will be most useful for your future resume.
On preview, I think augustimagination's "Marketing Technology Specialist" (or "Lead?") is a good candidate, and if you want to go the IT route in the future, winna's is a good option too.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:50 AM on December 3, 2014 [3 favorites]
On preview, I think augustimagination's "Marketing Technology Specialist" (or "Lead?") is a good candidate, and if you want to go the IT route in the future, winna's is a good option too.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:50 AM on December 3, 2014 [3 favorites]
Where I work, we also have Administrative Associate for those who do a bit more than the Assistant, but I'm not sure if that is what you are going for. We also have Administrative Coordinator, and for those who really take on a lot, Executive Assistant. That last one has a little bit of a responsibility implied (and where I work includes supervisor responsibilities), but if you are trying to avoid the words administrative and assistant, perhaps Executive Coordinator.
posted by SpacemanStix at 8:58 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by SpacemanStix at 8:58 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
I sympathize - my 3-way responsibilities include internet/social media/e-commerce (which is itself more than one job, but at least in a logical cluster*), local IT, and marketing. Not to mention general administration... I agree with the idea that you should tailor the title for the next job you want.
Another strategy - since my company also doesn't really believe in titles and they are not given to me by my bosses, I sometimes introduce myself (if a title is needed) with a title that applies to the situation at hand. Calling the cable company? I'm the IT manager. Calling for work to be done on the building? I'm the location manager. And so on... for my business cards I went with [name of my location/city] manager, as it seemed the broadest and therefore the most descriptive for most purposes.
So if you want to be in marketing going down the road, I think I'd call myself the marketing manager; if IT you're certainly entitled to call yourself the IT manager (but from my own experience, you might want to look at the skill sets that large company IT managers have, as it's quite different), and if you want to emphasize the closings - I don't know if there's a "customary title" in real estate or real estate finance for that, but by all means, wear it.
In automotive circles your role in closings (i.e. the person who gets the paperwork in order prior to delivering the car) is called the Finance and Insurance (usually stated as "F&I" role. And I understand they often get paid very well. It would seem like that's a marketable/transferable skill, more so than the other things you mentioned, FWIW.
*sometimes it's another kind of cluster
posted by randomkeystrike at 9:07 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
Another strategy - since my company also doesn't really believe in titles and they are not given to me by my bosses, I sometimes introduce myself (if a title is needed) with a title that applies to the situation at hand. Calling the cable company? I'm the IT manager. Calling for work to be done on the building? I'm the location manager. And so on... for my business cards I went with [name of my location/city] manager, as it seemed the broadest and therefore the most descriptive for most purposes.
So if you want to be in marketing going down the road, I think I'd call myself the marketing manager; if IT you're certainly entitled to call yourself the IT manager (but from my own experience, you might want to look at the skill sets that large company IT managers have, as it's quite different), and if you want to emphasize the closings - I don't know if there's a "customary title" in real estate or real estate finance for that, but by all means, wear it.
In automotive circles your role in closings (i.e. the person who gets the paperwork in order prior to delivering the car) is called the Finance and Insurance (usually stated as "F&I" role. And I understand they often get paid very well. It would seem like that's a marketable/transferable skill, more so than the other things you mentioned, FWIW.
*sometimes it's another kind of cluster
posted by randomkeystrike at 9:07 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
My brother used to have a job that consisted of running around putting out all the fires started by other people's dumb attacks. He finally settled on Quality Assurance for his job description.
posted by Bruce H. at 9:11 AM on December 3, 2014
posted by Bruce H. at 9:11 AM on December 3, 2014
I was going to suggest Promotions Technology Specialist - but I think Marketing Technology Specialist is #1.
I love it how your mgmt won't give you a title, and is all vague about what makes a valid title - but they're happy to tell you when you've got it wrong.
posted by doctor tough love at 9:14 AM on December 3, 2014 [3 favorites]
I love it how your mgmt won't give you a title, and is all vague about what makes a valid title - but they're happy to tell you when you've got it wrong.
posted by doctor tough love at 9:14 AM on December 3, 2014 [3 favorites]
Administrative Manager
Sales Support Manager
Marketing Support Manager
posted by COD at 9:16 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
Sales Support Manager
Marketing Support Manager
posted by COD at 9:16 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
Logistics Coordinator or Logistics Manager. Maybe External Affairs Coordinator.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:27 AM on December 3, 2014
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:27 AM on December 3, 2014
I wouldn't use "specialist" - that implies "entry level" in many fields.
posted by brainmouse at 9:45 AM on December 3, 2014
posted by brainmouse at 9:45 AM on December 3, 2014
Sales and Marketing Support Manager
posted by bleep at 9:48 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by bleep at 9:48 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
I would hesitate to use manager and would strongly urge you not to use director. The scope of responsibility for those roles is much larger than you are describing and it might actually be harder to get in the door at another job if it looks like the new job would be a substantial demotion based on your previous title.
I'd also not use the term logistics - what you describe has very little if anything to do with logistics and would cause the same problems.
posted by winna at 10:33 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'd also not use the term logistics - what you describe has very little if anything to do with logistics and would cause the same problems.
posted by winna at 10:33 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
If you're just trying to optimize future salaries, as opposed to flexibility for a future career or role switch: Senior Executive Assistant. That opens up pretty high paying work for CEO types at larger companies, especially since you're at a multinational now.
If in the future you might be trying to get out of admin work into other positions, it sounds like one of your colleagues has already gotten away with using the word "manager," so "Operations and Logistics Manager" or similar may be your best sounding title to maximize flexibility.
posted by deludingmyself at 10:51 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
If in the future you might be trying to get out of admin work into other positions, it sounds like one of your colleagues has already gotten away with using the word "manager," so "Operations and Logistics Manager" or similar may be your best sounding title to maximize flexibility.
posted by deludingmyself at 10:51 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
I like "Manager". It's not so pompous that you're elevating yourself above the others. But it's a helluva lot better - and more accurate - than admin assistant.
One colleague is titled a specific sort of manager, appropriate to his/her narrow purview. And the other, an "Office Coordinator", sounds like a sort of manager. So there's parity. But your open-ended title reflects the fact that you manage in a more ad-hoc way.
posted by Quisp Lover at 11:20 AM on December 3, 2014
One colleague is titled a specific sort of manager, appropriate to his/her narrow purview. And the other, an "Office Coordinator", sounds like a sort of manager. So there's parity. But your open-ended title reflects the fact that you manage in a more ad-hoc way.
posted by Quisp Lover at 11:20 AM on December 3, 2014
Whatever you decide on, make sure to put "Senior" in front of it. Or, if you're feel like it, "Señior".
posted by jeffamaphone at 11:21 AM on December 3, 2014
posted by jeffamaphone at 11:21 AM on December 3, 2014
What is your dream job? Like, if you could have any job in the reasonable universe of available jobs, what would it be? I think that really matters, because the answer to this question is that you want a job title that will impress potential future employers you want to impress. And if you want to be an IT person, that's different from if you want to be a marketing person, is different from if you want to be a lawyer or a scientist or a rodeo clown. So what are your career goals?
posted by decathecting at 11:32 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by decathecting at 11:32 AM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
Miracle Worker
posted by starbreaker at 12:22 PM on December 3, 2014
posted by starbreaker at 12:22 PM on December 3, 2014
Data Coordinator sounds pretty close.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:30 PM on December 3, 2014
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:30 PM on December 3, 2014
I once had a job where I did some fundraising, a lot of marketing, some admin, and some "other duties as assigned". My title was "Special Assistant to the CEO' and that title has subsequently opened a lot of doors for me.
posted by anastasiav at 1:47 PM on December 3, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by anastasiav at 1:47 PM on December 3, 2014 [3 favorites]
At our firm we make a distinction between managers of people and managers of stuff - the former is "Manager of XYZ" and the latter is "XYZ Manager."
So the Manager of Communications has staff reporting to her, while the Marketing Manager is an individual contributor with no staff who nevertheless "manages" high level cross functional workgroups.
I wouldn't ever go to Director for this, though. How about Executive Administrator? You can spin that into almost anything later on.
posted by kythuen at 2:08 PM on December 3, 2014
So the Manager of Communications has staff reporting to her, while the Marketing Manager is an individual contributor with no staff who nevertheless "manages" high level cross functional workgroups.
I wouldn't ever go to Director for this, though. How about Executive Administrator? You can spin that into almost anything later on.
posted by kythuen at 2:08 PM on December 3, 2014
Business Operations Manager
posted by tuesdayschild at 7:10 PM on December 3, 2014
posted by tuesdayschild at 7:10 PM on December 3, 2014
Response by poster: Thank you all for your suggestions and advise. I will have to think about this a bit and then suggest some to my manager and see where it goes. I appreciate the thought you all put into it.
posted by chonus at 9:11 AM on December 4, 2014
posted by chonus at 9:11 AM on December 4, 2014
Office Manager in my experience is an admin assistant with extra competencies / on steroids.
posted by webwench at 2:57 PM on December 4, 2014
posted by webwench at 2:57 PM on December 4, 2014
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posted by chonus at 8:39 AM on December 3, 2014