Finding a Correct Job Title 1

[klewis10367]

I am not sure this is the correct forum, but i am trying to find a suitable job title for the duties that i am responsible for..at our company job Title is everything. My responsibilites include:

1) Computer Applications - handle all financial software(Great Plains, FRx Reporter, FRx Forecaster)
2) DBA for Company but not certified
3) Create and automate Reports...Crystal, FRx, Excel, SSRS
4) Datawharehousing
5) SQL Server Maintenance
6) Time and Attendance Support and Implementation
7) Provide all backend data for Accounting and other user groups based on need.
...I have 9 years experience within these responsibilties but no college degree.

My current title is Computer Application Specialist..My boss thought Financial System Analyst would be suitable.

 

[james1982]

I never really understand job titles.
There was a guy at my old work and his title was "technical engineer" and he was offered a job as "senior engineer", as part of the negotiation process he demanded his title be changed (even though senior engineers didnt exist at the company!)

Ultimately its a title, so long as it identifies what area you work in within the business it means very little in my opinion, particulary in small companies whereby all members of staff have to pull together. Ive seen so many CV's whereby people advertise themselves as "senior" and then they follow up by saying they have 12 months experience, experience is more important!!!
Out of interest are you getting a new job title due to promotion / progression / you taking on a new role? If so thats great however......
IMO what people bring to the company is more important, and you should be rewarded accordingly (financially / benefit wise) for that instead of having some poxy job title change that ultimately just goes on your email signature!

Probably not the answer you wanted but thats my take on it!

Thanks

 

[klewis10367]

Thanks for the reply...i totally agree with you but within my company the only way i can get more than the normal yearly raise my title must change as i am near the threshold for the salary grade level i am at. The title gets me to another Salary grade level. My original position was just Appication Speciaist, but over the years i morphed into a jack of all trades and now am more into the other responsibilties. My boss recognizes this but as long as my title is Computer Application Specialist i am stuck.

 

[tcsbiz]

HR people LOVE titles. They like to categorize people and put them into buckets. That way, they can determine how much to pay you. Everyone in bucket A gets this pay range, bucket B gets a different range. Experts get paid big bucks to determine titles and pay ranges.

Because of that, I would take it very seriously. I would shoot for DBA. That carries a certain cache in the marketplace. I would research the marketplace and find out what titles are being used and how much they get paid. If you ever want a job at a different company, you will have to have a title that they recognize. Financial Systems Analyst sounds more like an accountant anaylzing the reports you provide.

Make sure the title you choose reflects what you really do, though.

 

[NESWalt]

I agree with James in that titles in themselves mean nothing... basically they are just a way to "justify" different salaries or benefits...

You could always say you're a "Solutions Architect"...

Walt
Ciber/NES

http://nespower.com

 

[MasterRacker]

I've worked for companies that had rigid title structures and pay grades as well. It's not always a bad thing as one of the purposes is to prevent managers from playing favorites with raises.

In your case the word 'Financial' may still limit you. Systems Analyst is a 'standard' IT job title and might fit. Systems Administrator might also fit. Do a search for IT Salary Surveys then in various surveys you should be able to find a list of the responsibilities they used for the various titles used on the survey. That way you can get a picture of the common title usage out there.

Jeff
[small][purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day
"The software I buy sucks, The software I write sucks. It's time to give up and have a beer..." - Me[/small]

 

[SF0751]

In addition, you could continue to upgrade the new job title, by adding the word "Senior" - Senior Systems Analyst, Senior Systems Administrator, etc.

Susan
Muffins are just ugly cupcakes.

 

[Noway2]

Go for a title with the term Principle in it, which is above senior. It also fits well with the definition of you being The ONE responsible for x,y,z.

 

[FredWagner]

In a job with a furniture manufacturer, where I was the only IT employee, doing everything from App Development to Server upgrades, configuration and setup of remote sites, to printer maintenance and upgrades , my business card said Information Systems Manager - I managed a whole lot of things, if not people. If the business grows, you might eventually get some subordinates.

Fred Wagner

 

[Stella740pl]

klewis10367,

I agree with Susan, adding "Senior" either tho your current title, Computer Application Specialist, or the the proposed Systems Analyst (drop the word "Financial") could do the trick.

Where I work, we also have a rigid title structures and pay grades. The title that covers what you are doing would be Computer Specialist (Software) or Computer Specialist (Systems),
both coming in levels I through IV (different pay grades).

 

[gbaughma]

I'm in the same boat as Fred.

I'm the only IT guy at our company. I do everything from .NET development to repairing computers and everything in between.

My current title is "IT Manager".



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[FredWagner]

Looking back at the original post, the responsibilities you list are all Applications - so the Computer Applications Specialist is fairly accurate. If they'll pay you more as a Financial Systems Analyst, go for it. An alternative title might Be Business Systems Analyst. And if you can make the time, have a go at getting a university degree. You can probably challenge several courses, and in most places the degree will also qualify you for better salary brackets.

Fred Wagner

 

[kmcferrin]

I'd go with "Financial Systems and Data Architect".

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator

 

[gbaughma]

Or in my case "Chief cook and bottle washer". hehe

I'm glad it's Friday.


Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[lionelhill]

Keep a card in reserve. You might need to change your title again next year.

 

[MrDataGuy]

the only way i can get more than the normal yearly raise my title must change as i am near the threshold for the salary grade level i am at. The title gets me to another Salary grade level."

Well what are the title options for the next level? If your new title is "Grand-PoBar" but HR does not reconize that, then what good ( in a $ way ) is that. HR may have 1,2,3 standard/approved/premade titles for the next level, find out what they are, play their game. In fact find out what the next 2 or 3 levels are, go for broke and 'skip' 2 levels.

But be warned the title may not get you the $, there may be other things that you need, e.g. Certification, X number of hour of professional development, a signed note from GOD, whatever, I suggest making sure what all of the hoops are that you will need to jump threw.

Lion Crest Software Services
Anthony L. Testi
President

http://www.LionCrestSoftwareServices.com

 

[DonQuichote]

Ah And I was thinking I was the only one working in a programming company that had NO programmers! As a programmer, my favourite job title was off course "programmer". But I worked in a company that said that was out of the question.

+++ Despite being wrong in every important aspect, that is a very good analogy +++
Hex (in Darwin's Watch)

 

[tcsbiz]

There used to be programmers, programmer/analysts, senior programmer, senior programmer/analyst. Now they're developers, software engineers (which really angers the engineering profession), application specialists.

The worst title I had was RPG Application Professional. I became IBM certified and the company add a C to the beginning. So, I was a C-RPG Application Professional, or, C-RAP.

 

[maybeimaleo]

Gotta be careful with titles. I am a network engineer but when I got a promotion about six years ago my company gave me the title of Network Manager.

Sadly, once I got laid off that N.M. title really prevented me from finding a job (i.e. 'they don't want a manager', 'you'll ask for too much money', etc. etc.).

So you do have to be careful what you choose.

 

[lionelhill]

tcsbiz, you are so right, and hit a raw nerve with me!

The engineers need to get their own house in order before they complain. In the good ol' days, an engineer was a highly-skilled person, with a degree or equivalent, who made/repaired/developed things that worked. He/she understood a good bit of maths and physics, and everything necessary to make/repair/develop products in their field. Nowadays someone with a 1-hour course on how to replace a vacuum-cleaner bag calls themselves a service engineer, which is a disservice to real service engineers.

Even by good ol' rules, if a programmer/IT-technical expert/software developer has a degree or equivalent, copious fundamental understanding, and produces/maintains/specifies software products that work, they have every right to call themselves an engineer, if they want.

I'm a technical user, not a programmer, so I can't say for sure what's gone wrong in some parts of IT. I only see the products, and realise that my software goes wrong more often than my washing machine. Frankly I suspect that part of it may be software developers who don't really know the basics; who think that an algorithm is something geeky that only computer science lecturers should know about; that Knuth is a ball of cloth used in Russian saunas; who think that errors are just a feature of life, and probably someone else's fault... please tell me I'm wrong. I'm quite certain most IT people aren't like that, but it only takes a small minority to drag everyone down.

The average technical user will be disinclined to refer to programmers with respect, as engineers, so long as the hardware with which he/she works runs for years without fault, and does what it should, while the software has illogical glitches and "features", and falls over every couple of days.

So long live the genuine software engineer, please!