My actual job title for my resume? 2

[unc92sax]

I'm a contractor at a major financial firm. My project is migrating users with highly sensative data from SP1 to SP2. The process is as follows:

1. Data Backup (FAST Wizard)
2. Ghosting a new SP2 image (BartPE Ghost)
3. Customizing the new image (Installing software, joining domain, setting up local permissions)
4. Data Restore (FAST Wizard)
5. User personalization (email, proxies, printers, blackberry, aircard, etc)
6. Troubleshooting

As part of the process, I occasionally use AD to access machine accounts and I also use Computer Management remotely.

My current job title is Installation Technician which I believe sells my job description way short. What is a more accurate job title? Thanks for any assistance here.

I also may have negotiated my contract poorly. I'm in the Charlotte area making $21/hr. Any thoughts on that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks for a great forum!!!

unc92sax
MCP, CCNA, Net+, A+
(working toward MCSA/MCSE)

 

[MDXer]

If it were my resume i would list my job as Contractor/Consultant and then in a description of my duties list it as a data migration specialist or some such thing.

Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!
- Daffy Duck

 

[kHz]

If your current job title is Installation Technician then you are an Installation Technician. You can't concoct your own job title.

 

[philhege]

If I could name my own job description, it would be "Grand Poobah and PHAMWAA of Shardu". With all of the honors and accolades owing thereto.

But I can't, so I'm just a P/A. Or, PITA to my coworkers and internal customers.

;^)

Phil Hegedusich
Senior Programmer/Analyst
IIMAK

http://www.iimak.com

-----------
I'll have the roast duck with the mango salsa.

 

[Tarwn]

If your current job title is Installation Technician then you are an Installation Technician. You can't concoct your own job title.

Sure you can

I was a Project Leader/Manager at a previous job, with two direct reports. We were a startup software company and I was brought on board to rewrite an application that had been under development for 16+ months. The sales guy (sorry, "VP of Sales and Business Development") made all the business titles and spent more time looking for the next big thing instead of, er, closing sales. He was allowed to create all of the job titles and made me a "VP of Software Development".
So now on my resume I put Project Manager/"VP of Software Development". When people ask about it, it allows me to start a discussion about experiences at this startup, things I learned from it failing, the management experiences I did have, how I saved the relationship with our most important partner company, etc. Plus I don't feel as dishonest about having a VP title on my resume when I wasn't doing the job of a VP.

 

[unc92sax]

You can't concoct your own job title.

I don't want to lie or concoct ar anything of the sort. I simply don't want to shoot myself in the foot as I've heard that using the word "technician" anywhere on your resume will prevent you from being considered for a sysadmin job (which is my goal).

In fact I would rather put no job title. I like the idea of putting "consultant" but I'm not sure how that would fly.

 

[SQLSister]

What I did in a simlar situation was put my actual job title (if they check with an old employer you don;t want them saying, no he wasn't a consultant he was an installer) and then in parentheses after it I put the title that described what I actually did.

Questions about posting. See faq183-874

 

[AlexCuse]

I kind of need to concoct my own title as well.

What if my job title is Marketing Analyst, but I do not actually do a lick of marketing analysis, outside of suggesting what pieces of data we have that might be included to improve reports?

As my job is 99% programming I think that programmer/analyst is probably appropriate. It at least contains one word from my official title. I am currently tuning up my resume to apply to grad school. I am going to apply to a Software Engineering program, and I need something to show them that despite not having any formal education in computer science, I just might be worth letting in.

Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom

 

[kHz]

You put down the job title the company gives you, not what you make up. The reason is when a potential employer calls to verify your employment they will verify you held job X.

How would it look to put down VP of Software Development and you did great on your interviews and you are probably going to be hired. All they need to do is check employment history and verify your education.

They call company X and find out you didn't hold a VP position. Job will most likely be gone due to a candidate lying.

What if you went to college and you have 160 hours of undergraduate course work but never completed a course of study, and the course work is over 15 years. You put down you have a BA from the University of WoolOverYourEyes. Your reasoning is the college only requires 125 hourse for a BA degree and you have 160 hours - more than required. Do you have a degree? No. Not any different than creating a job title or bestowing a degree upon yourself.

 

[kHz]

need something to show them that despite not having any formal education in computer science, I just might be worth letting in.

A job title will not hold any weight your acceptance or denial to a graduate program.

People have entered graduate Comp Sci programs with an undergraduate in Education, History, Business, or other fields of study. All had to fulfill prereq's as you may have to do. It doesn't have anything to do with creating a job title for yourself.

 

[AlexCuse]

Thanks for that kHz. I am still going to ask my boss for a new title. It just does not make sense to me. Especially when I am meeting with vendors or clients, and I give them my card. They give me this look like 'why the heck am I talking to a 'marketing analyst''. I guess it does not help that when my boss sets up the meetings he refers to me as Developer or DBA, depending who the meeting is with...

Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom

 

[Tarwn]

I prefer to be honest, which is why I put the VP title on my resume in quotes. It was my official title in the company, on my cards, in news releases, etc. But it feels dishonest to claim that title on my resume when I did not do half of what a normal VP would be expected to do. So I give myself a lower title on purpose and explain that when asked. If a company doesn't want me based on that alone, if they cannot understand why I would rather not claim a title that was mostly fluff, determined by a coworker more concerned with the titles in the business then actually putting any work into making the business successful, then that tells me something about the company I am applying to. And, as I said before, it gives me a great opportunity to discuss numerous topics and I believe makes people who are going through resumes a little curious to see why I put that on there.

The other reason is that I rarely interview and I never interview cold. Every company I have interviewed with, from the time I was 17 on, I had a contact (or many) that was at most a colleague of a colleague. That connection allowed me to learn a lot more about the company that I was considering working for, as well as giving me the weight to make it to the interviews and the ability to sell myself. The only time this didn't work as in 2002 when one fairly large company had to withdraw their invitation to an interview, put on a hiring freeze, and started laying off.

The last resort for a company is to hire from a pool of people that no one in the company knows. And even if they have posted a position far and wide, they will still give greater weight to someone who is known by someone at the company, or by someone they know. There are fewer surprises and a greater opportunity to learn about a potential hire this way.

 

[gbaughma]

Job titles are always interesting.

Here's my job duties.

1) Maintain all PC's/thin clients
2) Maintain user accounts on Active Directory
3) Daily backups/tape rotation
4) Disaster recovery planning
5) ASP / Javascript programming
6) VisualBasic Programming
7) Security, including cameras, proximity card programming, keyfob programming
8) Electronics, including electronic door repairs
9) Telephones, including adds/moves/changes and programming

Job title? IS Support Supervisor.

Does it fit? Not really. Do I list my duties? Heck yeah.



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly exchanged his dilithium crystals for new Folger's Crystals." -- My Sister
--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[AJ1982]

As a side to this, my official job title somewhere was "PC Support Person" but I maintained user accounts, server reboots and backups, so I stated my offial job title in my CV, but also listed "Junior Network Administrator" which I put below the title...

AJ

===

Fatman Superstar (Andrew James)

CCNA

 

[tfg13]

Seems there is a lot of "what really is my job's name"? In the previous post by FatmanSuperstar, he also refers to himself as a "Junior Network Administrator". According to Salary.com, that particular "title" has the following qualifications:

Sets up, configures, and supports internal and/or external networks. Develops and maintains all systems, applications, security, and network configurations. Troubleshoots network performance issues and creates and maintains a disaster recovery plan. Recommends upgrades, patches, and new applications and equipment. Provides technical support and guidance to users. May require a bachelor's degree in area of specialty and 0-2 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Has knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Relies on instructions and pre-established guidelines to perform the functions of the job. Works under immediate supervision. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager.

I'll assume "Junior Network Administrator" also translates to "Network Administrator I". As a CCNA, I can see trying to incoporate that into the title somehow, but if you are not conducting that job, don't put it in there. As KHz states, if a "past job" call is made, you may get hosed, even though you listed it as a secondary title.

Each company has different definitions themselves, of what a job function is. For one company, a "systems administrator" could very well be a "network administrator" somewhere else. Don't convolute a CV/resume with a secondary title, but list the duties you conducted instead.