What's in a name? 1

[Blogg]

Guys, my IT Manager recently told me and my fellow workmate that the company had decided to change our job titles as part of a 'global banding inititave to help more accuratley describe our roles'. We are both Network Admins and the only IT personel for our area, although we do receve support from bigger branches. Our new job titles are 'System Services Support Analyst' ??!! but our job roles are still relatively the same and no increase in salary.
What does this mean? Is it better? or worse? Will it tarnish my career prospects with other employers?

Network Administrator Vs System Services Support Analyst, which is better?

Thanks

Blogg.

 

[butchrecon]

Changing titles for IT employees in companies seems to be a trend recently. Is it for the better or for the worse? Not sure yet. Could it hurt your chances in future jobs? Not if you present the skill sets needed for the job. Titles are just titles, does it truly matter? Not in my opinion. It is your duties and skill sets that futures employers will look for. I am sure your title will change again over the course of the nest few years. Just continue to be professional, grow your skill set and try not to burn bridges This can be increasingly difficult in today's economy).).

James Collins
Help Desk Analyst
A+, MCP, MCSA, Network+

 

[Blogg]

Yes I agree with you, job titles are meaningless to me, BUT I am of the opinion that job titles mean alot with white collar employers. $$$.

Blogg

 

[butchrecon]

Job titles do mean a lot for employers, when it comes to their current employers. A prospective employer may raise a brow to the title of a prospect, however it is the knowledge, experience and skill set that lands the interview.

James Collins
Help Desk Analyst
A+, MCP, MCSA, Network+

 

[Blogg]

"it is the knowledge, experience and skill set that lands the interview. "

Not true, anyone can land an interview with a false resume.
But which title on the resume appeals to the employer the most?

Blogg

 

[butchrecon]

Your correct, anyone can land and interview with flubbed credentials. However it is hard to flub those credentials in a good interview. So I will restate my phrase, "it is the knowledge, experience and skill set that lands the job."


James Collins
Help Desk Analyst
A+, MCP, MCSA, Network+

 

[sleipnir214]

I would think it's the job title that catches the eye.

A former boss told me I had to get business cards, and that those cards must have a job title on them. (To this day I don't know why -- the only time I ever handed the cards out was in those "Drop your card for a free lunch" fishbowls in restaurants.)

I insisted that my job title be "Data Wrangler". I can't say that the job title ever got me a job, but every interviewer I've had since then has asked me to explain the job title. Which does give me a good opportunity to extoll my own virtues.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[benlinkknilneb]

sleipnir:
"Data Wrangler"

I love it... what kind of a job description would you put with that? My aunt used to claim the title "Domestic Engineer" (housewife)...

Blogg:
If you're concerned about what the employer would like better, just pick the longer name ;-) All joking aside, I doubt that the title would be the reason you get/didn't get a job. Outside of a highly technical company, people have a tendency to group all the IT titles under "Computer Guy"... so if you're capable of performing the work they're requiring, the title won't be a deciding factor.

 

[dilettante]

Some of this may have to do with down-scaling network and platform support jobs down the road.

In the past decade many companies made few distictions between computer jobs, often using software developer job titles to cover things like an email admin job. As people (including management and HR types) become more literate they have begun to realize that the guys who plug in network drops in the closets or help you know when to press the "any key" can be done with less expensive help. The emporer has been exposed, if you will.

While the J2EE/.Net/C++/etc. developers will be commanding a greter share of the payroll down the road, they are also the ones most vulnerable to outsourcing/offshoring to cut costs there.

So it is possible that retitling positions may be related to these sorts of changes in HR thinking.

 

[Kjonnnn]

One thing is for sure. No one out side of the computer industry will have the slightest idea what the title means or what you do.

Non-industrial tites/descriptons are:

A Computer Guy
Works with Computers
Fixes Computers
Programs Computers
Works on the computer

Any further detailed explanation will cause your listener's eyes to glaze over.

 

[sleipnir214]

benlinkknilneb:
To give credit where credit is due, I saw the job title in the credits of the movie "What Dreams May Come (

http://us.imdb.com/Details?0120889).

The position was on one of the CG crews.

The actual job description is the typical one for a system admin. But I've noticed a lot of interviewers don't read the desciption -- they just immediately ask about it.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[MasterRacker]

There's a lot of this going around. Dilettante made some valid points (that also appeal to my cynical side).

On the charitable side of things (believe me, a very small part of my makeup... ;-) ) It may also be an honest attempt to synchronize with other companies. A large difficulty any company has with their compensation plan is trying to determine if they are really giving similar compensation for similar work as their competitors do. (Cynical: a company especially wants to be VERY careful not to overpay anyone below executive level.)

My previous employer went through this exercise company wide because they had recieved so many complaints internally about below-market pay. When they were done, I had gone from "Network Administrator / System Support" to "Systems Engineer". No change in the job description and no change in pay, BUT the pay range for the title was different. Instead of being at the top of scale for my grade, I was now below middle, so there was suddenly room for advancement (had I not been downsized as my sub-company was dissolved a few months later )

HR people and consultants do occasionaly talk about these things and there is some effort at times to standardize titles. There's still a lot of chaos though.

Do a Google on "Salary Survey". Pick a few you like and look up the "typical duties" they give for the position titles they are using in their survey. Within any given survey, you'll see a lot of overlap and between any two surveys you'll see a lot differences for the same title.

Personally I like "Cognitive Implementor" (means I think of stuff that needs doing, then do it.)


Jeff
If your mind is too open your brains will fall out...

 

[Blogg]

Guys, many thanks for your thoughts.

 

[lionelhill]

Look on the bright side. According to what job you're going for, you've now got two potential titles to use to catch the employer's eye, not just one. Good luck!

 

[Onyxpurr]

Yes, I agree. It's just the compensation part that irks me. I was "Help Desk" at my last job and getting paid well for "Help Desk". However truth was I was doing more than "Help Desk". Most of my time was actually doing systems work, database programming, and intranet management. HELLO!!!

When I was laid off, I was very discouraged. Instead of putting just "Help Desk" on my resume though, I put "Help Desk/Programmer". Nothing dishonest about that, right?

 

[Onyxpurr]

So because of supply and demand it's perfectly moral to pay our teachers and policemen low wages?

I was getting underpaid according to average of the market. However, because the company decided to label me as "Help Desk", I only got paid an average of what "Help Desk" does.

So according to your arguement, a programmer/db admin/help desk should be paid equally to a help desk person?

Just because a company can take advantage of a person doesn't mean they should. I'm not asking for a big salary, just around market average for what I do, not what my title is.

 

[KornGeek]

Onyxpurr,

The statements made aren't saying it's moral to pay teachers and policemen low wages. Instead, it's saying that it's standard business practice. The statements above (as I read them) aren't condoning these practices, but rather explaining why they exist.

The way it works (in theory) is that if you are being paid under market value for what you're doing, then you will find another job doing the same thing for a better price, and your current company will lose out. This is the concept that leads companies to give raises in the first place.

Unfortunately, in this economy, the theory doesn't hold up as well as we would like.

 

[lionelhill]

Expecting an employer to pay more than they need to makes me wonder how many people wander into a supermarket, look at the tomatoes, and insist on paying a bit extra because they look so nice today. I doubt it happens.
More's the pity.

 

[Onyxpurr]

I'm sorry, I mis-interpreted due to the comment:

"What can you do that justifies large annual pay?"

And, sidenote, I did justify, even according to their guidelines when I was getting paid Admin III wages and doing a Project Admin job (even my manager agreed with me but HR wouldn't)

Note to self: Chill