Re: Senior Technical Writer
Well, that's the whole point, isn't it? When you're job-hunting, your title is part of someone's first impression of you. Now you may say "I wouldn't want to work for someone who cares what my previous title was anyway" (and wouldn't most of us probably feel the same way?) but (a) sometimes you're trying to make a good impression on an HR person, not the person you'd be working for, and (b) sometimes you can't afford to be so dang picky.
Actually, for me the point is that any benefit that a job title bestows (and personally I'm not convinced that it bestows any)is far too fleeting and inconsequential for all the attention that people give to it. At best, it's only one small detail among many that make up the first impression. Maybe you don't want to neglect it, but you shouldn't spend a lot of time on it, either.
And, as sub-text: I believe that the insistence that a job title is important in the job-hunt is a flimsy rationale for the obsession with it. People simply admit that having "senior" in their title gives them a thrill, because they're afraid of sounding egotistical.
Well, since it's far too late for me to make a good impression with people on the list, let me buck the trend and say that I've grooved on my self importance for days when I got business cards listing me as a manager and a director. A little celebration when you've been promoted is natural, and the title is proof of your accomplishment. So why can't people simply admit that they covet the title?
That said, I also have to say, that, after a week or so with the new title, I found that nothing much had changed. If I was doing different duties, I still had to sit in front of the computer and e-mail and phone people. The sun still rose and the mountains were still there. So, I got over it pretty quickly.
And that's another important fact: after your initial reaction, no matter what your job title, a job is still a job. It's really not anything to spend much time on.
--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
"Sometimes it seems unimaginable
That the game could get that rough,
But the stage is set and the exit's barred,
And the makeup won't come off."
- Al Stewart, "Carole"
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Re: Senior Technical Writer: From: Tracy Boyington
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