Titles Matter

  • Gary, that's funny, because I DID bring donuts every Friday. Food is always a good way to get people to drop by. Less important long term but critical at the time is being able to figure out where someone fits in the power structure. Delivery Lead was ambiguous, I had office space next to the CIO, but I wasn't part of the leadership team. Everyone scratching their head about do I have power or not? Combined with the title, it was miserable/amusing on any given day for weeks. Eventually everyone figured out what I did and life was easier. I'll fight more for a better title next time (or use parens!).

  • Andy Warren (8/8/2014)


    Technical Lead isn't a bad title, though I'd like it better if it were Database Technical Lead or SQL Technical Lead. Still, I think most reading the title will get/assume that you knew something!

    It's rank-equivalent to team lead. The idea, as far as I can tell, is that teams will have one team lead, who manages and directs the people and one technical lead who manages and directs the technology used.

    However I'm in a team of 1...

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Andy, I like your idea about going to Indeed, Monster, whatever, and looking up one's title, or the title one would like to have, to learn more about it. Great idea. Thanks!

    Rod

  • GilaMonster (8/8/2014)


    Andy Warren (8/8/2014)


    Technical Lead isn't a bad title, though I'd like it better if it were Database Technical Lead or SQL Technical Lead. Still, I think most reading the title will get/assume that you knew something!

    It's rank-equivalent to team lead. The idea, as far as I can tell, is that teams will have one team lead, who manages and directs the people and one technical lead who manages and directs the technology used.

    However I'm in a team of 1...

    If you get involved in team arguments then there is help for that.1

    1 Mental illness should be taken seriously. Jokes less so.

    Gaz

    -- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!

  • GilaMonster (8/8/2014)


    Andy Warren (8/8/2014)


    Technical Lead isn't a bad title, though I'd like it better if it were Database Technical Lead or SQL Technical Lead. Still, I think most reading the title will get/assume that you knew something!

    It's rank-equivalent to team lead. The idea, as far as I can tell, is that teams will have one team lead, who manages and directs the people and one technical lead who manages and directs the technology used.

    However I'm in a team of 1...

    Hey, at least you're the leader of the team of 1. 😛

  • I've heard of one place where they were toying with the idea of getting rid of all IT job titles. It was one of those ultimate agile shops where everyone was a "developer".

  • I guess job titles can be useful if they reflect roughly what you do and what level you work at, but in my experience most job titles usually reflect at most one of those two things. In the 38 years when I worked regularly I held at least 32 different job titles, most of which I can remember. But what does for example does "Chief Architect and Head of Program Management for Data Communications and Interworking" (for example) mean? What is a "Principal Technical Officer"? What does "Chief Designer (Applications Division)" do? The level in the hierarch implied by "Section Leader" is sort of clear, sort of unclear, but what technical area is covered and to what degree it is a technical role are not signalled at all by the job title.

    When I say I can remember most of the job titles, it means I've forgotten some of them; I haven't forgotten what I did when I held them; most of the ones I've forgotten I only ever saw on memos telling me I'd been appointed to such and such a job, because no-one ever bothered to use those job titles much at all. Sometime job titles changed with the tiniest change in responsabilities, which meant that job title changes came thick and fast in a fast-moving environment.

    Tom

  • Regarding the Article, a thought provoking editorial, thanks for writing it.

    jboc (8/8/2014)


    You must be truthful on your resume but you can define yourself.

    Omission is always allowed (and legal) on a resume. For example, my extended resume has a few tricks in it for when I get: "We want your 10 year job history!!" Me: "Um, you're nuts, but fine. Reload your printer and clear some drive space."

    For example, one position may list like this:

    COMPANY START-END

    Title: Database Administrator

    Next:

    COMPANY2 START-END

    Job Overview: SSIS Lead Developer and T-SQL Optimization Expert

    Note, there is not a lie there at all. I have simply changed what I'm describing in the same position for clarity. Presentation is everything.


    - Craig Farrell

    Never stop learning, even if it hurts. Ego bruises are practically mandatory as you learn unless you've never risked enough to make a mistake.

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  • The article makes a very good point that affects us all. My title is 'retired' DBA. Can I get a raise with that? I never really worried about my title, but I do see the importance. The only title I ever had that I wanted to give up was IT Mgr. After 12 years, I did just that. An interesting thing is that just a couple years ago, my son did the same thing. Now he works online in his office in a small Rocky Mtn town with his dog lying near him. priorities....

    Rick
    Disaster Recovery = Backup ( Backup ( Your Backup ) )

  • David.Poole (8/8/2014)


    I've heard of one place where they were toying with the idea of getting rid of all IT job titles. It was one of those ultimate agile shops where everyone was a "developer".

    Sounds familiar! 😉

    qh

    [font="Tahoma"]Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. – Carl Jung.[/font]

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