Job title inflation

[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: vi edit
First and foremost, I'm not slamming any of the positions or people I'm brining up in this post. This is a simple commentary on the titles that are on their name tags.

That said....

What's with the inflated titles these days? Taco Bell has Food & Service Champions. The guy who wrang up my Milk Duds at Walgreens the other day was an "Executive Assistant Manager". At the Blockbuster I go to, every single employee I have ever seen there is a "Manager" as identified by their name tags.

Unless you are getting paid more to go along with the name, it all just seems a bit comical to me. I know all about the title infatuation in the corporate world, but this retail adoption of the practice is a little more recent.

At Walgreens, the executive assistant manager title was never meant to be a title inflation. It's simply a description of the job.

Stores have their regular employees. (cashiers, cosmeticians, stockers, etc)
They have assistant managers. (paid hourly, these are the entry level management types.)
They then have managemnet trainees. Essentially these are the most qualified assistant managers. They are in training to become a store manager. Once the district manager feels as though they are "ready", they get promoted to executive assistant manager.
They have executive assistant managers (usually no more than 1 at most stores. They are salaried. They are in line to get their own store and be store managers. They stay executive assistants until their district manager decides they are ready to put them in their own store.)
Then they have a store manager. 1 per store. They are essentially the "executive" of the store.

Members of the stores management team will often work at registers during times when the employees are on breaks or lunches. They also help at the registers if lines have started to form. Essentially, the assistant managers, management trainees, and executive assistants help out wherever needed in addition to their normal associated roles.

They have used the Executive Assistant Manager title for many years .... I started with the company in 1996 (as a pharmacy technician), and there were executive assistants then, I don't know about before that though .... Also, I was at one time a "senior pharmacy technician." It wasn't an inflated title though, I was a good tech and worked my ass off. Got a bonus too ....

I do sometimes miss retail, believe it or not, but I'm glad that I'm in IT now ....

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: spidey07
I love the catch all - "specialist"

Yeah I'm a sales floor specialist at my part-time job. I thought that was kind of funny. It's even more funny that new people with no training whatsoever are also specialists. I'm going to start wearing my "In Training" button again.

 

[alkemyst]

loser isn't acceptable anymore

 

[TraumaRN]

Yea I'm a Staff Emergency Room Nurse

Pretty clear job title without embellishment.

But I'm also a certified trauma nurse, certified advanced cardiovascular life support, and soon certified advanced trauma life support

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
I am teh Mac Genius

If you were a genius, you wouldn't own a mac.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I'm the Information Services Manager at my job. No one knows what it means, not even me. I usually end up giving about a paragraph description of my job because the title is so completely meaningless as to be utterly useless. But I do manage the hell out of those information services.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: DeathBUA
Yea I'm a Staff Emergency Room Nurse

Pretty clear job title without embellishment.

But I'm also a certified trauma nurse, certified advanced cardiovascular life support, and soon certified advanced trauma life support

But you aren't cool until you are a Flight Nurse.

 

[TraumaRN]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: DeathBUA
Yea I'm a Staff Emergency Room Nurse

Pretty clear job title without embellishment.

But I'm also a certified trauma nurse, certified advanced cardiovascular life support, and soon certified advanced trauma life support

But you aren't cool until you are a Flight Nurse.

I suppose...pain in the ass to get though

 

[Aikouka]

My friend always knocks my title of software engineer because he says I'm not really an engineer .

Originally posted by: spidey07
I love the catch all - "specialist"

When I worked at McDonalds, my name tag said "Customer Service Specialist." I assembled burgers or ran the fucking grill .

Originally posted by: hanoverphist
my title is "Senior Programmer". we have 4 programmers. one is the owner, the other two are project managers. im the only actual programmer, with no one under me but the PMs i help. so im senior to no actual programmers lol. i was thinking of changing it to Senor Programmer.

That also reflects your skill level though.

 

[PepePeru]

i saw a sign that Long John Silvers is currently seeking "Customer Maniacs"

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
My friend always knocks my title of software engineer because he says I'm not really an engineer .

Originally posted by: spidey07
I love the catch all - "specialist"

When I worked at McDonalds, my name tag said "Customer Service Specialist." I assembled burgers or ran the fucking grill .

Originally posted by: hanoverphist
my title is "Senior Programmer". we have 4 programmers. one is the owner, the other two are project managers. im the only actual programmer, with no one under me but the PMs i help. so im senior to no actual programmers lol. i was thinking of changing it to Senor Programmer.

That also reflects your skill level though.

ya, true. the title changed after i graduated. originally i was "Systems Integrator" which was way off base for scada integrator work.

 

[Leros]

I learned the hard way that secretaries get offended when you call them secretaries. They are 'executive assistants'.

 

[akubi]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: mugs
I was a sandwich artist at Subway, and I took that title seriously. Every sandwich I made was a work of art.

I don't what to know what sort of signature a Sammich Artist leaves on my sub.

what, you thought that was mayo?

 

[geno]

Everyone's a winner and everyone gets to feel like they're one-of-a-kind...by applying the same honors to everyone.

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
I'm the CEO of a company. A defunct company.

you can has bailout?

 

[IGBT]

..some places now call clerks "office technicians" but they can't fix the copy machine.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

"Retail professional"

Did you know there is a union for people that sell clothes. YES! THE DIM-WITTED salespeople might be in a union! Yet engineers have always had trouble when they try to unionize.

Go figure.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
"Retail professional"

Did you know there is a union for people that sell clothes. YES! THE DIM-WITTED salespeople might be in a union! Yet engineers have always had trouble when they try to unionize.

Go figure.

Remember the Great Grocery Bagger Strike a few years ago? Even they have their own union.

 

[Ns1]

If you're not in a position of authority or you are not making 6 digits a year, your title should clearly state MAGGOT

 

[imported_Champ]

i'm the sales associate

 

[Scarpozzi]

Technically, I'm a chemical engineer. I have to change out the blue stuff in portable shitters.

 

[Descartes]

Have you ever been in an environment where these titles are bestowed on people? Director, associate, assistant, senior, chief, lead, etc. From accountants to Walgreens cashiers, people ascribe these titles in an effort to motivate and apply a sense of pride in their position no matter what the responsibility. Some large company cultures treat title almost as rigidly as would the military.

All that said, I agree it's kind of ridiculous, but people eat it up.

 

[OCGuy]

We do this all the time with loans. When we have to make a borrower's job sound important enough to support our income claim. I got a cow milker in Modesto a $320,000 home by calling him a "Farm Engineer". But alas, Im sure his house is now forclosed.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Leros
I learned the hard way that secretaries get offended when you call them secretaries. They are 'executive assistants'.

There is a difference.

There are:

Receptionists - Answer phone, greet people
Secretary - The above but also some time management functions
Administrative Assistant - May answer phones for a small group but is otherwise dedicated to a small group of people. Usually performs complex functions including correspondence writing, managing schedules of people, and preparing presentations/reports. May fill in for boss on committees, etc.
Executive Administrative Assistant - The same duties as an AA but with much more responsibilities. May permanently represent an organization or group on a board/committee, etc, etc.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
We do this all the time with loans. When we have to make a borrower's job sound important enough to support our income claim. I got a cow milker in Modesto a $320,000 home by calling him a "Farm Engineer". But alas, Im sure his house is now forclosed.

So you're part of the problem? Way to go, guy!