In the competitive job market, your resume is your calling card, and your job title is the first thing a recruiter sees. A good title should clearly and concisely communicate your role and level of responsibility. However, in an attempt to sound innovative or important, companies and individuals have embraced a wave of trendy, inflated, and downright confusing job titles. While they might seem fun or impressive on the surface, many of these titles have the opposite effect. To a seasoned recruiter, they can be a major red flag, signaling a lack of substance, an unclear role, or a problematic company culture. Some job titles that are now red flags can get your resume tossed in the “no” pile before it’s even read.
Here are 10 job titles that might be hurting your job search more than they’re helping.
