Job Titles: Examples for Your Resume and Job Search

The job titles you list in your resume professional experience section can carry much weight during a hiring manager’s review of your career history. They position you as a more attractive candidate than others applying. But wordy, confusing, or complex job titles can do just the opposite, devaluing your experience, skills, and knowledge.

Every word matters when it comes to job titles on a resume. Just because an employer assigned a title to your role does not mean you should list your title the same way on your resume. The job titles on your resume should be targeted and specific, and match the keywords in the job description.

Learn why job titles matter on your resume, how to choose job titles for your resume, and how to deal with multiple titles. We’ll share some effective strategies for job title optimization on your resume. Forget what your job titles say and dig into how to make them meaningful.

Why Job Titles Matter on Your Resume

Job titles are succinct descriptors of your role in a company. They’re the ultimate elevator speech, encapsulating where you fall on the organizational chart and your responsibilities. Unlike a job description, your job title must say it all in a few words (data engineer) or even a few syllables (head surgeon).

The role of job titles in resumes

Job titles listed on your resume define your role, responsibilities, and company rank. Your job title can indicate a career climb, and the series of job titles you list in your resume professional experience section can demonstrate a commitment to attaining new skills and advancing your expertise. So your job title should not include fluff, technical jargon that would confuse a hiring manager, or exaggerated descriptors.

For example, suppose a previous employer assigned you the role of amazing service captain, while the intention might have been to communicate your everything-to-please-the-customer approach. In that case, the title comes off as unbelievable and baseless.

The bottom line: Your resume should include accurate, concise, and targeted job titles relevant to the job description.

Job titles and applicant tracking systems

Many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes initially to filter candidates. These systems identify keywords on resumes that align with job descriptions. You may be tempted to be creative with the job titles on your resume, but this is not the place.

If a company hires a sales director, use this professional title in your resume. If a business is seeking a training director, avoid coming up with some newfangled way to say the same thing. You’ll likely throw off a recruiter who quickly scans resumes and ATSs that do the same. If you want to showcase your creativity, there’s plenty of opportunity to shine in your resume profile/summary.

Our advice: list job titles in your resume that appear in the job description. Keep it simple.

Job titles and first impressions

Imagine you’re at a networking event or cocktail party. You introduce yourself to another attendee, perhaps the person sitting next to you at a keynote speech. Especially in a professional environment, after you say your name, the next part of your introduction includes a job title. You don’t say, “Good morning, Rob McMann.” Instead, your initial greeting goes like this: “Rob McMann, here. I’m a sales director at Initech. You?”

The person on the receiving end of your introduction immediately draws a first impression of your role and responsibilities — where you stand. These are initial assumptions, but the exact first impressions are formed by hiring managers when they read the job descriptions on your resume.

What do the job descriptions on your resume say about your credibility and relevance? How will you capture the attention of recruiters? Return to the job description and incorporate keywords to show you’re the right person for the role. Also, consider incorporating terms like certified or accredited if your credentials are high-level and warrant inclusion in a job title. The most common example is a certified public accountant, which is more impressive than an accountant.

Choosing the Right Job Titles for Your Resume

Sometimes, there are better ways to describe your role and responsibilities than your official job title at a company. It’s OK to deviate from official titles in your resume and replace unconventional or unclear ones with more concise titles. To choose the right job title for your resume, align the title with industry standards and the job description. Also, simplify complex job titles for clarity.

Using official job titles on a resume

How important is including a word-for-word job title given by an employer on your resume? That depends. If your job title consumes two lines of text on your email signature, pare down the title and reword it to a more concise yet accurate description. Also, your employer might have assigned a job title to you that no longer speaks to your responsibilities. Use a job title appropriate for your current role on your resume. This does not mean you should lie and give yourself a promotion, calling your title director of sales when you have worked at a company for three months as a sales associate. But changing your job title for a resume to be clear, accurate, and targeted is perfectly acceptable.

Only use the official title given by an employer on your resume if the job title is unconventional or clear. For example, brand evangelist, chief chatter, and retail Jedi are over-fluffed job titles for marketing manager, call center associate, and retail director. Get to the point on your resume.

Aligning job titles with industry standards

Every industry has expectations and norms, and the professional job titles you include on your resume should speak to those standards. Some industries standardize job titles to associate various roles with salaries.

If you are applying for a job in a different industry, review the job titles in your resume professional experience section and edit them to include relevant terminology. Also, you lose any proprietary job titles from your existing or previous employers that are meaningless to your prospective employer’s industry.

Simplifying complex job titles

We’ve all been there. A professional tells you their job title and prefaces it with a disclaimer: This is a long one. But why? Overly complex or wordy job titles on a resume distract the reader, confuse hiring managers, and are likely not to be green-lighted by an ATS. Always simplify long or complex titles for clarity.

Here are some examples of how to simplify complex job titles:

• Change minister of culture to human resources director
• Change director of first impressions to client services manager
• Change media master to social media manager

Examples of Effective Job Titles for Various Industries

The following are some engaging job titles to include on your resume. They align with various industries’ standards and will attract the attention of hiring managers and ATS.

How To Handle Multiple Job Titles on a Resume

If you were promoted once or several times at a company and held multiple job descriptions, list the company name followed by all job titles in reverse chronological order.

When stacking job titles under the company name, you can include bullet points describing responsibilities applying to all roles. Another formatting option for multiple job titles on a resume is to position different positions as subheadings, followed by bullet points explaining work experience and accomplishments.

Finally, you can treat job titles as separate entries. In this case, list the job title first, the company’s name and location, and then bullet points detailing your work experience and responsibilities.

Common Mistakes To Avoid With Job Titles on Your Resume

We reviewed the best job titles for a resume and how to choose job titles that are targeted, concise, accurate, and demonstrate your capabilities. Let’s review some common mistakes applicants make when listing job titles on their resumes — ones that will divert your resume from the next-steps file into the discarded pile.

Using inflated or exaggerated titles

The last reaction you want from a hiring manager who reviews your resume is, “Really? Get real.” Avoid inflated and exaggerated job titles on your resume that undermine your credibility. Instead, be straightforward when listing titles and use the bullet points in your professional experience section to elaborate on measurable results you’ve achieved in your current and previous roles.

Job titles that are too vague or generic

Another reaction you don’t want your resume to elicit from a hiring manager: “What do you mean?” Be clear. Be concise. Be specific when including job titles on your resume.

Including outdated or irrelevant job titles on your resume

The job titles you include on your resume should align with the job description, incorporating keywords and relevant experience and skills. Suppose you were a top-rated hairdresser, and you’re applying for a position as a medical billing specialist. In that case, the cosmetology awards you garnered in your previous occupation don’t matter to the hiring manager or an ATS that is filtering applications.

Final Tips for Using Job Titles Effectively on Your Resume

Following are additional considerations to keep in mind as you review the job titles on your resume to ensure they are professional, aligned with industry standards, and relevant.

Update your resume with current job titles

As your roles and responsibilities change, update your job titles so your resume is always ready to go. In a career that might span industries and include several different job roles, recording these as promotions and other changes occur reduces the likelihood of forgetting what might be an important, relevant position to a future employer.

Leverage job titles in cover letters and interviews

Just as you would introduce yourself in person at a networking event by stating your name and job title, cover letters and interviews afford the same opportunity and provide another touchpoint for emphasizing your role and responsibilities. During interviews, highlight your career growth by noting your progression at one company or upward moves from one organization to another. Ultimately, job titles show the skills, experience, and value you can bring to a future employer.

Seek feedback on job titles to use in a resume

Your employer gave you the job title chief experience officer. But what would other companies call this role? Your job titles must be relevant and understandable to hiring managers, so get input from peers, mentors, career advisors, and industry specialists who can offer advice on compelling job titles to include on your resume.

Additional Resources

Links to resume templates and examples

• ATS-Friendly Resume Examples and Templates
• General (Universal) Resume Examples and Templates
• Hybrid Resume Examples and Templates 

Online tools for job title research and optimization

• Best Resume Formats
• How To Write a Resume Summary (with Examples)
• Lying on a Resume

Career advice articles and job application tips

• 1 in 4 Gen Zers Brought a Parent to a Job Interview
• 3 in 4 Hiring Managers Pass on Candidates with Bad Resumes
• 1 in 5 Companies Report Offering Lower Salaries than Last Year

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.