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Job Title Help
Grundlestiltskin
Behind you!Registered User regular
Behind you!Registered User regular
So a bit of background. I bounced around for a few years after undergrad figuring out what I wanted to do, with my most significant titles being "Project Manager" and "Technical Marketing Associate." I decided I wanted to get onto more of a high level management track, so I went back to school and got my MBA (just completed a few weeks ago). I signed on as a contractor at a software start-up and we've started having discussions about a permanent role for me.
Since I've started here, I've been kind of a floater. I was hired to help out with a strategy project, but more recently I've been brought in on a number of different development projects to fill holes (the company is in ramp-up mode, so they don't necessarily have all of the resources they need for each project). Helping a Project Manager create materials for deliverable tracking here, creating materials for a client presentation there, and spending an increasing amount of time doing QA work - helping test software because there aren't many dedicated QA people yet.
The VP of Development has talked to me a few times about staying on permanently as a floating resource on the development team. It's a startup, people have to wear different hats etc etc, but I want to make sure that any job I take now is really driving my career forward. I'm hoping to end up acting in a project/product manager capacity in software IT companies, hopefully in the game industry somewhere down the line. I don't mind helping out, and a paycheck is obviously nice in today's economy. I just want to make sure I'm getting marketable experience at this point in my career. We'll see.
Anyway, given the amorphous nature of the position I seem to be filling they've been struggling to come up with an appropriate title. The last one they floated by me was "Release Engineer," which sounds awful and in no way conducive to the type of work I eventually hope to be doing. They've given me some leeway to come up with a title that I feel is more appropriate, but I really don't even know where to start.
Any thoughts?
Since I've started here, I've been kind of a floater. I was hired to help out with a strategy project, but more recently I've been brought in on a number of different development projects to fill holes (the company is in ramp-up mode, so they don't necessarily have all of the resources they need for each project). Helping a Project Manager create materials for deliverable tracking here, creating materials for a client presentation there, and spending an increasing amount of time doing QA work - helping test software because there aren't many dedicated QA people yet.
The VP of Development has talked to me a few times about staying on permanently as a floating resource on the development team. It's a startup, people have to wear different hats etc etc, but I want to make sure that any job I take now is really driving my career forward. I'm hoping to end up acting in a project/product manager capacity in software IT companies, hopefully in the game industry somewhere down the line. I don't mind helping out, and a paycheck is obviously nice in today's economy. I just want to make sure I'm getting marketable experience at this point in my career. We'll see.
Anyway, given the amorphous nature of the position I seem to be filling they've been struggling to come up with an appropriate title. The last one they floated by me was "Release Engineer," which sounds awful and in no way conducive to the type of work I eventually hope to be doing. They've given me some leeway to come up with a title that I feel is more appropriate, but I really don't even know where to start.
Any thoughts?
Grundlestiltskin on
3DS FC: 2079-6424-8577
Posts
Project Leader would be more appropriate for someone in that position if you do, in fact, give directions and other things. If you're just reassigning people that seems more of Department Director of some sort.
I've only been here for two weeks, so what I "really do" is up in the air. Right now what I do is help out with whatever people stop by and ask me to help with, and use the time in between to work on the project I was hired to do (research and identify potential companies for acquisition).
I'm not a developer, have never been a developer and don't have the specific skills to ever do that. Right now I'm getting stuck helping the QA team for a lot of my time, testing bugs and telling the developers what needs to get fixed.
As I get more experience here, it's likely I take on more of a project management role (particularly as they hire people who are actually qualified to be doing QA). I just want to avoid a title on my resume where people go "oh, that's a software QA position so that's what he does."
3DS FC: 2079-6424-8577
I would think something like "Director of QA" would be better, or "Director of Analysis", something along that format.
Usually avoid "QA" in your name unless it has Director or above as well.
See that's what I was thinking too, I couldn't come up with anything solid, but I like the staff engineer title. Senior Staff Engineer is even better.
The VP of Development gave me a call last night and we talked about it for a bit, and he basically said that he saw me as someone smart/flexible who could fill a lot of different needs and help put out fires. That might mean supporting QA one day, helping out with analysis for the marketing team the next, and helping with project planning/scoping for another client. It sounds like I'll get a lot of good experience doing that, we just don't really know what to call it. Apparently "release engineer" was just him thinking out loud to the HR head and not something he really considered, so we're still trying to figure it out. He said he considered it more of a "management trainee" position, but you can't really call it that either.
Might go with "Business Analyst" since I likely will end up doing a fair amount of that type of work going forward, but it's still up in the air at this point. I'm not in a huge rush at the moment because I'm making pretty decent money on contract with them and will likely make less as a permanent employee, but we'll see what happens.
Thanks all for the feedback.
3DS FC: 2079-6424-8577
Systems Engineer is pretty good.
'B-A' is usually a lower title: nothing wrong with it, just not typically someone who manages people. Really doesn't matter too much, what you do defines your job at your current place and then on your resume.