What's In A Job Title?

As an administrative assistant, you have many tasks, duties and jobs around the always-busy office you help run. You should have a job title that matches your prowess, but you do so many things well that it may be hard for HR to come up with a relevant phrase that describes what you do.

Just because two or three words can't describe your day-to-day job as an administrative assistant, that doesn't mean HR should neglect your job title. Instead, ask yourself what type of title fits your experience and your roles within the office. Do you manage the inner workings of an office, and do you report to several people throughout the day? Do you perform administrative tasks all of the time, or do you work for one executive on a daily basis?

When you ask human resources for a title upgrade, keep one major consideration in mind: Although a unique or unusual job title may stand out from the crowd, your position's basic duties and how you perform them are more important than having a snazzy moniker in front of your name. Keyword searching programs and applicant trackers look for relevant titles, as opposed to something unique and different, when vetting candidates. Therefore, a unique title may hurt you in the long run of career success.

However, you deserve to have a job title that bespeaks how well you do your job. Human resources has to walk a fine line between giving you a title that represents an accurate picture of what you do every day and not inflating your job skills, overall authority within the company and regular responsibilities.

Ask yourself what duties you perform regularly. Do you manage other administrative professionals? Do you use specialized computer software to get the job done? Do you have one boss you report to or several? Know these distinctions when you go to HR and request a job title upgrade.

Know when to ask for a title change based on new duties and responsibilities added to your plate. If you received a raise beyond just the yearly pay increase for passing your annual review, see if you get a new title with it. Instead of the word "assistant," try out "specialist," "associate," "ambassador" or "coordinator."

Start to negotiate for a new title by writing down specifically what you do on a daily basis, and then compare those duties to others in your field. A simple Internet search can find several titles within your industry. Compile the evidence and research on Glassdoor and LinkedIn before going to HR with your claim.

Even if you don't stay with this company for your entire career, a refreshed job title can make a difference later in life as you strive to move forward, earn more money and achieve career satisfaction. Once you get your new title, make sure to celebrate and let the world know. You deserve it.

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