Do you tailor your job title to what you are applying for?

[rose45]

If you have seen my current thread, you will know what i am going through.

 

I got a job i really want and have the offer letter..everything is conditional based on background checks etc They want to call my boss after i give notice to probably verify a few things.

 

The duties on my resume are well written with adjectives expressing what i do and it mentions everything from things I did once (but wouldn't be hard to do again) to things i have done numerous times over and over. Of course it makes me sound very very competent and this world class assistant but every resume is well written or is supposed to be anyway..it's pretty direct as well.

 

My official job title from when i started doesn't really say too much in my opinion..it doesn't stand out..it's called blank blank assistant (i didn't add it in for privacy reasons) It basically relates to the department I am in which makes sense but it doesn't really stand out when looking for a job and at times it lead to more questions by agencies what is that etc and they even said since I did provide admin support to a director of the department and those in a senior level, i should put Executive Assistant. Yes, i could have put administrative assistant I am guessing but since my duties ranged from data entry, confirming appointments at times, sending out materials, covering reception, editing letters, mass mailings, updating certain certain pieces, emailing people on the behalf of someone else.

 

I just thought it would be ok to say Executive Assistant and if any new potential employer disagreed when they saw my responsibilities then they wouldn't have to call me etc.

 

Is this something i should be very worried about? I need to give my notice in and I am planning on telling my boss and saying I do appreciate being here for so long and if there is anything i can do even after i leave, i will do it and ask for a reference and even give her a copy of my resume so that she can see everything I placed down and can use it for a reference as well. And in that way, everything is out in the open and if she disagrees with anything it can hopefully be settled then.

 

I just hope she wouldn't hold this against me and say something that will affect me permanently getting this job which is conditional right now based on passing everything else.

[denise_xo]

No, I don't do that, exactly because they are likely to do background checks. I do tailor the rest of the content of my CV (competencies, tasks and responsibilities, etc). If I think my job title doesn't correspond to my title, I try to rectify that in the cover letter. If I'm accepted for a job with a title I don't want, I try to negotiate a new title.

 

I hope it works out for you. Good luck

[rose45]

thanks for someone finally responding lol

 

so are you saying i am basically in trouble?

 

i was offered a job i want and have the offer letter etc..they just want to speak to my boss once i give in my notice.

 

On my resume i have as my title executive assistant..my official title is blank blank assistant and it relates to the department i am in..it basically doesn't stand out and isn't really clear..an agency even told me to change it to EA since i support a director and a few VP's.

 

My duties are the same..i didn't change anything it to it.

 

Im just nervous they want to confirm my exact title and then i am screwed..i was thinking of showing my boss my resume after i give in my notice and if she has any objections, things can be cleared up then

[Art_Critic]

It sounds to me that an Executive Assistant is very different that the job you actually did, so maybe...it might hurt you to someone picky but in the long run I don't think a title will stop you from getting a job you are qualified for.

 

An Executive Assistant supports upper management and might even take minutes in board meetings and prepare their documents as well..

They assist Executives and aren't in a traditional secretarial role.

 

Here is the wiki definition vs an administrative assistant...

 

The work of an executive assistant differs slightly from that of an administrative assistant. Executive assistants work for a company officer (at both private and public institutions), and possess the authority to make crucial decisions affecting the direction of such organizations, and is therefore a resource in decision-making and policy setting. The executive assistant performs the usual roles of managing correspondence, preparing research, and communication while also acting as the "gatekeeper," understanding in varying degree the requirements of the executive, and with an ability through this understanding to decide which scheduled events or meetings are most appropriate for allocation of the executive's time.

 

An executive assistant may from time to time act as proxy for the executives, representing him/her/them in meetings or communications.

 

An executive assistant differs from an administrative assistant in that they are expected to possess a higher degree of business acumen, be able to manage projects, as well as have the ability to influence others on behalf of the executive.

 

But.. in the end it shouldn't really matter to your new employer.. as long as your credentials meet their needs then all is good...

[rose45]

i am really nervous..i read an EA's role can vary.

 

Do u think i should just give my boss my resume after i give in my notice so she can see for herself in case anything comes up in that call..and if she has concerns or objections she can bring it up to me and not my "new" boss....

 

We have an EA in a different department but she doesn't manage anyone or go to his meetings with him..she provides support whether its travel, expenses, food.

[Art_Critic]

I think you will be okay.. and if you have a good relationship with your boss after the noticed is given then just let them in on your title change you did on your resume so they can work around that and can give you a great reference.

[rose45]

so hand her my resume then no? so she sees everything i put down from over the years that she may have forgotten about and if she has any objections things can be cleared up then

 

The thing is..what if she objects to the title and says i can't support that?

 

My last boss at a different place which have been a little mean on her part..she disagreed with one bullet point on my resume when i showed her years ago and say i am fine with everything except this..did you do that? and i had to explain i did...

[Art_Critic]

Don't show her your resume... you might just tell her about the area that is bothering you about the title.. and don't make excuses for it.. just tell her that you used the title Executive Assistant on your resume instead on blah blah Assistant and if they get all buggy eyed then say that because you did "so and so" for xyz person then it fits better than the other.

[rose45]

honestly--i feel like if i go explaining it to her..its like i knew it was wrong or something and im concerned..if i show her the resume she gets to raise any concerns herself and i am giving it to her in confidence thinking everything is ok.

 

Doesnt it sound better or not really?

[BUENG1]

I don't think what you did was a good idea,but things like these are much worse after you have quit your previous position. So that is a positive. What I would do is contact the interviewer on Monday and say you would like to correct some information on your resume. Then say your title was blah blah blah assistant instead of executive assistant. You can say you thought the title executive assistant fit your duties better but you thought about it and decided to let them know about the official title. I'll defer to others on how exactly to give this info.

Not necessarily that your addition is disastrous but you don't want to give notice and then have them uncover this information on the background check and pull the offer after you have quit and then you are left with no job.

[rose45]

im kind of nervous now..i didnt think it would be a big thing b/c its not like im saying im a vp or anything..i just used a fancier word for assistant

 

i was thinking of just handing my current boss my resume when i give in my notice and say if this helps with the call etc b/c they would like to speak to you..and just see if she has any objections to anything on there...

[denise_xo]

I don't think handing your boss your resume is a good idea at this point, for many of the reasons pointed out in your ENA thread, but also because if I were your boss, I'd find it quite strange if one of my employees handed me a resume where their current job title is incorrect and then acting like nothing. As for this

 

its like i knew it was wrong or something and im concerned

 

that is the actual situation right now. If you are somewhat close to him/her, I'd just consider telling the truth and just admit you made a mistake. On the other hand, their conversation might pass by as if nothing happened - as others have pointed out, not all people pay that much attention to job titles.

[rose45]

denise--i meant that line meaning if i explain it to them right away--it makes it seem like im trying to defend myself right away etc and me giving my resume may show i am confident in it.

 

The thing is--i emailed a recruiter the other day and asked their opinion on this b/c i was told this in the past that if a title doesn't really say much or stand out, you can change it but not lie about your duties and not make it seem like you're VP with your title etc

 

and they said its ok to tailor your resume for what you are applying for and if its an EA role, use the EA title. They said i can also place a dash after and have my official title there as well if it makes me more comfortable.

 

So i just don't know what to do at this point..i feel like its better if my boss sees my resume and that way if they has any objections we can straight out and i can explain it to her. doesnt make it sense?

Edited September 18, 2011 by rose45

[CarrieT]

Rose - whatever happened with this job thing?

 

Thought you would report back and tell us...

[Calutaxi484]

Rose, sounds like kind of a bad situation. Personally I wouldn't change my "job title" to cater to a position that I'm applying for. If you have additional job responsibilities you can elaborate in the proper section of the resume.

 

While you may not technically be lying, you sort of are at the same time. I'll use an example here...

 

Suppose Sally works at a Sunoco gas station as an attendant. She creates a resume to apply for another job. On Sally's resume however she puts "Sunoco Corporation Sales Associate" as her job title. In her job description she writes "Manages inventory" and "Completes financial transactions on behalf of the company". Is she technically lying, No (after all she does take store inventory, and make sales). However she is intentionally misleading, she's attempting to imply that she has worked in a setting (corporate office role)she clearly did not.

 

In your case you were hired as a "blah blah assistant" which might not sound so great, but it's going to sound even worse when your current boss says "Rose was a blah blah assistant not an executive assistant". Whereas if you included the overlapping responsibilities in your job description you would be both honest and accurate.

 

From everything I've learned about resumes and HR (from classes and otherwise) the biggest things that are going to kill your chances are:

bad formatting

carelessness (misspelling/improper context, lack of proofreading)

Lying

 

At this point I think you're in kind of a bad spot. If you resubmit a resume the HR person might think "she changed her job description, so she must have lied on the first one". On the other hand if you talk to your boss you're basically asking her to lie on your behalf as well.

 

Showing your resume to the boss is equally a bad idea IMO. You're basically asking her for help getting another job. While generally most employers aren't going to be negative when called, that's kind of a slap in the face.