jsync | Java Staffing Specialist

"I Think (that I am an architect), Therefore, I Am (an architect)"

08/07/2006

Common Misconceptions About Role When Changing Companies

by Dave Fecak

Perhaps you have been working for a small start up Company X for a few years and have worked your way up from an entry level developer to your current role leading a small team of three programmers. You start a job search and apply to jobs titled ‘Technical Lead’, ‘Architect’, or ‘Technical Project Manager’. Surprisingly, you do not get any replies to your resume.

Or perhaps you are the CTO of this same start up and decide to test the job market, applying for CTO positions of larger and more established firms. Again, no bites from your targeted companies.

We have noticed a developing trend in the marketplace where candidates are becoming increasingly aware and moderately obsessed with job titles, without giving the proper weight to their current and future job responsibilities, causing a rift between what a candidate ‘expects’ his/her new title/role to be and what title/role the hiring company grants.

Theory of Relativity No, not that theory of relativity! Being the CTO or Chief Architect of a very small company or technical lead of a small team probably will not make you qualified for the same role at a Fortune 500 company. You have probably heard the ‘Big Fish in a Small Pond’ cliche, and it certainly holds true – if you are the biggest goldfish in the aquarium and you are dumped into the ocean, chances are you will encounter some sharks and a few whales. Be sure to understand the impact you make on a F500 company is much smaller than the impact you made at a small shop, and set your expectations properly when applying and interviewing for roles at a larger firm.

Job Titles Every organization uses different titles for the various roles they offer, and often titles will reflect entirely different roles depending on the size of the organization. Chances are the chief architect at a start up is still spending a considerable amount of time ‘in the code’, while the same role at a large firm is likely removed from coding. Small companies are also more likely to use more appealing titles and also more likely to ‘inflate’ your job title to reflect a high level of responsibility, which is primarily done to attract employees. Some technologists would rather take a ‘Lead Software Developer’ position at a small company instead of a ‘Software Engineer 2’ role at a larger company, even though the responsibility and pay may be virtually the same.

The main problem with job titles is that they are relative only to the employer itself and there is virtually no way to compare titles across different firms. This only causes a real issue when changing jobs, and when a candidate has a false expectation of the job title at a potential employer and a misunderstanding of what role the title represents at a potential new employer. The effect of this is candidates choosing a job based on title rather than on the role and responsibility, and often the candidates choose based on title and not the role itself.

Many companies have even tried to eliminate job titles altogether, and we expect that trend will continue.

The Bottom Line Choosing a job based on title alone is a mistake, and a more appealing title does not often reflect a more appealing job. First and foremost, make sure you understand what your role and responsibilities are with your current company, regardless of what your title might be. Second, try to define how and where you might fit into another organization based on your skills and experience. Lastly, try to identify positions that fit your skills based on the role/responsibility and not based on a job title.

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