Job offer - title change

CaoimheK101

Hi all,

I have just been offered a job in Business Development. The role I applied for and went through 4 rounds of interviews for was that of “Business Development Manager” but when the contract came through, the role was listed as “Business Development Specialist”.

The job is with a large company but I will be the only person on this new team for the time being. I questioned HR and they said that they felt the title of “specialist” was better suited, but it was still a managerial role - with the same contract stipulations as any other manager.

The job description and salary are the same as the manager role advertised but I have been sitting on this new information for a couple of days and it doesn’t sit quite right with me.

I have accepted the offer and handed in my notice, but I’m a little irked that this change took place and wasn’t officially communicated to me, only semi-explained when I myself queried it. 

I wonder if anyone might have any advice on how best to proceed. Honestly the benefits and salary are a huge step up any way, but I am at the stage where I also deserve a manager title - I wouldn’t have even applied for the job if it had have been advertised as the “specialist” title that has now been given.

Any advice would be greatly received. 

Thrugelmir

Managers have people under them. Looks rather daft to give you such a title when you have one one and therefore no responsibilities as such. I'd be focusing on getting ready for the role than worrying about a job title. You aren't even in the door yet and perceptions of you might already be being formed. 

Marcon

CaoimheK101 said:

Hi all,

I have just been offered a job in Business Development. The role I applied for and went through 4 rounds of interviews for was that of “Business Development Manager” but when the contract came through, the role was listed as “Business Development Specialist”.

The job is with a large company but I will be the only person on this new team for the time being. I questioned HR and they said that they felt the title of “specialist” was better suited, but it was still a managerial role - with the same contract stipulations as any other manager.

The job description and salary are the same as the manager role advertised but I have been sitting on this new information for a couple of days and it doesn’t sit quite right with me.

I have accepted the offer and handed in my notice, but I’m a little irked that this change took place and wasn’t officially communicated to me, only semi-explained when I myself queried it. 

I wonder if anyone might have any advice on how best to proceed. Honestly the benefits and salary are a huge step up any way, but I am at the stage where I also deserve a manager title - I wouldn’t have even applied for the job if it had have been advertised as the “specialist” title that has now been given.

Any advice would be greatly received. 

Sometimes I despair. Fuss fuss fuss. You're getting much too hung up on a job title. Same responsibilities, same salary, great opportunity; stop nitpicking and congratulate yourself on doing so well. As you say, benefits and salary are a huge step up, so massively over-reacting to a change in the title (which your employer is at liberty to change at any time) is plain daft. 

Four interviews and a terrific new job...are you just getting cold feet because you fear you aren't up to it?

How best to proceed? Congratulate yourself again, and make the most of this new stage of your career. If you go on quibbling and whinging, whether it is overt or covert, you'll undermine yourself from the start. Forget the job title and focus on your forthcoming bank balance.

74jax

If you have this feeling I'm not sure you should have handed your notice in already.
Only once you are happy to sign on that dotted line would I say is when your notice goes in.
Could it be cold feet? Is it because 'specialist' maybe sounds more involved/high spec? Are you happy with job description?
If the salary and duties were the same, it wouldn't bother me at all but my husband is in a field where the job title is universal throughout different companies, his job title is a certain level which anyone would understand. Is your role similar? 

TELLIT01

Thrugelmir said:

Managers have people under them.

Not necessarily.  The OP will be managing a business function rather than people but is still has sole responsibility for managing.  I was in a similar situation with a new job some years ago.  It was advertised as IT Controller but when I started in the job it was immediately apparent that nobody else in the company had any idea about their IT systems.  What I wasn't told at interview was that they had fallen out with a 3rd party company who had looked after their IT and had been working on an ad-hoc basis with one person if they had problems. 

I battled for about 18 months for my job title to be changed to IT Manager, and to get the pay and perks which went with it.  As it was a financial services organisation, what finally convinced them wasn't the extent and complexity of the role, but the fact that I was managing a multi-million pound IT budget.  If I was managing money, I had to be a manager!

[Deleted User]

Personally I would be more concerned if they tried to change the scope of the position.
12 Red Flags That You Shouldn't Accept That Job Offer No Matter What - TheStreet
Signs you should not accept a job offer | Totaljobs

moneysavinghero

Never been bothered by Job Descriptions personally. Call me what you want. If it's the same job who cares.

If you just want to impress your friends and family that you a manager nothing to stop you from telling them you are Business Development Manager not like they are going to bother to check up on you.

NaughtiusMaximus

TELLIT01 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Managers have people under them.

Not necessarily.  The OP will be managing a business function rather than people but is still has sole responsibility for managing.  I was in a similar situation with a new job some years ago.  It was advertised as IT Controller but when I started in the job it was immediately apparent that nobody else in the company had any idea about their IT systems.  What I wasn't told at interview was that they had fallen out with a 3rd party company who had looked after their IT and had been working on an ad-hoc basis with one person if they had problems. 

I battled for about 18 months for my job title to be changed to IT Manager, and to get the pay and perks which went with it.  As it was a financial services organisation, what finally convinced them wasn't the extent and complexity of the role, but the fact that I was managing a multi-million pound IT budget.  If I was managing money, I had to be a manager!

If it affected your pay and benefit package that's a completely different situation.

In this instance it's merely the job title which has changed, OP has given no indication there has been any change in the terms and condition of the job.  

oh_really

Is your issue perhaps one of self esteem and how you envisage being perceived by others?

[Deleted User]

CaoimheK101 said:

Hi all,

I have just been offered a job in Business Development. The role I applied for and went through 4 rounds of interviews for was that of “Business Development Manager” but when the contract came through, the role was listed as “Business Development Specialist”.

The job is with a large company but I will be the only person on this new team for the time being. I questioned HR and they said that they felt the title of “specialist” was better suited, but it was still a managerial role - with the same contract stipulations as any other manager.

The job description and salary are the same as the manager role advertised but I have been sitting on this new information for a couple of days and it doesn’t sit quite right with me.

I have accepted the offer and handed in my notice, but I’m a little irked that this change took place and wasn’t officially communicated to me, only semi-explained when I myself queried it. 

I wonder if anyone might have any advice on how best to proceed. Honestly the benefits and salary are a huge step up any way, but I am at the stage where I also deserve a manager title - I wouldn’t have even applied for the job if it had have been advertised as the “specialist” title that has now been given.

Any advice would be greatly received. 

If someone was career minded and looking to move up the the career ladder will this title add something or take away something from that?

Also does this title make you more vulnerable or secure if the company ever went through a restructuring phase?

If you can answer those questions with a positive answer then I would not be too worried in the change of title.

TELLIT01

NaughtiusMaximus said:

TELLIT01 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Managers have people under them.

Not necessarily.  The OP will be managing a business function rather than people but is still has sole responsibility for managing.  I was in a similar situation with a new job some years ago.  It was advertised as IT Controller but when I started in the job it was immediately apparent that nobody else in the company had any idea about their IT systems.  What I wasn't told at interview was that they had fallen out with a 3rd party company who had looked after their IT and had been working on an ad-hoc basis with one person if they had problems. 

I battled for about 18 months for my job title to be changed to IT Manager, and to get the pay and perks which went with it.  As it was a financial services organisation, what finally convinced them wasn't the extent and complexity of the role, but the fact that I was managing a multi-million pound IT budget.  If I was managing money, I had to be a manager!

If it affected your pay and benefit package that's a completely different situation.

In this instance it's merely the job title which has changed, OP has given no indication there has been any change in the terms and condition of the job.  

I accept there is a difference between the 2 situations, but that doesn't alter the fact that you don't have to manage people to be in a genuine management role.  We actually also had a situation where the business decided to call all of their field sales staff 'field sales managers' because many of their high end customers expected a 'manager' to be assigned to their account.   None of those people were actually managers as they had no authority to finalise deals etc.  Everything had to be signed off at director level.  The deals in question were all multi-million pound.  All about managing expectation I suppose.