Guide to Job Titles for Your Resume (With Examples)

9 min read. Updated on March 06, 2024

Jen David (TR)

Your job title can say a lot about you in a few words!

As you prepare your resume, you'll want to present yourself in the best possible light. For a resume to be an accurate portrayal of you, your skills, your experience, and your career progress, you'll certainly need to include some job titles. But what exactly is the best practice when it comes to adding job titles to your resume?

In this article, we'll examine why job titles are necessary, whether you can change your job title, and how to present your job title on your resume. We've also got over 150 examples of real-world job titles to inspire and direct you.

Without further ado, let's start exploring this diverse topic.

What is a job title?

A job title is simply your professional designation – it's most likely found at the top of the original job posting you responded to or on your job description. Usually, a job title will do two things:

Describe the level you're working at (for example, Assistant, Supervisor, Manager, or Executive)
Define the area you work in (for example, Business Development, Sales, Marketing, Accounting, IT, Supply Chain, and so on).

There are many job titles that don't fall into this simple description, but they usually perform the same function of concisely describing your role.

Why put job titles on a resume?

There are certain bits of information that recruiters and hiring managers expect to see on your resume. In the context of your professional experience, that includes your job title, employer name, and dates of employment, as well as an overview of the remit of your role and your achievements while in that position.

A job title on your resume is a key detail that gives context to your role, as it will usually provide an idea of what you do and the level you're working at. They can use this information to determine, to some extent, whether you're likely to have the background necessary to fill their vacancy.

By understanding job titles and the role they play on your resume, you can ensure you're presenting a truthful – yet appealing – first impression.

What is a professional title, and how is it different from a job title?

A professional title is different from a job title.

While a job title relates to a specific role, a professional title relates to your career identity as a whole. For example, you may hold the professional title of Supply Chain Specialist but achieve progress in that career by holding several different roles. So your job titles as a Supply Chain Specialist could be Warehouse Assistant, Logistics Supervisor, and Supply Chain Manager.

What is the difference between a job title and a role?

While the job title is the professional designation that provides a general and concise overview of the job, a role is everything you do within that job. For example, a Barista is a job title, and the role is to make drinks and serve customers, among other things.

Where should I use job titles on my resume?

Usually, it's the job title that recruiters want to see on your resume rather than your professional title. You should specify job titles within the subheadings for every role you mention in the Professional Experience section of your resume. You may also like to include them in your header and in your Summary section.

Your professional title, on the other hand, isn't an obligatory part of your resume. If you're not aiming for a specific job title with your next career move, you could use a professional title in the header and Summary section to keep your options open – otherwise, sticking to your current job title is a wise move.

How to choose the right job title for your resume

Usually, the job titles you use on your resume will be pretty straightforward. It's likely that you can use the title you were given when you landed the job, which will be recorded on your employment paperwork – for example, Technical Project Manager.

However, sometimes the lines may be a bit blurry. For example, maybe your company has come up with some pretty original job titles that won't be recognized outside of that one business, or maybe you're a freelancer or contractor with no official job title. In that case, we'd advise identifying a standard job title that encapsulates your role neatly and using that.

If you're employed, you can put your official job title in parenthesis afterward, if necessary, to ensure you're not red-flagged for providing untrue information when your references arrive bearing a different job title.

It could look like this:

Call Center Manager (Chief Chatterbox)

Top tip: If you choose to use a job title on your resume that's different from your official title, it's important that it's not misleading. Choose the closest title you can think of that accurately conveys the responsibilities and remit of your role.

You may struggle to identify an appropriate job title if you've worked informally, for example, as an intern or volunteer. In that case, try to be as informative as possible with the title you choose. Take inspiration from this list of unofficial job titles to inform your decisions:

Marketing Intern
Library Assistant (Voluntary)
Volunteer Befriender
Helpdesk Analyst (Work Experience Placement)
Work Shadowing (Legal Department)
Classroom Assistant (3 hours per week)
Animal Rescuer (Unpaid)
Intern (HR Department)
Voluntary Environmental Monitor
Seniors Tech Coach (Monday evenings)

How to include job titles on a resume

When adding job titles to your resume, they should form part of the subheading for each role. Best practice and convention state that this subheading should include the name of your employer and the dates you were employed in this role, as well as the job title.

For example:

Dec 2021 - Mar 2024

Sales Manager

XYZ Corp, Townsville

Acme Enterprises (2019 - 2021)

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Below this subheading, you can give an overview of what you did every day at the job, followed by a handful of achievement-focused bullet points to show how you've had an impact and added value to the position.

To keep your resume looking professional and easy to navigate, keep the layout of every subheading consistent in terms of order, font, and alignment. Leave plenty of white space between roles to aid readability, and use bullet points below the subheadings to avoid solid walls of text.

Can I change the job titles on my resume?

As we discussed above, there may be some times when you need to change your job title for clarity or because you don't have a formal job title. Sometimes, though, you may want to change your job title to align more closely with the title of a specific role you're applying for. Is that advisable?

Applicant tracking systems, or ATS, have a sinister reputation for discarding resumes before they're even read if they don't meet very exacting requirements. BUT – there's a human behind those systems.

An ATS doesn't make decisions on its own… but it may miss your resume if it doesn't find the keywords the human is looking for. In an ideal world, humans would personally review every resume they received for every vacancy and use variations on their desired job titles when carrying out searches, but we don't live in an ideal world.

While a different job title is unlikely to disqualify you from the candidate pool, it's not unheard of. So should you change your job title to match that on the advert?

The number one rule here is that honesty is always the best policy on a resume.

If you can change your job title so that it is still a very accurate representation of your role without being misleading, it's generally OK to do so (although do be aware, again, that your references will probably use your official job title, so consider including your official title, too, or, at the least, let them know you're making the change on your resume).

If changing your job title to match the advertisement would be too much of a stretch in terms of accuracy and honesty, leave it as it is. If you're determined to use the exact title of your target role on your resume, consider adding it within your header or as a brief objective statement – for example, a Project Assistant could say:

Keen to secure a role as a Project Manager

Another way around this problem, if time isn't of the essence with your job search, is to negotiate a change of title with your current employer. If your responsibilities have changed since you first took on the role, or you're performing well beyond its basic remit, they may be open to a discussion about your job title changing to better reflect industry norms and what you actually do.

Unique job titles on your resume

Of course, you may be forging a path in an industry where creativity and uniqueness are valued. In that case, you can embrace a quirky job title on your resume!

While not advisable for most corporate jobs, an original job title can make you memorable and may even encapsulate your job duties and working style better than a conventional title.

Here are a few of the more unusual ones we've come across:

Brand Evangelist
BusDev Rockstar
Marketing Ninja
Geek Squad Agent
Chief Happiness Officer
Domestic Technician
Director of First Impressions
Kitten Cuddler
Chief Storyteller
Stress Engineer

We reiterate, though, that for most job applications, you should steer clear of such titles and achieve clarity with a more descriptive and standard job title instead.

Other job title considerations

Occasionally, you may need to add further details to clarify your role. Rather than waste space explaining simple concepts in full sentences, you can add a note to your job title. For example:

Solutions Architect – Fixed-Term Contract
Receptionist – Maternity Cover
Security Manager – External Consultant
Illustrator – Freelance
Product Manager – Secondment

These notes aren't technically part of your job title but are a concise way of explaining why you've only held a role for a short period.

Job title examples

Still needing some inspiration for a conventional job title to use on your resume? Your first port of call should be the official job title on your employment records, but if, for whatever reason, that's not an option, we have some examples of job titles for different industries that you can pick from.

Job titles for students and graduates

In your resume summary, you can describe your status as a student and your area of expertise. For example:

Undergraduate with a particular interest in Human Resources
Student pursuing a degree in Computer Science
Business Administration Postgraduate specializing in Finance
Education student with relevant classroom experience
International Logistics Graduate with expertise in air freight

With regards to roles you've held whilst studying, use the official job title for each role. For university jobs, you can consider titles such as:

Research Assistant
Teaching Assistant
Student Representative
Tutor
College Blog Editor

Job titles for HR roles

Human Resources Assistant
HR Generalist
Human Resources Analyst
Learning and Development Specialist
DEI Manager
Talent Acquisition Manager
HR Manager
Senior HR Business Partner
Director of Workforce Analytics
CHRO

Job titles for sales and marketing roles

Social Media Assistant
Sales Coordinator
Marketing Executive
Copywriter
Business Development Manager
Account Manager
Head of Content
Regional Sales Manager
VP of Sales
CMO

Job titles for supply chain roles

Warehouse Assistant
Production Operative
Multi-Drop Delivery Driver
Materials Controller
Supply Chain Analyst
Demand Planner
Technical Buyer
Logistics and Distribution Manager
Operations Director
Director of Global Procurement

Job titles for IT roles

Helpdesk Analyst
Network Administrator
Web Developer
Systems Engineer
Data Scientist
Cloud Engineer
Network Architect
Cyber Security Consultant
Digital Transformation Manager
CTO

Job titles for finance roles

Bookkeeper
Accounts Technician
Accountant
Financial Analyst
Financial Controller
Financial Advisor
Payroll Manager
Fund Accountant
FP&A Manager
CFO

Job titles for project roles

PMO Assistant
Project Administrator
Project Coordinator
Project Manager
Scrum Master
Senior Project Manager
Head of Projects
Programme Manager
Portfolio Office Manager
Director of Change and Transformation

Job titles for creative roles

Graphic Designer
Photographer
Content Writer
Animation Designer
Layout Artist
Video Editor
Art Therapist
Creative Lead
Head of Design
Creative Director

Job titles for customer service roles

Retail Assistant
Call Centre Agent
Flight Attendant
Customer Service Representative
Relationship Manager
Complaint Handler
Customer Success Specialist
Client Services Manager
Senior Customer Service Advisor
Chief Experience Officer

Job titles for education roles

Classroom Assistant
Teacher
Special Needs Educator
Exam Invigilator
Sports Coach
Corporate Trainer
Head of Department
Lecturer
Principal
Superintendent

Job titles for healthcare roles

Healthcare Assistant
Physical Therapy Assistant
Medical Biller
Paramedic
Dentist
Diagnostic Sonographer
Mental Health Nurse
Pediatrician
Oncologist
Surgeon

Job titles for animal care roles

Small Animal Assistant
Pet Store Associate
Dog Groomer
Farrier
Assistance Dog Trainer
Yard Manager
Countryside Ranger
Wildlife Conservationist
Zoologist
Veterinary Surgeon

Job titles for senior executive roles

C-suite titles (e.g. CEO, CFO, CTO, COO, and so on)
Director
Executive Director
President
Senior Vice President
Vice President
Chairman / Chairwoman
Head of [function]
Country Head
Global Head

Key takeaways

We've covered a lot of ground here, so let's summarize the key points to remember when adding job titles to a resume:

Job titles generally tell a recruiter about your seniority and area of expertise
Add a job title for every role you're including on your resume
Include the job title as part of the subheading for the role
Always use your official job title
You can add a variation on your official job title as long as it isn't misleading
If you have an unusual job title, add a more common version in brackets
Where possible, include your target job title on the resume too