# What's my title? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 19, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619 "2010-01-19T21:38:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/1 "2010-01-19T21:38:53Z")
I’m getting business cards at work. No one knows what my title is. My boss hired me because she “wanted what I could bring to the company, even if we’re not sure what that is yet.” She said, when she hired me, “Let’s get you on board first, and figure out the details later.” So. [ul] [li]I program the movies that our subscribers get. I program the movies at the “movie nights” we do at coffee shops and bars. [/li][li]I write all the ad copy, promotional emails, etc.: all the marketing materials. I maintain marketing contacts with various film blogs, distributors, etc.[/li][li]I write for the blog (although we’ve been too busy with Sundance coming up for me to have anything recent up there.)[/li][li]I do most of the day to day design needs. The website overall is done by an outside design house, but I design all promotional posters, postcards, web-page buttons, etc. Pretty much everything but the overall website.[/li][/ul] So, the bland but obvious title line is “Programming, Marketing, Design.” But that’s both too long and perhaps too vague. My boss jokingly suggested “Jack of All Trades.” I suggested “Emperor of the Universe.” So we’re kind of stuck. What’s the shortest, most elegant way to designate what I do? Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/2 "2010-01-19T21:40:28Z")
Marketing Lead ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/3 "2010-01-19T21:40:45Z")
Anything wrong with Marketing Director or Manager? Marketing and design both fall under that category. ETA: Zipper you beat me to it! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/4 "2010-01-19T21:44:55Z")
Titles on business cards are more for people you interact with outside your company. Whom do you regularly meet with outside of the company, and what title will help you accomplish your company’s objectives in dealing with them? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/5 "2010-01-19T21:53:17Z")
> [@](#): > > What’s the shortest, most elegant way to designate what I do? > > Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Two things you need to be very aware of: 1. Titles are free. 2. Titles can play a large part in your salary/position at your next job. I’d fight to get the words “Marketing” and “Manager” in there. If they push back, reiterate that giving you an inflated title is free to them. If “Marketing Manager” better describes someone else above you, make it more specific. “Promotions Manager, Marketing Department” (your title wouldn’t actually include the “Marketing Department”, but you get the idea). ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/6 "2010-01-19T21:54:03Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > Titles on business cards are more for people you interact with outside your company. > > Whom do you regularly meet with outside of the company, and what title will help you accomplish your company’s objectives in dealing with them? I mostly find myself wishing I had a card when I’m in a bar or a coffeeshop and want to talk to them about us doing a screening there. So that’s mostly marketing. But I’d hate to think of myself as a “marketer.” Shudder. Still, I guess that’s the closest I’d come to a one-word title. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/7 "2010-01-19T21:58:42Z")
See, thing is, the sense around here is that I’m the person you go to when you want a brainstorm, a fresh look at something; the consensus is that I’m squeezer of the creative juices. That’s how the marketing thing became so big a part of my job. My boss initially pictured me writing capsules for all the movies, programming the subscription, and moderating a discussion board of our filmmakers. But every time she came to me, as the new guy, and bounced this or that idea off of me, she liked my ideas enough that that’s become the focus of what I do here. I’d like to get the word “creative” in there somewhere, the more I think about it, but maybe that’s more self-indulgence than sense. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/8 "2010-01-19T22:01:07Z")
Creative and Marketing Not entirely grammatical; sounds like marketing-speak. But it kind of says it. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/9 "2010-01-19T22:03:45Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Creative and Marketing > > Not entirely grammatical; sounds like marketing-speak. But it kind of says it. Why not go with Creation and Marketing? Just to keep the parallel construction consistent. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/10 "2010-01-19T22:06:25Z")
How about “Manager, Creative Marketing”? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/11 "2010-01-19T22:06:51Z")
I think that’s a mistake. A multiple title like “Creative and Marketing” conveys the impression that you either work for a very small business or you’re a gopher for various other people. Boring as it may seem, you’re better off sticking with a mainstream title that people can recognize and relate to. I’d agree with the suggestion of Marketing Director. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/12 "2010-01-19T22:08:06Z")
Ha. Creation. We’re back to Emperor of the Universe. To be fair, I’ve heard “Creative” used as a noun, as the name of a department, for example. The purist in me bristles, but I think it would be clear enough. Still, doesn’t feel like the solution. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/13 "2010-01-19T22:10:52Z")
Easy: **lissener: Professional Raconteur** ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Crap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.crap/32/3131_2.png) [@Dr.Crap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Crap)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/14 "2010-01-19T22:12:56Z")
_Tastemaker_ ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/15 "2010-01-19T22:15:19Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think that’s a mistake. A multiple title like “Creative and Marketing” conveys the impression that you either work for a very small business or you’re a gopher for various other people. Boring as it may seem, you’re better off sticking with a mainstream title that people can recognize and relate to. I’d agree with the suggestion of Marketing Director. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/16 "2010-01-19T22:17:03Z")
I want to just put, in the line usually reserved for title, a quote from Blue Velvet: Don’t You Fucking Look At Me I think that’s the best solution all around. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/17 "2010-01-19T22:19:13Z")
Nah, go with “Stunt Penis”. Might get you some dates, and it’s memorable. ---
**Author:** ![EpicNonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@EpicNonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EpicNonsense)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/18 "2010-01-19T23:10:56Z")
This may give you some ideas… [http://www.bullshitjob.com/title/](http://www.bullshitjob.com/title/) ---
**Author:** ![EpicNonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@EpicNonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EpicNonsense)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/19 "2010-01-19T23:23:35Z")
I like the ring of ‘Marketing Developer’ myself. Good luck finding something. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619/20 "2010-01-19T23:43:56Z")
The company is too small for me to be Manager or Director; I’d be the only person with such a title. Right now I’m leaning toward Marketing and Programming. Bland as that is. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-title/525619.md?page=2)