Monday, March 12, 2007
What's a Good Transitional Job Title?
I work for a nationally circulated magazine and have been promoted from editorial coordinator to an appropriate editorial position. The problem is, yesterday I was told that my new title would be associate editor, but today I was told that the new title would be supervising editor.
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We already have one associate editor, which yesterday was not a problem. But, apparently today my editor was told that we can't have two of the same titles on the magazine. The goal, per my editor and my desire, is to ultimately move me to managing editor, and they needed a transitional step.
I have never heard of a supervising editor. Is this an acceptable title, or can you suggest something more appropriate?
Thank You,
Call Me ...
I would ask to be called "She Who Must be Obeyed" or, simply, "Duchess."
Don't be too put out that the story on what you could be called changed overnight. Sometimes we editors don't immediately consider all the ramifications right away.
Titles can be a big deal to us, as they sum up our professional selves. A long while ago, some newspapers experimented with changing editors' titles to something less editorial sounding. So, a person in charge of news coverage in a certain area became known as the "South Lake Manager."
In another newspaper, the whole crop of top editors was rechristened "the managing entity." It didn't last.
OK, so you can't be associate editor, and you don't want to be supervising editor. (That does sound redundant, doesn't it?)
Respectable titles that might fall into that almost-managing-editor tier include:
- Assistant managing editor
- Deputy managing editor
- Senior editor
- Editorial director
Having once been called "deputy executive news editor" and now being "recruiting and development editor," I think it seems that the shorter the title, the bigger the job. That's why I like duchess.
Coming Tuesday: With 23 years of experience, he is roaring to go on to new media, but his paper is not. He wonders how much that will hold him back.
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