Ego and Deception : Job Titles

Most thankless jobs have the most fancy titles.

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Notice, duller the job, fancier the titles.

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These seem to be so by design, not by accident.

Since the jobs are mundane, unfulfilling and with poor social standing. People’s egos need to be inflated by something. Maybe give them a sense of purpose. Fancy titles give people the image boost they need.

While their self-image improves temporarily, their salaries and lives don’t.

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How about the IT industry ?

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Stupid Games, Stupid prizes

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The IT Industry uses the same trick for the same reasons. Heard of these?

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How does a “Senior” 👑👑 differ from being a regular engineer ?

Does Java not need to be compiled anymore ? Does Python programming make a python dance ? a fancier laptop maybe ?

End of day – the techie does the same job viz. writing, testing and deploying code.

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Which begs the question, why bother making the title fancier ?

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My take – Techies want to feel a sense of progress. Most do the same job over and over again. But, Gadha Majduri as it is called in Hindi, doesn’t lead to progress.

Since companies can only offer so much for a particular job, and want to avoid attrition. So, one available option is –

🎻🎼🎉🏆🎹🎷🎶🎵 Make the job title fancier ! 🎉🎊🎷🎼🎈🎈🎶🎺

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… sometimes add a fraction of the pay. Most jobs have a salary range. Moving someone within the range isn’t a big deal.

Company retains the talent for a few more years, and is happy. Employee’s ego gets soothed, and work becomes justifiable.

 

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

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The Game

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Stupid designations are created with this design. Employees do the same job, for nearly the same salary. Only the title becomes fancier.

 

The titles help buffer the salary hike.

Let’s not imagine a group of convoluted beings, conspiring in a room. The standards are more monkey see – monkey do. Few organisations lead, and industry copies.

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Also, companies know that there is a steady supply of morons. Those that will take a less than standard salary for a fancy title.

Companies know that … one the one hand they will get away with such bullshit, on the other hand that the person is not worth paying more than what he is already paid. ( Since the guy is busy playing the social status games, he is not invested in improving himself )

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And you thought your company HRs were silly 😇😇

PS : I was one of these morons for some time. So, plz don’t feel left out.

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What to do ?

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Techies

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Do not marry your job titles. ⛔⛔ Flirt with them, date them, but don’t marry them.

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When interviewing, I tell the HR that I don’t care about the job title. I care about 2 things:

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Some CEO’s, VPs smile when they hear me. I can see through the trick – they acknowledge that. I suggest you do the same.

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Do NOT get me wrong – I want you to think BIGGGGGG. But act small.

What matters is …

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When people ask – just tell them that you make software for Banks or something. Nobody gives a shit whether you are the “Senior Mega Ultra Database Administrator” or the “Cosmic Voluminous Chief Technical Officer”.

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Ego is the enemy

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Impressing people is utterly different from being truly impressive.

Ego is the Enemy

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VPs at startups write, test and deploy code. VPs at MNCs have more personnel centric tasks.

Consider an aspirant moving from a startup, to an MNC. He might need to take a Lead’s role at the MNC. Remember, what he does on a day-to-day basis remains the same. The move is good for him in the long term.

You are the aspirant.

Would you feel like being demoted to a Lead ?

Would you reject such an offer ?

Would the rejection be because of the demotion feeling ?

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Let’s say you reject. If loss of the throne is the reason, then it’s your loss.

Either – the marketplace will work around to fool your ego, and get you to work. Or someone with less ego and more brains will get the job.

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Will you be your worst enemy ?

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

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Fooling yourself

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Let’s go on a treasure hunt. On LinkedIn, look for all the fancy job titles around you.

REALLY !! Stop reading this blog.

Go to LinkedIn.

Read all the job titles of the first 20 people in your feed.

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How many are married or in love with their job titles ? How many are fooling themselves ?

.The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.

Richard Feynman

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Humans are social animals. Due to our social value system, we are dependent on validations and approvals.

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From a seminar some years back – the speaker mentioned that he analysed the LinkedIn profiles of all IIT’ian that passed since the year 2000. More than 90% were working at a job and had the designation of “Co-Founder” in the past.

I wonder – how many were more focussed on their job titles ( Co-Founder, CEO, CFO etc ), and less on adding value.

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Do you want to BE good or do you want to LOOK good.

YES, there is a difference !

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Companies

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I believe – It is okay to fool the fools. They chose the game; you let them win. I don’t see a problem.

In fact, I am impressed by the title design scheme. The designer has a keen sense of human psyche. He deserves credit for coming up with the idea. It’s simple and powerful.

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Companies need to reduce attrition. They need to give something to their employees to hang on to. So, if a company doesn’t already have this tool in their armour, why not add it ??

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But let’s be honest too. While this trick might work with low skill low pay employees. The really smart guys might not fall for it. If self-worth doesn’t need a title, then a person will not fall for such tricks.

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So, use it, don’t abuse it.

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In Conclusion

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Gen. Bipin Rawat, the current CDS (Chief of Defence Staff) then COAS (Chief Of Army Staff), was being interviewed some years ago. The interview was conducted around his retirement.

The interviewer asked “How would you like to be remembered ?”

“As a soldier,” he answered.

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Think about it for a second. The Army Chief had no qualms about being remembered as the smallest unit in the machine he heads. My respect for the general and his contributions increased manifolds that day.

The General was not married to his job title.

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Most successful people are people you’ve never heard of. They want it that way. It keeps them sober. It helps them do their jobs.

Ego Is the Enemy

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How would you feel about being remembered as a programmer ?

Remember – Ego Is the Enemy