Elon Musk, the richest man in the world recently coined, has a new job that corresponds to his wealth. Although his empire spans several industries, he gets rid of the nickname of CEO in only one of the companies that controls him, opting for the title of “Technoking” to electric car maker Tesla.
For Musk, the functions of a Technoking do not seem different from those of a traditional CEO, as the industrial billionaire will see that the previous term of his position remains intact, according to the Wall Street Journal. Former Tesla chief financial officer Zach Kirkhorn will also make a similarly superfluous leap, changing his official designation to Tesla’s Master of Coin. (He is not expected to change his actual job).
Musk and Kirkhorn were given silly titles because they are powerful men who shoot, but aside from a few headlines and laughs from Musk’s acolyte army, the titles themselves mean nothing. And, interestingly, this is the case with most job titles.
“Technoking” teaches a little lesson to the rest of us, regardless of our vocations: job titles rarely, if ever, explain your actual work. Since you won’t be brandishing a business card with any irreverent headlines that start the conversation, when you talk to someone about your job or even do a job interview, it is better to highlight what you do.
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Titles don’t mean the same thing in different organizations
Being a senior sales vice president in a faceless corporation does not mean that your responsibilities will accurately reflect the functions of a vice president.
What is done to make a living is a rather inevitable topic of conversation. If you really want to talk, you need to dig deeper into the details and not just offer a three-word answer like, “I’m a lawyer.” Everyone has a vague sense of what it means to be a lawyer, but the actual details of a career are always different from person to person, even if they technically have the same job on paper.
Be more imaginative in your explanations
Of course, there is no need to impersonate one pseudo LinkedIn influencer who throws corporate slang, but feel free to explain what you do with a little more color and heartbreak. Because behind many soda job titles lies at least some type of purpose. Sure, we work to pay the bills and keep our heads above water, but sometimes there may be something worth sharing in a conversation that explains the broader purpose of your work.
As Gene Marks wrote Entrepreneur in 2018, job titles basically have no meaning and are generally used to reinforce the ego:
What do you say when people ask you what you do to make a living? Are you a “small business owner?” An “entrepreneur?” A “CEO?” Don’t believe it. You are none of these things. These are just titles, made to make people feel more important. That’s not what you really do.
Instead, consider delving deeper into what you are doing in more detailed terms. You don’t have to write a speech, but if you’re an immigration lawyer, think about “Helping undocumented people to consult legal resources so they can meet with their families” or if you’re a computer programmer, you can say to create software that is the basis for popular applications and websites. “Your title is implicit in the synopsis you provide. Whether you’re a senior web designer or not, it makes little difference to the person you’re talking to.
Mark a most interesting conversation
If you don’t expand what it is, you will take the conversation to a dead end; or worse, runs the risk of sneaking in at best and looking pretentious at worst. You are unlikely to have the title of “Technoking” or Supreme Emperor of the accounts payable time soon, but luckily you have it more to talk about beyond the title, anyways.