What should I do if my job title is inflated?

Q. What should I do if my job title doesn't really reflect what I do? My job title is "return authorization coordinator." I process and credit accounts when we receive products back from customers.

A. I agree that your title seems to be somewhat inflated. A job title is never a good way to define a job. Rather, whether in a job search or at performance review time, it's better to read the entire job description to make sure it adequately reflects what you actually do.

Ideally, a job title also should reflect a person's actual job responsibilities. Ask your HR department what its rationale was for using "return authorization coordinator" as your job title.

Another problem with not having a descriptive job title is that it becomes difficult for someone to benchmark your job in a salary survey or in the Salary Wizard. Maybe you should come up with some suggestions about your job title and see whether your HR department is open to changing it.

Good luck.

- Erisa Ojimba, Certified Compensation Professional