Stop Pretending Titles Don’t Matter
Meet Ken
Ken joined the company as a software engineer. He’s responsible, collaborative, and easy to work with.
But during our evaluation discussion, he added one surprising comment:
“I think I deserve a better title.”
It turned out his previous title was Staff Software Engineer at a well-known big company.
However, his current title is just Software Engineer.
I explained to him that our organization doesn’t use those shiny titles. From junior to senior, everyone is “Software Engineer.” 🤷♂️
Title Actually Matters
This story isn’t to tell you that title doesn’t matter or to give you one of those corporate pep talks.
On the contrary, title does matter.
A good title brings real benefits to your career, such as:
Better first impression: They shape how others see you before you even start talking. It makes your experience easier to trust.
Better authority: In a company, your opinions usually carry more weight.
More leverage in the job market: It’s easier to get attention from recruiters, and you can use it during salary negotiations.
So yes, titles can open doors before you even say a word.
Fight for It, But Be Careful
You can fight for your title (and you should).
Ask for one that better reflects your contribution.
But don’t push too hard.
Sure, shiny titles can be motivating, and they give us a sense of achievement.
Still, if you care more about the title than the work itself, you might be missing the point. Beyond the title, there are other things that matter more:
Whether you like the job
Whether you have a supportive manager
Whether you’re compensated well
Titles matter, but not as much as these do.
For example, I believe most people would choose to get paid twice as much for doing the same job, even with a worse title. 💰
Also, obsession with titles could lead to extreme measures:
You start optimizing for visibility, not outcomes.
You start doing work that looks impressive but changes nothing.
You might stop learning once you reach the next big title.
You don’t want to fall into that trap.
The Invisible Title
There’s another kind of title. If your title strategy doesn’t work, go for this one instead.
You earn it through how you work. (It sounds like a pep talk but it’s true)
You can lead a cross-team initiative that unblocks others, just like a Staff Engineer would. You can improve a workflow that saves everyone time.
You can share knowledge publicly through talks, posts, or mentoring, and become known for your insight.
These acts build your invisible title: the reputation that precedes you.
When that grows, better roles and better compensation follow naturally, either inside or outside your company.
Last Words
Yes, titles matter, and unfortunately, they’re not always in your control.
In my current organization, everyone is “Software Engineer.” It can be frustrating when you’re clearly operating at a senior level but share the same title as mid-level engineers.
There’s not much you can do. (Well, you could switch jobs, but do you really want to do that just for a title?)
Push for the recognition you deserve. But when that stops working, start optimizing for impact instead. At the end of the day, your career isn’t measured by your title. It’s measured by your actions.
As always, I’ll see you in the next post. Have a nice day!
Adler from Tokyo Tech Lead