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So I am sure this issue happens to other people, and I wanted to know what you do:
I have a job title of Systems Network Engineer. Fancy title but when we look at my situation it gets a bit confusing.

My company doesn’t have a helpdesk which means my boss and I are both “helpdesk” but we are also expected to do our “title duties” aka manage network and systems.

Our company has about 600 employees and maybe 950 devices so between all of the rabble I would say about 50 percent of my time (at least) gets committed to helpdesk instead of improving or implementing AD, GPO, network stuff like WLAN or QoS, etc ,etc.

Now I am guessing if/when I move on from here, I will need to explain my experience. Will my title and duties damage my credibility? Would it be better if on my resume I put “IT generalist” or something? Do I focus more on the “management” stuff instead of helpdesk experience

I have a whirlwind of questions on what to do in the future. Does anyone else have experience with this? What did you do for applying for new jobs, salary, etc.
NOTE: There are a couple older topics similar to this but they are older so I am reviving this

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I would put your official title on any resumes you put out, and custom-tailor your resume to the position you are applying for. Assuming that application would be to a network engineering role, I would focus on those duties that built those skills in you. You can cover the other items if asked in the interview, but they’re really only interested in what fits the job duties they’re interviewing for.

It’s next to impossible to say if your experience will match the position, but so long as you’re answering the questions they have you’ve given it your best shot anyway.

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A good solution is to hire someone specifically for helpdesk tickets.

That is where I am right now and we dont have nearly that many devices.

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Right now I am in the inverse of your situation. We do a lot of helpdesk stuff and thus our title is Senior Desktop Support Specialist. However, we deploy application servers, manage domain controllers, deploy ESXi hosts… you name it. I feel like telling someone I’m a Desktop Support Specialist and then saying I did more than that is less credible than saying “I’m a Network Engineer but my company only required low end work…” Does this make sense?

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One thing I’ve noticed since I started IT is they like to sneak in the “other duties as assigned”. If I were you I would keep the job title “Systems Network Engineer” simply because it is more marketable than “something something generalist”

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Welcome to the world of IT. Put your job title on your resume and tailor each resume for the position you’re applying for. I’d also keep a master resume of everything to make tailoring easier.

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Good thoughts. These make sense too

We have been trying to get another position in IT, but it would probably be a database admin, not helpdesk. I dont expect another IT hire for years based on how slow things move right now

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Similar situation here… I’m but a 2nd level tech but I get to do a lot of fun things in PowerShell and troubleshooting & fixing things others can’t ( and this without any kind of training or assistance ). So I had to do a lot of RTFM for that.

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I’m finding that I’m on the other side of this - I’m having a very difficult time finding qualified individuals for a Systems Engineer position - apparently people think setting up Desktops and doing virus scans qualifies them for a job requiring extensive virtualization, AD, and networking experience…

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Imagine that you went to your nearby hospital and you saw the chief of surgery in the lobby. It was a busy time and the lobby was overflowing with people trying to get checked in. The surgeon was there in his white coat with a clipboard. He was talking to the people, asking a few questions and then directing them into groups. He was right there next to the admissions staff and the nurses. When the crowd cleared, he left the area and headed back to his office.

What would you think of that man? Would you think, “Oh, what an idiot! He’s chief of surgery and he’s down here doing the work of an admissions clerk. That’s so beneath him. Surely that’s going to hurt him if he ever tries to get a job at another hospital. That’s surely going to hurt his credibility.”

How about this for your next job interview:

My title was network systems engineer. I shared primary responsibility for all network operations with my immediate supervisor. Because of the size of the IT staff, we also shared other responsibilities, including first line support of 600 employees and 950 devices. At times, it was exhausting, doing our network operations and still helping the users of that network get their jobs done. It taught me a lot about prioritizing. It also taught me how the things we do in the network center affect our end users. Overall, I think it made me better at my job.

Or, you could continue to be somehow embarrassed that you helped those people out.

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When I have been hiring staff, I have never worried too much about what job titles they may or may not have had. I have seen CVs from Helpdesk Analysts that have more networking and server experience than some of those from Sysadmins and Network admins. I have seen “entry level” titles with more experience than some “IT Directors”.

I have always concentrated on duties performed and projects achieved. Job titles are a funny game in IT. I have worked in a company where I asked for a change in job title, as the one I had was long and unwieldy, and the boss just asked me “What job title would you like?”. I told him and from then on, that was my job title.In another company, it would have taken a full board meeting to get a job title changed. All job duties drift over time, as staff come and go, technology changes, and the organisation evolves. Titles can lag behind this.

Don’t sweat on the title of your job. Taylor your CV and cover letter to the job you are applying for. Highlight the experience that the employer is looking for and be prepared to back up what you have put in an interview.

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I don’t even have a title. When my boss asked for my job description, I had 6 titles with the respective regular duties I am responsible for under each.

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“Wizard”

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Good point. i never really thought to compare it to a different field. I also like the way you showed how it could appear on a CV.

Im not sure how I came off as embarrassed but your point is proven

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I read these in chronological order and that was literally what I was thinking in my head

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I agree that titles are little more than window dressing compared to duties performed and well rounded experience.

Many of them are ambiguous, outdated or inappropriately doled out. Administrator, chief XXX, CIO, CTO, deputy XXX, engineer, lead XXX, principal XXX, systems XXX…

I’ve never put much stock in them and have always taken the approach that my work quality and performance speak volumes.

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