Too Old For The Job

[ggreig]

That sounds worrying, doesn't it? Luckily it's the job title that may be too old, not me.

Because of the impending change to the law that will outlaw ageism, it's been suggested that my job title of Senior Software Developer might no longer be appropriate, as Senior could be taken to suggest that you have to be an old dude to hold such a post. At

Comments

[tobyaw]

Senior has two distinct meanings - being of more advanced age, or being in a higher or more authoritative position. It all sounds rather silly to me, ignoring one meaning in favour of the other.

I agree with your thoughts on using engineer in a job title, especially as one can work towards being a real engineer with the BCS. Likewise, architect is an inappropriate title.

What about:

Class 1 Developer
Superior Developer
Programmer of High Rank

Or like American generals, you could be a one-, two- or three-star developer?

[ggreig]

Both "Class 1" and the star system suffer from the fact that unless a numerical system is broadly recognised it can be read in two ways - "What, you're still only a Class 1 developer?" - and the bounds of the scale may not be obvious, or strictly observed.

I rather like your other two suggestions, but as with sharikkamur's suggestion of Executive Software Developer I would anticipate some resistance! "Superior Developer" seems to be the most popular suggestion - a couple of people have given me that one verbally.

I should investigate BCS recognition as an engineer, but there's a certain amount of personal inertia to overcome first.

[sharikkamur]

How about Executive Software Engineer?

I too need to get rid of some of that personal inertia - I really ought to join the BCS. I really, really, really ought to join the BCS. I really, really... :)

[sharikkamur]

Or a three-layered system:

Programmer
Programmer Sapiens
Programmer Sapiens Sapiens

You could naturally extend this downwards for new graduates to Programmer Neanderthalensis...

[ggreig]

One possibility I found after searching around a bit is actually a three-tiered system:

Software Developer
Software Development Specialist
Software Development Manager

...with Senior Software Developer being replaced by Software Development Specialist.

[tobyaw]

Or:

Developer
Developer++
Developer#

[qidane]

So use a star system - you mean like McDonalds! I did a science degree, if I had wanted to have stars on a badge and say do you want fries with that I would have done arts...

[tobyaw]

Surely stars would be appropriate for people who studied astronomy?