"Men Don't Follow Titles, They Follow Courage"

Let's assume William Wallace is wrong about this one.

When you get a form to fill out, you usually have to fill in a space for occupation. It's a simple procedure. What is your job identity? What is it that you do?

A writer writes. A police officer polices. A fisherman gets drunk in a boat.

Some people have the title of 'Grand Poo Bah' and 'Chief Fun Officer.' Others are called 'customer service liaisons.' And some people just wash dishes. And others take way too long to get to the point.

Jozi mentioned 'consultant.' Some companies would scoff at the traditional term and prefer to use 'Intelligence Advisor' or 'The Brains Behind.' Other companies scan resumes with the intention of sorting through hundreds of similar applicants; here, 'Head Of Happiness' might sound more like a psychedelic experience than a worthwhile employee. So many things to think about besides what you actually do. Or maybe your job title explains you better than anything.

In marketing terms, I might be a market analyst, media coordinator, or copywriter. I would try to help callers by collecting and interpreting information and I would try to engage alums with a revamp of the current blog. I would also still be a caller, albeit one with higher expectations (and the ability to purchase alcohol). I would preferably be more involved with the university experience and Annual Giving in general.

If I got the name 'Marketing Consultant,' I would be proud. It would mean something to me. It would convince me that what I was doing was worthwhile and worth putting my heart into. But it would be unfair. Especially since the position that I originally applied for has only one word in it, 'Supervisor.' Those four individuals would have to get new names (which would actually be pretty cool since specialization is the key to business success). Either way, I'm sure this will be sorted out perfectly by the time we have to fill out the aforementioned forms.

Meanwhile, I'll take back what I said. Wallace is, er, was right. Doing this right is going to take some fortitude. It's also going to require patience and humility.

No matter what our job titles are, they will never take away OUR FREEDOM!

(I suddenly want to kill the English.)