Job titles matter—here's why

If you see job titles that look like what you want to do, even if it's not what you do now, you can work backward from there - figure out what the level below that is, or find people in that role and see what their previous title was. That will help you title yourself to be successful in your next career step.

Be careful of "unique" titles. You'll see job posts for things like "Marketing Guru" or "Happiness Maker" or something similar. Just skip those—they're too vague and don't map to anything that will help you down the line.

Once you've done your research, made your notes, and come up with a proposal for a new title, set up a meeting with your manager (face-to-face ideally):

• Let them know you want to talk about your career growth and specifically your title.
• Tell them how much you've enjoyed your current role.
• Mention the responsibilities you held at the beginning and how they've shifted.
• Segue into the research you did, and mention how important your growth is to you.
• Talk about how your current role and responsibilities translate well into the new position, and ask if making this change would be something that could be considered.
• Reassure them that this is a forward-thinking request, and that you're not actively looking for other job opportunities (assuming that's actually the case).
• Let them know that you don't expect a decision immediately, and that you'll send over a copy of your notes and research.