Found out my "creative director" title was just a made up thing my boss gave me to avoid a raise

I was updating my LinkedIn profile last Thursday and got curious about what other people with my job title actually do. So I looked up the Bureau of Labor Statistics for creative directors. Turns out, a real creative director usually has like 10+ years of agency experience and manages big teams. I manage two interns and a Slack channel. My boss just threw that title on me three years ago when I asked for a $5k raise. He said it sounded better than "graphic designer" and cost him nothing. I felt stupid for updating my portfolio with "Creative Director" at the top for so long. Now I'm wondering, how many of you have inflated titles that don't actually mean anything?

3 comments

3 Comments

wadew511mo ago

That "sounds better and cost him nothing" line really hit hard. I read somewhere that like half of job titles these days are just made up ways to make people feel better without actually paying them.

paige3311mo ago

Yeah but a fancy title doesn't buy groceries, does it?

dakota4151mo ago

Wait, three years? That is wild to me. So you've been putting "Creative Director" on your resume for three years thinking it was a legit promotion, and it was just a free sticker your boss slapped on you? @paige331 is right that the title doesn't buy groceries, but that's still a real punch in the gut when you find out the truth. I'd be tempted to print out that BLS page and leave it on his desk with a sticky note that says "your mileage may vary.