Ask Per My Last is an advice column based on (anonymized versions) of questions I get asked a lot these days. You can submit your own questions here—thanks to everyone who’s already submitted!
Dear Per My Last,
I think I’m under-leveled. I’m at a client services firm that doesn’t account for my experience before I moved into client services, which means younger employees are being given bigger titles than I am. It’s frustrating, because I see every day how valuable my prior experience was in preparing me for this job and feel like I’m doing the same work they are for less pay and a lower title.I’m pretty new so I don’t feel like I can reasonably ask for a promotion even though I’m certain I’m already doing higher-level work. Should I bring this up with my manager? Is it even fair that it’s eating me up, or am I just being insecure?
Sincerely,
Under-leveled
Dear Under-leveled,
I relate to this a lot. Before I started working for myself, I cared deeply about titles and was constantly sleuthing to see if people with comparable experience to me had fancier-sounding titles. But the reality is that the more you progress in your career, the less (years of) experience really matter(s). What managers ultimately care about, at least at good employers, is your level of impact on the business.
If you look critically at those who are at the level you want to be at, is there anything they're doing differently than you are? Do they lead projects or client relationships? Do they operate more autonomously or need fewer revisions on their work before it goes to the client? Do they take a more strategic approach rather than a tactical one?
It is, of course, totally possible that you're doing essentially the same work, but it's worth being really objective and honest with yourself here. In my experience, there's usually some way in which people at the level above you are operating more autonomously or strategically, shouldering more of the glory, yes, but also more of the risk.
I'll also say that titles mean something different at every company, so it's not worth getting TOO wound up about them. I'm not saying that titles don't matter—they're tied to compensation and will impact the level of future jobs you can apply for, both of which are very real things—but they probably don't matter as much as you think or in the ways that you think. What will matter most when you interview for future roles is what you actually did within the role. For instance, I've known senior managers who were barely a step up from entry level and senior managers who were leading entire functions, and any good interview is going to dig in to understand the work and impact behind the title to figure out where to slot you next.
So I do think it’s worth a conversation with your manager, but I wouldn't frame it in terms of your relative years of experience. Instead, I'd say something like, "I'm interested in taking the next step and wanted to help in identifying areas where I can improve to make that happen." You want the conversation to be collaborative ("let's make this happen as a team") as opposed to combative ("explain to me why Susie is [title] and I'm not"). Your manager should be your ally, not your enemy, as you progress in your career.