Slash and learn
One thing I’ve noticed in all of my Web jobs (four so far) is that my job title does not even begin to capture what I actually do. I imagine this sort of thing is somewhat universal and definitely not limited to Web work, but I’ll focus on that since it’s what I know.
So what do I mean by “slash and learn”? Let me illustrate by example. My official job title is Web developer. A far more accurate job title would be the following:
Web developer / database administrator / search engine optimizer / social media marketer / Linux administrator / database designer / information architect / project manager / vendor whisperer / wannabe Web designer / JavaScript ninja-in-training / young grasshopper in a dozen other areas
See all those slashes? Some people would recoil in horror at a list that long, but I actually enjoy the mix of responsibilities. I love to pick up a book or tinker with a new technology to add another slash to my unofficial job title. Slash and learn, baby! I suppose it’s no accident that I’ve gravitated toward smaller shops where I can take on a lot of different challenges. Constant learning is a plus in my book and so I love what I do.
There is a downside of course. Most notably I don’t consider myself a true expert at anything that I do. Some of this is probably due to relentless self-deprecation and being my own worst critic (aren’t we all?), but I really think there’s some truth to it. The good thing is that whenever I reach the limits of my current knowledge of some topic, I usually know somebody who can take the baton (or at least point me in the right direction).
If I worked at a large company, I would probably end up specializing more than I like. However, I appreciate the people who do work at those large companies because they’re usually the specialists I turn to when I get stuck. All my friends at McClatchy Interactive certainly come to mind.
So what’s your official job title and what would be the unabridged version?
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Mine is surprisingly close to yours. Perhaps you’d like my job
I nearly posted a similar (but much abbreviated) observation about my “web developer” job today on Twitter. I spent most of the day in DBA mode, working on a tricky database migration that probably wouldn’t be so tricky for someone who does it all the time and has developed the habitual tools of “approach” required to make short work of the task. I on the other hand felt as if I was bootstrapping myself, because it had been a while, and I’ve never had to migrate data regularly…
Of late, I’ve found myself pining to work in the web equivalent of an Ocean’s Eleven-style team, to have an opportunity to specialize and dig a bit deeper and grow an area or two of masterful expertise… that would be a welcome change in my case.
I guess this is one of those “balance” things…
mlsamuelson
@Justin: Yeah, I suppose all of us McClatchy affiliate devs have similarly sprawling responsibilities.
@Michael: I know exactly what you mean by bootstrapping. Happens to me all the time. An Ocean’s Eleven-style team sounds great. At this point I’d be happy with a Fantastic Four-style team.
How about the One Man Army.
Anyway, this may never change in the world of the web. Enjoy.
ClaaaaAaaAaaAark,
I’m glad to see you’ve added a few slashes, but I still think I got you beat in the slash department buddy (unfortunately). I can’t wait to eliminate most my slashes so I can play more golf, LMAO.