Best Hybrid Job Titles: How to Create a Job Title That Truly Reflects Who You Are
Traditional job titles are not enough anymore
Have you ever met a Creative Possibilitarian?
Or maybe a Leadership Expert?
Let me ask you this: which one would you actually want to start a conversation with?
That’s the power of a strong hybrid job title. It invites curiosity, connection, and conversation. It captures your essence—not just your function—and offers a window into your unique way of working.
Take Emily Hope Dobkin. She doesn’t just work in the arts and community engagement—she embodies it. Her hybrid title, Creative Possibilitarian, reflects her whole professional identity, not just a piece of it. And yes, she wears overalls.
In a world where career paths are anything but linear, traditional job titles fall flat. They were designed for a different era—one where we fit neatly into boxes. Today’s workforce is dynamic, multidimensional, and driven by purpose. We wear many hats, often all at once.
That’s why hybrid titles matter. They reflect your hybrid professional identity, which is your true career self—the integrated version of all the professional identities you carry.
What is a hybrid job title?
Let’s get clear: A hybrid job title is not your official title on a business card (though it can be). It’s what you call yourself when you blend your multiple professional identities into one clear, compelling phrase.
Think of it like this:
Professional Identity: What you do as work, paid or unpaid (volunteering counts, hobbies don’t).
Hybrid Professional Identity: The integrated version of your core identities—artist, educator, researcher, facilitator… you name it.
Hybrid Job Title: The unique phrase that captures that integration.
Examples? How about these:
Chief Empowerment Officer
Plantrepreneur
Edu-tainment Officer
Spiritual Spark Plug
These are not gimmicks—they’re authentic, strategic, and distinctive. And most importantly, they reflect the whole person behind the work.
How to craft your hybrid job title
Creating a hybrid job title is part art, part self-reflection. It’s an invitation to explore your own intersections and make them visible to others. There are free tools here to help you with this process.
Step-by-step Guide to Finding Your Hybrid Title:
1. Know Your Professional Identity Type
Start with the More Than My Title framework. Are you a Fusionist? A Synthesizer? A Specialist? Knowing how you work across disciplines is key.
2. Identify Your Core Identities
What are the 2–3 roles that best represent what you do? These are your professional pillars. For me, it's researcher, artist, and educator.
3. Draw a Venn Diagram
Put each identity in a circle. Where they overlap—that’s your hybrid zone. That’s the juice. That’s where your uniqueness lives.
4. Hybridize!
Play with two- or three-word combinations that capture your hybrid zone. Start with metaphor, use synonyms, get playful.
5. Iterate and Test
Try it out loud. Use it in networking. Watch how people respond. If their eyebrows raise with curiosity, you're on the right track.
Pitfalls to Avoid:
Don’t lean too hard on trendy or overused terms like “guru,” “strategist,” or “coach” unless you redefine them.
Avoid being too vague or too cutesy. Aim for something memorable, but also meaningful.
Your hybrid title should express value and make people want to know more.
How to start using a hybrid job title
Using your hybrid title for the first time can feel weird. That’s normal. It takes time to embody it and share it confidently.
You might start by including it in your LinkedIn header, email signature, or personal website. But even before that, try it in conversation.
Here’s a tip: when people pause, smile, or ask, “Wait, what does that mean?”—that’s gold. That means your hybrid title is working.
You can also pair your formal and hybrid titles:
“I’m the Director of Sales, but I call myself the Chief Fire Starter because I light up the path and spark momentum.”
That combo allows people to see both what you do and how you do it differently.
Goals of a hybrid title
What makes a great hybrid title?
Use this DIVINE Framework for a set of six strategies to create a killer hybrid job title.
Distinct – Avoid blandness.
Intentional – Be strategic and clear.
Visible – Use it publicly.
Integrated – Reflect all parts of your identity.
Not too weird – Be memorable, but not confusing.
Evocative – Spark curiosity and emotion.
Ultimately, your hybrid title is an identity anchor. It becomes the narrative thread that connects your resume, LinkedIn profile, and career story. It’s a personal brand statement wrapped in a title.
Real life examples of the best hybrid job titles
Still wondering what hybrid titles look like in the wild?
Here are just a few gems I’ve seen out there:
Curiosity Architect – uses interviews and facilitation to drive change
Creative Sustainablelist – merges beauty and sustainability
Chief Empathy Officer – blends leadership with emotional intelligence
Storytelling Strategist – turns data into human-centered narratives
Remember Emily from earlier? Even though she coined Creative Possibilitarian, her LinkedIn shows she's exploring several hybrid titles. That’s the process. It's not about getting it "right"—it's about discovering what feels most like you.
An entire company uses hybrid job titles
Want to see hybridity in action at scale?
Look at People Rocket . Every employee there uses a hybrid job title that reflects their individual strengths and professional identities. From Curiosity Architects to Systems Catalysts, their titles are invitations—not just roles.
The result? A team culture built on authenticity and innovation. Clients know they’re getting more than job descriptions—they’re getting whole people who show up fully.
As Abigail Orrick, Curiosity Architect, explains:
"I use the power of interviewing and facilitation to develop relationships and uncover stories in data. I give organizations the tools and confidence to thrive in the face of change."
Now that’s a job title you don’t forget.
Final Thought: Your Job Title Is Yours to Create
In a world obsessed with labels, your hybrid job title is a small act of resistance—and a powerful act of clarity.
It’s how you claim space.
It’s how you say: “This is who I am in my work.”
So go ahead, invent the role you were born to play.
Because the truth is, the best job title is the one only you could create.
