Why you need a two word job title
[EDITOR NOTE: Also read about how Three Word Job Titles Make You Stand Out]
What would you call yourself if you could only use two words?
(And I'm not talking about titles like executive coach, business strategist, project manager, or marketing director.)
This is a reflective question, creative brainstorming exercise and a personal branding tool.
Chris Do and I discussed this question last year when we were talking about hybrid titles people use to name their hybrid professional identity or their true professional identity.
Chris --who is an Emmy award winning director, designer, strategist and educator-- publicly calls himself a loud introvert. Not only does he believe this is who he is, but it's his way of labeling his true self so others get him better.
(IMPORTANT: Look at how creative and unusual these two word titles are! There's humor and cleverness, yet they still get the point across.)
In this tweet, Chris mentions his other titles like Caring Snob, Kind Critic, and Charming Razor-blade (I love that his fans gave him this! It's great to have their input).
These additional titles also represent him, kind of a like a brainstorm of possible identities-- or more accurate labels to name himself. Yet, being a Loud Introvert is the one I've heard him use the most. He feels confident in sharing it, which is key.
Other people also call themselves introverts, but they define their introvert identity differently. On LinkedIn, a space where people brand their professional identity in their headers for the world to see, here are a few I found:
What I love about these examples is the differentiation. That's a term used in business and branding to explain how you stand out.
Even though all of the people in these LinkedIn examples (and countless more) consider themselves to be introverts, no two are alike!
Simply by adding another word before or after the word introvert, its meaning completely changes. It becomes clearer, more specific, more unique, and MORE MEMORABLE about the person.
No longer are they lost in a sea of other introverts!
How many people with the identity label of people-loving introvert have you met? I think it's safe to say N=1. (We can double check this in a LinkedIn search too).
Now, think of how many leaders, connectors, designers, consultants, and founders you've met. How memorable are those titles?
That's why people won't forget who Vivian is.
My two word title is Creative Disruptor. Being a disruptor, on its own, generally has a negative connotation. But, I don't see myself as someone who uses my disruptive identity for deconstructive purposes. Instead, I'm entirely creative with how I apply my disruption. By adding Creative in front of Disruptor, I changed the feeling and energy while also expressing who I truly am.
TRY THIS FOR YOURSELF
A two word title is a great challenge for you to try because you have to choose one of your preferred professional identities (a noun) like introvert, coach, marketer, or strategist. Then, add another word (a modifier, descriptor or adjective) to expand upon what kind of noun you are.
It will make you reconsider, revise, and (re)think more deeply about what you call yourself and why. The mere act of saying it out loud will actually feel really right or really wrong. Pay attention to that. That's a clue.
AN ACTIVITY TO REV YOUR IDENTITY ENGINE
Choose one of your professional identities that is most important to you
Play around with adding a word before or after it to relay what kind of identity you are
Search online to see if anyone else is using that combination. Test it with your friends for their input
If you want to create the best two word title, then grab a PDF of my DIVINE framework. It stands for descriptor, identity, vigor, intrigue, novel and easy to use, which are the core factors of any outstanding title to convey your truest professional self.