Changing job title to better reflect my job - problem during background check?

Question

I am currently applying for a new role externally and on my CV I'd like to put a job title that better reflects my actual responsibilities and tasks.

My current job title is Procurement Analyst. In any other company I would have a title of Procurement Manager with same responsibilities.

I have a track record of projects that I delivered, all can be supported by references from my colleagues or my line manager.

Will it cause a problem during background check if I put manager and check comes back as analyst?

Answer 1

Hi there,

Q: Will it cause a problem during background check if I put manager and check comes back as analyst?

I would not recommend changing the name "analyst" to "manager" in the actual job title – that might create issues during background check (in particular if your company has an actual position above yours called “Manager”).

Assuming you had manager responsibilities, what you might do is report the word "manager" as a description after the actual job title (something like Procurement Analyst - Manager for XXX). This should avoid problems during the background check and help to underline your activities as a manager.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Answer 2

You are not changing the job title here, you are changing the RANK. Changing the title is ok, changing the Rank is something you should not do. There is no valid justification here - you are changing the rank in order to seem more senior / tour responsibility level (which is different from changing the title in order to better refleact what you do).

What you can do is to describe managerial type responsibilities, if appropriate, in the descriptive bullet points in that role.

Answer 3

Hi there!

I perfectly understand your reasoning, but the difference between the terms ('analyst' and ‘manager’) is quite significant.

That means that if they call the HR department during the background check and figure out that the job title is significantly different, it might raise some eyebrows.

So I would keep the naming as is, and instead do a great job at writing the bullet points to show how you actually had managerial responsibilities.

The other thing that I would do is to reach out to your employer internally and ask for them to change the name of your role. You can explain that the current name does not reflect the work that you do and that you fear the long-term consequences this could have on your career.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 4

Hi there,

First question they will ask you is if you have managed any team and what was its size. If the answer is negative, I strongly advice you against including the “manager” role in your job description.

Best,

Alberto

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Answer 5

Hi there,

I would keep it as it is.

Describe your achievements related to this role properly to showcase the responsibility and impact you had but refrain from changing the job title.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 6

Hi there,

I'm really sorry but you have to put your official title there. Otherwise is it essentially lying.

You can put in your experience bullet points all the work you did - if done right, this can shine through and present your case.

But, when they do the background check your role has to match reality.