You are much more than your job title

When it comes to the corporate world, we make it a point to slog our a** off and climb up the ladder. With great power, comes great responsibilities, but along with that, comes something that we all are extremely fond of – our job titles.

On LinkedIn, one would make it a point to jazz up the title with mindboggling jargons that it becomes hard to dig out the real “you” from it.

“We’ve earned it right, why not boast about it on social media platforms”,?one might argue.

Of course, you have, and I cannot agree more, in fact to some extent, I am also guilty of the same. But to call attention to this, I need to make just one statement:

“If you are your job title, who are you when you don’t have one”

In an auditorium full of people, I am sure this would have stunned everyone, but yeah while writing this, I can anticipate the expression on your faces. Well, that’s exactly what I wanted to highlight. It is indeed alarming that we derive assurance and self-confidence from hefty job titles, knowing how shallow they are.?

Dr. Kathleen Smith, therapist and author of Everything Isn’t Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities, Interrupt Your Anxiety, and Finally Calm Down, says “we, as a society, define ourselves not by our innate inherent being, but by what we do and by our jobs”

We end up surrendering to a job title and a job for years, pretending to be someone we never were. So, what is it that you are so proud of?

What’s wrong with a job title?

When the identity becomes solely dependent on a job title, you’ve conditioned your mind to base your worth on your current employment scenario. But when stripped of this identity, you find yourself naked.

This phenomenon is called role engulfment. As per Wikipedia, it refers to how a person’s identity is based on the role he or she assumes, superseding all other roles. Amid such a scenario, a loss of employment owing to layoffs, firing, or retirement leads to a severe identity crisis.

We are so hell-bent on vertical growth, that we tend to ignore the core on which it stands – horizontal growth and expansion. Because we never have evaluated ourselves as an individual, we happily adopt what society values, and that is – a lofty job title.

If you segregate your name from the job title, self-identity will become unfathomable. And that’s exactly how unemployment leads to anxiety and depression.?

Why you are more than your job?

The prompt answer you’d give to someone when introducing yourself would start with – “I am XYZ (your job identity). Some of these titles are more impressive than others and people perceive you in a certain way based on the answer above.

While some might attract shock and horror, others bring a sense of “wow”.

You need to break free from these stereotypes about success and create your definition based on internal values and not what is dictated by society. Job titles are variables beyond our control, today it exists and tomorrow may cease to exist. So, it’s pertinent to base your life on controllable variables.

I am hence, listing down some key points on why the identity linkage with job titles is abysmal:

-????Identity should be about what you do, and why you do?it – There’s a sense of purpose, and belongingness when we do something we are passionate about. If it’s just the title you are working for, or the money, think again.

-????You can have multiple identities at any point in time?– I can be a writer, a professional, a father, a husband, a cook, a consultant, a friend, a leader, a mentor, and what not, all at one go. And as per the need, one identity can be the primary one. So how does it make sense to stick to just one job identity?

-????How you make someone feel –?When others talk about you, it’s never about your stature or identity, it’s about your character. And this reflects strongly in the actions you undertake. Maya Angelou once said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

The one thing you might adore or despise about time is that it will change, always. A fancy job title, an admirable boss, and supportive peers may not be always around. But what will stick around is your character, your values, and your guiding principles. Define your identity by who you are from within, your footprints on the world, and ultimately how you impact the world around you.