Does it really matter if I lie about my new job title on LinkedIn?

Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on workplace, career and leadership in her advice column, “Got a Minute?” This week: a job title switch-up, feeling forced to resign and the concept of “last in, first out”.

LinkedIn is simply a public CV.Credit: Dionne Gain

I’m about to leave my current employer, where I recently attained “general manager” (GM) status after years of having “head of” roles. I’m about to change companies, and while technically the new role is called “head of” again, the recruiter has said it’s their “version of a GM role”. I’d like to share my new role on LinkedIn as being a GM. What are the ethics of this? Should I strictly observe the position description or is it OK to describe the role in realistic terms? Does it matter?

Titles always cause angst, and this is why you need to be careful with how you use the one you have. You need to make sure the title you use on LinkedIn is accurate. In fact, everyone should make sure that every word of their LinkedIn profile is correct; it is simply a public CV.

Everyone at your new workplace will check you out on LinkedIn as soon as your appointment is announced. They will see what title you give yourself and if they know your new title is “head of XYZ” and you put “general manager of XYZ”, you are bound to create whispers. It sounds like your new employer has a reason why they have chosen not to use the GM title, and so you shouldn’t either. I would wait until you start in the role and get the lay of the land, then you can see whether a title change might be an option.

I have been at my workplace for five years and have always worked efficiently and met my KPIs. My boss keeps saying he is busy and wants someone at a higher level on the team to help him, but it’s not in the budget. For the last few months, he has been openly criticising my work and giving me tasks with unrealistic timelines, then berating me publicly when the timelines are missed. Jobs are difficult to find in my area and I will likely have to take a large pay cut or be unemployed for a while if I resign. He is obviously orchestrating a forced resignation, so they can get the new superstar he wants. I am fed up with going to work in tears. Should I resign and cut my losses? I don’t even want to stay the four weeks notice period to train the new person, as it will be even more traumatic.

There is no doubt you are in a difficult situation. If you think you are being bullied or harassed to resign, you can contact Fair Work and ask for advice. If your boss terminates your employment, you can also contact Fair Work and put in a claim for forced resignation. But none of these are great outcomes; they are the nuclear option and in the end you won’t have your job.

Have you tried talking to your boss? I know it might be difficult, but perhaps you could meet with him and ask for feedback on what he needs to see from you. Let him know you have noticed the shift from how you both worked together in the past. Reassure him you are committed to learning and working with him productively. Just in case that approach doesn’t work, keep notes of everything he is asking of you and the different ways his behaviour is unreasonable, just in case you need to activate the nuclear option.

I know multiple people who have changed jobs in the past year only to have the company announce a restructure and terminate them during their probation period. Being “last in, first out” is always a possibility when starting at a new company, but given the current economy and job market, isn’t it irresponsible to recruit in the first place if you’re not sure whether the job will be required in six months?

Yes, I do think it is unethical for someone to knowingly recruit a person if, within weeks, they decide they no longer need the role. In most cases, I suspect it is a case of total incompetence over bad ethics. Employers who are so bad at workforce planning they don’t even know what roles are needed only a month later, are not employers you want to work for. The challenge for the people you describe is knowing this ahead of time.

Before starting a job, do your due diligence on the employer. Google everything you can about the company. Check out websites like Glassdoor to read about other people’s experiences. It won’t give you all the answers you need but may give you a valuable heads-up.

To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask (you will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited).

Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.