What is my job role title?

Question

Long story short, I am an IT professional that comes from a web development background.

I have recently undertaken a new position as a front end web developer (contract) with a small start up. Upon embarking on the role, I quickly ended up in a position, helping the company with their own project planning by formally introducing agile, using project planning tools such as Trello to streamline their development cycles. There are other contractors on board who are in charge with developing their mobile app, who they previously had difficulty managing from inefficient PM.

Outside of this, I am continuously providing consultancy services (free of charge) for all technical business related matters outside of web development with regards to their mobile app. For example, they recently approached me and asked me what is the best way to transfer the app from one developer account (the other contractors) to their own. I have told them how to do it cleanly and with success. I have basically now become the first port of call on an advisory level on both technical and business related matters.

Although I am not the official technical project manager, rather advising the stakeholders on how to run their business. What would my job title be?

I am keen to use this opportunity to boost my chances in moving into a more project management role (if not here) elseware by negotiating and putting the correct job title on my CV to reflect my responsibilities in this company.

Answer 1

To answer the root of your question and to echo Joe's comment, your title only rarely matches your day-to-day activities and responsibilities very well. On you resume the job titles you list should match whatever the company says they are as employers often verify these. If a prospective employer asks if you were employed there as a Technical Project Manager because that is what you list on your CV and the HR team responds with "No he was just a front end developer." then you suddenly have a lot of explaining to do, assuming the hiring manager doesn't drop you outright for misrepresenting your experience.

Now as I said your title hardly ever matches reality and each company can interpret them in wildly different ways. A Senior Consultant for instance could have between 0 and 10 years of experience depending on the company. Because these titles are relatively meaningless, your resume should instead make clear what your actual responsibilities and de facto roles were. In your case, you could write something like "mobile subject matter expert for multiple departments" or however you fancy wording it.