🤫 The Silent Career Killer #30
The title inflation trap | Unmasking 50 hidden threats to your UX career | part 30 of 50
I need to talk about something that might make you a bit uncomfortable.
That impressive title on your LinkedIn profile, the one that makes your mom proud and your former classmates envious?
It might be doing more damage to your UX career than you realize.
The allure of “title inflation”
Let's be honest.
In a world where everyone seems to be a "Chief Experience Officer" or "Senior Design Strategist" after 18 months in the field, it's tempting to play the game.
I get it.
"Lead UX Designer" at your 3-person startup sounds way better than "Only UX Designer" (even if both descriptions are technically accurate.)
But here's what I've observed after mentoring hundreds of UXers:
The short-term ego boost of an inflated title comes with long-term career consequences that can be hard to shake.