What's in a Name.

Emperor Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.

Joshua Abraham Norton was born in England around 1818. He immigrated to the United States in 1849 after inheriting money from his father's estate, and built a successful career as a businessman in San Francisco during the Gold Rush era. After a disastrous attempt to corner the rice market, Norton declared bankruptcy in 1856 and disappeared into hiding. In 1859, he emerged, and in a famous proclamation declared himself "Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico."

For over two decades, Emperor Norton I paraded the streets in a distinctive military uniform. The citizens of San Francisco indulged his fantasy, bowing to him and even accepting his whimsical Proclamations and self-issued currency. Upon his death in 1880, thousands attended his funeral, cementing his legacy as a unique character in American history.

The role of a career coach is to work with a client to assess their skills, ambitions, and desires, with the hope that when they are out in the world looking for opportunities, they find the ones that are aligned with their talents and screen out the ones that do not. Every now and then a client will forward me a job posting they found online, asking me in hopeful tones if they might be qualified for the position. One important task is to review the job description carefully to suss out what the job actually does. Ideally, it would be good to know who held the position before, who the supervisor is, and all of the other things that are worth researching before diving in. But all of that takes time. Looking for a job is an iterative, time consuming process; it takes time to find the position, time to do the research, and most of all time to assess whether the position is right for them or not.

As a general rule of thumb, if the job aligns with the client's experience, I'll give it a yes. Recently however, I've noticed a disturbing and frankly unethical trend in job postings in the performing arts. The title of the job might be "Producer," or "Lead Production Coordinator," or some other lofty title. A cursory look at the description itself however, reveals a position with a meager, often part time salary, and duties that are the metaphorical equivalent of licking stamps for envelopes.

The irony is that the only useful function for a lofty job title is the idea that it will look good when you apply for the next job. But it doesn't really work that way. When scanning a resume, employers often skip right past job titles and look at the specific experience that aligns with the job they need to fill.

Employers that create lofty titles for stamp licking jobs are being disingenuous about what the job entails, and entirely unethical about attracting hopeful employees that are looking to leverage a title over experience. It needs to stop, and it stops when you make the decision not to apply.

PROCLAMATION

Whereas, We have been informed that one Philipmagilder Alamagoozalum Whangdoolum Larryum Murrayum is engaged in plotting with conspirators to usurp our prerogatives and is a traitor to our person and scepter, and;

Whereas, All movements of such nature tend to weaken the stability of our government at home, and cause it to fall into contempt and ridicule with foreign Nations;

Now, therefore, we, Norton I, Dei Gratia, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, hereby decree that said Philipmagilder Alamagoozalum Whangdoodlum Larryum Murrayum be appointed Chief of Police to ex-Emperor Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, and that he forthwith leave our realm to fill such appointment.

Norton I, September 13th, 1870.