I have a fairly senior level of experience in my field. A recruiter reached out to me about what she described as an individual contributor role.

During the interview, after discussing my experience as both a technical leader and an individual contributor across several companies, she asked whether title was important to me. I was a bit surprised by the question, so I asked her to elaborate. I explained that, while I don't chase titles for their own sake, there is a meaningful difference between a Senior Principal-level role and a junior or mid-level position because they represent very different levels of responsibility, scope, and expectations.

She responded that their company has a different titling structure and that, for some candidates, titles matter more than they do for others. We moved on with the interview, but afterward she emailed me to say that, after careful consideration, they would not be moving forward.

My impression is that they were looking for someone with senior-level expertise but at a lower-level position or compensation. It felt like they were trying to hire a whale while paying for a fish.

Is job title important to you?