“Some say tomato, some say tomahto…” What’s in a name? 

A lot when it comes to job titles in the food and beverage manufacturing industry. Yep, titles can feel arbitrary, but when applying for a job in the food processing industry, it is anything but! 

Here’s why your job title can break or make your next job application and set the bar for your career in food and beverage manufacturing! 

It’s tempting to think of a job title as just another egotistic label we give ourselves to feel important. Many articles will say, “Don’t let your job title define you” (Forbes last month) or “Why Focusing On Your Job Title Means Less Success”, but while companies are calling for flat structures and less bureaucracy, job titles still matter when it comes to job searching especially for food and beverage manufacturing jobs. 

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Canada’s food processing industry is seeing a massive skill shortage; with over 125,000 employers currently in food and beverage manufacturing jobs, there is a massive opportunity for food processing professionals to advance careers as food and beverage manufacturers seek highly skilled talent from plant supervisors and managers to food technologists and data scientists. 

Nearly 20% of Ontario manufacturing jobs are in food and beverage processing. 

But with an industry ripe for growing your career, why do so many jobseekers feel overlooked? 

Perhaps your job title doesn’t match your job description. Or you are simply not getting through the nasty internet bots that are kicking out your application before it even gets a chance to get to a recruiter on the other side. 

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How job title affects your job search 

Your job title explains your role and defines your position relative to others in a company. Your job title is a recruiter's first impression of you without meeting you.

Get it right, and you're in. 

Get it wrong, and your application is going straight to the trash folder. 

So while a job title may not drive your salary up, it does help you get in the door when it comes to job applications. Job titles count when it comes to job search because of job matching technology and recruiters using “job titles” as shortcuts for applicant screening. 

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Highly-skilled food and beverage professionals can waste time on their job hunt by searching for the wrong job title, as different food manufacturers use different titles for the same food processing positions. 

Let’s look at a Quality Assurance professional applying for a job in Ontario. Everything from “Food and Safety Quality Assurance Manager” to “Quality Assurance Specialist” and “FSQA manager” pops up. 

ATS and your job search 

Have you heard of Applicant Tracking Software (ATS)? 

Applicant tracking software is used to better manage the recruiting and hiring process. With a shortage of highly-skilled professionals, people are rethinking their careers. With more applicants than ever applying for food and beverage manufacturing jobs, recruiters are turning to software such as ATS to help make the job search and hiring process faster and simpler. 

Oracle gives a great definition: ”ATS leverages AI and machine learning to create a profile of an ideal job applicant, assess and identify skills, and predict success factors to maximize each hire.” 

ATS works by using keywords and algorithms that match your resume to those keywords, but applicant tracking programs reject 75% of qualified applicants, so using the right job title is important. 

Recruiters will use applicant tracking software to sift through resumes; if they are searching for a “Quality Assurance Supervisor” and you don’t have that in your title, you will be booted. 

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Using your job title to your advantage 

Make sure your job title doesn’t limit your career growth. QTalent has put together easy tips for using your job title when job searching. 

1. Make sure your title adequately reflects your seniority at a company. If you are in a managerial position, then a title like production supervisor would be better fitting for a production labourer. 

2. Check to ensure your job title describes what you do. Misleading job titles could screen you out. 

3. Do some research on the company or factory you would like to apply for and use the terms they use on your resume. Product developers could also be called Food Scientists/ Food Engineers or even Research Scientists. Use the wrong title, and the applicant tracking system may not pick you up. 

4. Use a career platform that specialises in recruiting for food manufacturing careers, submits your application to multiple food and beverage manufacturing companies, and suggests titles for you (saving you the leg work). 

Which is what QTalent can help you do! QTalent is Canada's first talent discovery platform for food processing professionals that lets you apply for multiple roles with one sign-on. 

Find the perfect job role to advance your career with cutting-edge technology that matches your experience and skills to your dream job. 

If you are a highly-skilled food & beverage processing professional, it’s time to create your profile with QTalent.  It’s the first step to catapult your food manufacturing career!

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