Almost a year ago while in Melbourne I questioned my ability to be called a Web Designer, it was the time of depression being trapped in a room with only assignments to do. Traveling back to the present, such a question surfaced again but from the posting of Andrew Neitlich over at Sitepoint.
I highly respect Andrew as a savvy business marketing consultant and sharing his knowledge with a lot of readers at Sitepoint. But when it came down to his post it confused me.
The gist of Why you should stop calling yourself a web designer? was summarized in the first line of Andrew’s entry,
Why call yourself a web designer if you can make more money calling yourself something else?
Andrew mentioned in general of other titles we could use; marketing consultant or web publisher. It was fine reading that the title you hold acknowledges your duties but holding a title just for the sake of being able to convince business clients to pay you more, that I’m not happy.
Most of Andrew’s followers agreed without resistance to his finding but I just somehow couldn’t accept it. Is the business world really a planet of lies or deceitful frontal relationships with other business people? Do I really have to be called a marketing consultant just because and I quote a comment directy;
Those of you who don’t get what Andrew is trying to say…. you had best go to work now for someone who does…because you are never going to make any real money. Savvy business owners don’t want web sites, they want you to make them a ‘device’ that will make them moneyâ€â€create a process or a service that will MAKE THEM MONEY.
The capital ‘M’ helps us purchase desires and needs but I also find that too much just gets you in the head like this comment. Every human has a feeling of greed inside them but that doesn’t mean every individual should be hungry for it their whole life.
Placing morals and ethics aside, I do agree when the comment says we’re hired to help clients sell but I’d like to do it in a more honest way and not just with a mind clouded with the thought that this project brings me or my company 100,000 later.
I’d like to have a healthy and friendly relationship with clients who’ll acknowledge me not based on my rank but as a person who’s a consultant in my own profession. I’d like to be respected not based on my value but the wisdom I might have to share openly.
What do you think of calling yourself something else so you’re more respected and higher paid?