Below your name, a single line: the CV title. It is often the first piece of information a recruiter reads, and sometimes the only one before they decide whether to read on. It is also one of the fields that applicant tracking systems use to rank profiles. Yet many HR CVs settle for an overly broad “Human resources”, or copy an in-house title nobody understands outside the company. This article explains the role of the title in screening, when to reuse the job ad’s title, how to translate in-house titles, how to combine level and specialism, and offers examples for each HR job.
The role of the title in CV screening
One line that answers a question
When they open a CV, the recruiter first asks themselves: “Does this candidate do the job I am hiring for?” The title answers that question before anything else is read. If it matches the role, the recruiter reads the summary and the first experience; if it is vague or off-target, they may move on to the next CV.
A field used by ATS
Applicant tracking systems extract the CV title and compare it with the words in the job ad. A title that reuses the role’s terms helps the ranking; an original or overly generic title can count against it. Our article on ATS and recruiter tools explains how this works.
What the title is not
It is neither a summary sentence nor a slogan. “Passionate about people” or “Talent hunter” do not state your job. The title is a job title, possibly with a level or specialism added. Sentences come next, in the summary, which we cover in the article on the HR CV summary.
Reusing the job ad’s title, or not
When to reuse it
If your current role or experience genuinely matches the role offered, reuse the ad’s exact title. “Recruiter”, “HR Business Partner”, “Payroll administrator”: the recruiter and the ATS immediately find the word they are looking for.
When to adapt it
If your current title is different but the content is similar, use the ad’s title as your CV title and keep your real title in the experience section. For example, an “HR generalist” applying for an “HR and employee relations officer” role can use the second title if they have actually prepared CSE works council meetings.
When not to reuse it
If the target role is a step up (from officer to manager, from specialist to generalist), do not give yourself a title you have never held. Choose a wording that announces the target without misleading: “HR generalist, moving towards a site HR manager role”. The recruiter will check your background anyway, and an inflated title will cost you their trust.
The order of checks
- Does the title match the ad?
- Is it consistent with your current or most recent role?
- Would a recruiter outside your company understand it?
In-house titles and their equivalents
A common phenomenon in HR
Many companies invent their own titles: “Talent Partner”, “People Officer”, “Happiness Manager”, “Talent Experience Specialist”, “People Partner”. They make sense inside the company, much less outside it, and they do not match the words recruiters type.
Translating into the market title
Here are some common equivalents, to check against your actual duties:
| In-house title | Market title to consider | |---|---| | Talent Partner | Recruiter or Talent Acquisition Specialist | | People Partner | HR Business Partner or HR manager | | People Officer | HR officer | | Talent Developer | HR development officer or training officer | | Employee Experience Manager | Employee experience manager | | Payroll Specialist | Payroll administrator |
Keep both
Good practice is to use the market title as your CV title, then give the in-house title in the experience section, in brackets if needed: “Recruiter (internal title: Talent Partner)”. The recruiter understands your job, and you stay faithful to your contract.
English titles
In international groups and technology companies, English titles are common: HRBP, Talent Acquisition, Compensation & Benefits, People Analytics. Use them if they match the ad. For a small French company, the French title is often clearer.
Title, level and specialism: the right combination
Level
A title can state the level when it matters for the role: “Senior recruiter”, “HR manager”, “HR director”. Avoid “junior”, which devalues more than it informs; mention your status instead if you are looking for a work-study placement or an internship: “Work-study HR officer”.
Specialism
Adding a specialism helps you stand out, provided it is real: “Recruiter, tech and data profiles”, “Payroll administrator, multiple collective agreements”, “Training manager, manufacturing”. A specialism that is too general (“HR and management”) adds nothing.
Length
A title fits on one line. Beyond eight to ten words, it becomes a summary. If you need to say more, move the information into the summary.
Mistakes to avoid
- “Human resources” on its own: too broad, it states neither your job nor your level.
- “Looking for an HR job”: the title should say what you are, not what you are looking for.
- Several titles side by side (“HR officer / recruiter / trainer”): the recruiter no longer knows where to place you.
- A title in decorative capitals or surrounded by symbols: some ATS read it badly.
Examples by HR job
The titles below are templates, to adjust to your background and the ad.
- HR assistant: “Human resources assistant, personnel administration”
- Payroll administrator: “Payroll administrator, metalworking collective agreement”
- HR officer: “HR generalist, manufacturing site”; the HR officer CV example shows the rest of the CV.
- Recruiter: “Recruiter, retail volume hiring”
- Talent acquisition: “Talent Acquisition Specialist, tech and product profiles”; see the talent acquisition CV example.
- Sourcer: “Talent sourcer, direct approach of engineers”; the sourcer CV example illustrates this case.
- Training officer: “Training officer, skills development plan”
- HRBP: “HR Business Partner, sales leadership teams”
- HR manager: “HR manager in a small company, sole HR on site”
- HR director: “HR director, multi-site group”
Speculative applications
Without an ad, there is no title to reuse. Choose the most common market title for the role you are targeting, the one you find in most comparable ads, and add your specialism. A speculative application sent to a small manufacturing company will be better understood with “HR generalist, employee relations and production hiring” than with an in-house title from your current company. If you send the same application to several types of organisation, prepare two versions of the title rather than a catch-all title that would speak to no one.
Finishing off
Once you have chosen your title, check that it is consistent with your summary and your first role, then create your CV for free. The editor places your title where recruiters and ATS expect it, just below your name, and the exported PDF keeps it as readable text rather than as an image.
Frequently asked questions
Should the title change with each application?
It can be adjusted slightly to reuse the ad’s title, when your background allows it. Keep a stable base and only change the specialism or the level depending on the role.
Should you have a title if you are changing career?
Yes. Choose the HR job you are targeting, with an honest qualifier: “HR assistant, career changer, professional qualification in progress”. The summary will then explain your path.
Can you use an English title on a CV written in French?
Yes, if it is the title used on the market for that role (HRBP, Talent Acquisition) or the one in the ad. Avoid mixing languages in the rest of the title.
Is the title more important than the summary?
They play different roles: the title states your job in one line, the summary details it in two to four lines. The title is read first, the summary confirms it. The two must be consistent.