Should Job Titles Be Capitalized?

Should job titles be capitalized? We understand if you’re unsure – capitalization rules in English can be confusing. However, proofreaders must know the rules regarding capitalizing titles and capitalizing job titles.

In today’s blog post, we’ll discuss when it’s best to capitalize job titles and when it’s best to leave them in lowercase.

When to Capitalize Job Titles

We need to emphasize this right away: There are times when job titles must be capitalized! You should capitalize them in the following situations:

1. Formal titles
2. Respect for those in high-status roles
3. Direct addresses
4. Job title initials
5. Email or letter signature lines   
6. Headings

Let’s look at each of these situations in more detail.

Formal Titles

You should capitalize job titles when they precede a person’s name in a formal context. In this case, the job title in question refers to a specific person’s job title. For example:

President Dave McGraw

Doctor Joe Kapinski

You should also capitalize job titles if they are part of the name of a place or institution. For example:

Office of the Solicitor General

High-Status Roles

Job titles should be capitalized to show respect to someone in a high-status role, especially when substituting their job title for their name. For instance:

The Pope will be visiting Mexico this summer.

Have you met with the President yet?

Direct Address

If you are directly addressing someone by their job title, capitalize it:

Thank you for your time, Professor Flick. I understand today’s lecture much better after speaking with you!

Job Title Initials

Some job titles are abbreviated into job title initials, which require capitalization when used instead of their full names. They come in the form of acronyms or initialisms. Common job title initials include CEO for Chief Executive Officer and CPA for Chartered Professional Accountant. An example of a job title initial used in a sentence is:

I emailed my complaint letter to the CEO of United Airlines.

Email or Letter Signature Lines

When using your job title in an email or letter signature, it’s best to capitalize it regardless of the formality of the email or letter. Some examples are:

Best, Nathan Wilton, Proofreader

Megan McNamara, Volunteer Coordinator

Resume Headings

You should capitalize job titles when they appear in resume section headings. In other words, a job title should be capitalized in a resume when used as the name of a position you held at a company. For instance:

Teaching Assistant, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, 2017–2018

This capitalization rule is good to know when proofreading resumes or CVs.

When Not to Capitalize Job Titles

There are a few situations in which job titles are left in lowercase:

1. Generic references
2. Appositives
3. Resume work descriptions

Generic References

Keep job titles in lowercase in casual contexts or when referring to them generically or descriptively. For example:

I have an interview with the volunteer coordinator.

Our teachers play a vital role in education.

As you can see, the job title is not being used with a proper noun, so no capitalization is required.

Appositives

A job title can sometimes be used as an appositive, which is a noun phrase placed before or after another noun to describe it. In such a case, the job title is not capitalized. Appositives are easy to recognize, as they are usually set apart with commas. Here’s an example:

Greg Ellis, the chair of the board, was regrettably absent from today’s meeting.

Resume Role Description

As previously mentioned, you should capitalize job titles in a resume when they refer to a specific position you held at a company. However, no capitalization is needed when the job title appears in the description of your role at a company. For instance:

Served as a high school Spanish teacher for two years in Cincinnati.

Summary: Capitalizing Job Titles

Below is a chart summarizing when to capitalize job titles and when not to.

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