Under your name sits a headline, basics.label in JSON Resume: "Senior Data Engineer", "Registered Nurse, Intensive Care". It's the second thing anyone reads and one of the first things a search matches.
What makes a good one
- A title people search for. "Software Engineer", not "Code Wizard".
- Your level, if it helps: Junior, Senior, Lead, Principal.
- A focus, if it sets you apart: "Backend Engineer, Payments".
- Honest about where you are: if you're changing careers, the title you're moving towards can work ("Data Analyst") as long as the resume backs it up.
Examples
- Product Designer, B2B SaaS
- Senior Mechanical Engineer, Medical Devices
- Bookkeeper and Payroll Specialist
- Graduate Civil Engineer
Match it to the job
If you're applying for "Platform Engineer" and you've been doing the job as "DevOps Engineer", your headline can say "Platform / DevOps Engineer". Keep a version per direction rather than changing it back and forth.