Would you like to be a Dream Alchemist? How about a Digital Overlord?
No, these are not character classes in “World of Warcraft.” These are real job titles held by real people who work in tech. The titles may seem a bit… well, out there, but they do jump out at you and cry for attention. They might also entice potential candidates who are looking for companies that love creative, innovative employees.
While the job titles are strange, the educational prerequisites are not. You do not have to come from the planet Zoltan or carry the Infinity Gauntlet. Many of the positions simply ask that you earn a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Still curious? Check out the slideshow to learn about tech jobs with unique titles and their typical educational qualifications, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additional information regarding each career is listed below.
Dream Alchemist
Translation: Head of Creative
What they do: Dream alchemists oversee design staff, review and approve designs and create project budgets and timelines. Specific responsibilities vary according to industry. While some creative heads may develop images for advertisements or video games, others help design movie sets.
Typical education required: According to the BLS, individuals who hold director-level positions in art typically have at least Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Social Media Trailblazer
Translation: Digital Marketing Executive
What they do: Social media trailblazers determine what content to display on various social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. Task examples include testing different social media strategies and performing more general duties, such as posting and engaging in discussion threads.
Typical education required: While the BLS doesn’t have data on digital marketing executives in particular, it reports that marketing managers have often completed a bachelor’s degree program with potential courses in marketing, communication methods and technology and management.
Digital Overlord
Translation: Website Manager
What they do: Digital overlords maintain and update websites, monitor site traffic, ensure smooth operations and test for site errors. Some also respond to user queries.
Typical education required: The BLS does not call out website managers in particular, but states that webmasters, a similar profession, may need a bachelor’s degree in computer science, programming or a related subject to enter the field.
Mask Designer
Translation: Integrated Circuit Designer
What they do: Mask designers design and develop templates for integrated circuits. The BLS adds that electronics engineers, which usually include IC designers, also create product maintenance and testing procedures, and recommend systems design modifications.
Typical education required: Entry-level positions for electronics engineers typically call for a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology, electronics engineering or a related subject, according to the BLS. Candidates who take part in cooperative engineering programs or have a Professional Engineer (PE) license may have a competitive edge in the job market.
Swiss Army Knife
Translation: Web Developer
What they do: Swiss army knives design and create websites, create Web applications and write code. These professionals also work with graphic and other designers to decide on a website’s layout with clients or management to determine website strategy.
Typical education required: Entry-level web design developers may only need an associate degree, the BLS reports, but developers who have very technical roles may need at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, programming or a related subject. Developers also likely need strong HTML skills and proficiency in programming languages such as SQL and JavaScript.
Technology Evangelist
Translation: Product Marketer
What they do: Technology evangelists assist with product demos, communicate with partners and consumers and promote their organization.
Typical education required: The BLS does not profile technology evangelists or product marketers. However, software developers — a similar career, given the technical aspects of the evangelist position and its prominence in software companies — often need a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering or a related subject.
Ethical Hacker
Translation: Information Security Analyst
What they do: Ethical hackers implement security measures to protect an organization’s systems and networks against security breaches. They install and implement firewall and data encryption software and develop reports documenting security breaches.
Typical education required: The BLS reports that entry-level information security analysts typically need at least bachelor’s degree in computer programming, computer science or a related subject. Some employers prefer candidates with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in information systems.
Combat Designer
Translation: Game Designer
What they do: Combat designers help create animations and other visual effects, such as attacks and characters, specific to combat in video games.
Typical education required: Entry-level multimedia artists or animators, as game designers are usually categorized, often have a bachelor’s degree in computer graphics, game design or a related subject, and a portfolio showcasing their work, the BLS notes.
Sources
“8 jobs in social media,” CareerBuilder, Susan Ricker, Nov. 19, 2012, http://www.careerbuilder.com/article/cb-3215-job-search-strategies-8-jobs-in-social-media/
Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Jan. 8, 2014, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm
Art Directors, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Jan. 8, 2014,
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/art-directors.htm
CEH: Certified Ethical Hacking course from EC-Council, EC-Council, http://www.eccouncil.org/Certification/certified-ethical-hacker
Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Jan. 8, 2014, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm
“How to Become an Ethical Hacker,” PCWorld, Eric Geier, Feb. 15, 2012, http://www.pcworld.com/article/250045/how_to_become_an_ethical_hacker.html
Information Security Analysts, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Jan. 8, 2014,
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm
Multimedia Artists and Animators, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Jan. 8, 2014, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm
Software Developers, Applications, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, 2013, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151132.htm
Software Developers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Jan. 8, 2014, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
Technology Evangelists: A Leadership Survey, Growth Resources, Inc., Frederic Lucas-Conwell, 2006, https://www.gri.co/pub/res/pdf/TechEvangelist.pdf
“The 13 Most Bizarre Tech Job Titles,” The Huffington Post, Courtney Palis, Apr. 15, 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/15/tech-job-titles-weird-bizarre-crazy_n_1418736.html
“The 50 Weirdest Job Titles,” Coburg Banks, Nathan Lloyd,
http://www.coburgbanks.co.uk/blog/the-50-weirdest-job-titles/
Web Developers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Jan. 8, 2014,
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/web-developers.htm
“What exactly is a technical evangelist?” Infragistics, Tony Lombardo, Feb. 20, 2008, http://www.infragistics.com/community/blogs/tony_lombardo/archive/2008/02/20/what-exactly-is-a-technical-evangelist.aspx
