Community Perspectives: I'm weighing two in-house jobs at companies in the same industry. One pays better while the other offers a short path to Assistant General Counsel.

In-house legal professionals talk about the value difference between job titles and salary.

(Author) An Associate

What’s the value of a job title? I’m weighing two in-house opportunities at companies in the same industry. Similar roles at each, but better pay at one. However, the company offering the lower salary is emphasizing a short path to AGC (assuming all goes well). There’s no telling if I’d ever make AGC at the company that has the better compensation package. Trying to figure out how to factor this into my decision.

For context: The interview process for the larger company was about two months. The smaller company was about two weeks.

General Counsel and Director Response:

Corporations can have wonky and not always easy to compare job title tracks. Focus on duties, tasks, and responsibilities - not titles. I would always prioritize opportunities over short-term salary. The way to make more money in corporate environments is moving up the band structure….if you are stuck in a band, your compensation will inherently have a lower ceiling.
How much money will you trade for a paper title? That is something you need to determine. Titles are free from the company’s perspective. If you are willing to pay for it, the company beat you.

Counsel Responses:

I would be very wary of a “shorter path” to a title being used as a way of getting you in the door. Once you’re in the door, all kinds of things can arise and excuses can come up to prevent your promotion on the timeline they are advertising. Either they give you the higher title now, or not, and if not, it’s a possibility rather than a certainty. In this situation I’d go with the higher compensation, all else equal. The more important question is which opportunity is more interesting to you and has the responsibilities that are going to lead to the most development and look the best on a resume down the line?
A more senior title may be treated better (faster response times, opinions taken more seriously, etc.). In the example that you gave, however, it’s just an offer, not guaranteed, so it shouldn’t have much weight.
Titles don’t matter unless they are very clearly the top title - e.g. General Counsel etc. Assistant General Counsel in some places will be doing the same work as Deputy General Counsel in others. Senior Counsel is third. Focus on the duties and the package and - if it’s important to you - how you get to General Counsel.
I agree with the lengthier responses that say the only title that’s clearly senior is General Counsel.

Attorney and Associate Responses:

There is no value unless it comes with a big raise.
Titles in house are all over the place. It won’t be a resume builder unless it’s General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel. The responsibilities of the job are the resume booster.

In-house? Join the conversation on Fishbowl (anonymous).