Buzz
Grammar rules can be tough to get right, particularly since there are so many, and each comes with its own set of exceptions. Just like other areas of English grammar, knowing when to capitalize job titles can be tricky. In most cases, there's no need for capitalization. By familiarizing yourself with the limited scenarios where capitalization is required, you’ll be able to confidently write job titles with accuracy.
Steps
Knowing Which Job Titles Require Capitalization
Capitalize proper nouns. This is the most fundamental rule of capitalization. It dictates that specific names of unique entities (such as “Paris,” “Saturn,” “Alex,” or “Green Peace”) should be capitalized, while “common nouns” referring to categories (like “city,” “planet,” “baseball player,” or “environmental organization”) should remain lowercase. When it comes to job titles, this means most titles should be written in lowercase.
- However, titles referring to a unique, official position, such as the “Queen of England,” should be capitalized.
Capitalize job titles that come before someone's name. When a specific title is placed directly before a person's name, referring to that particular individual, it generally becomes part of a proper noun and should therefore be capitalized. For example, “reverend James” becomes “Reverend James,” and “doctor Smith” should be “Doctor Smith” or “Dr. Smith.”
- Note that this capitalization rule only applies to officially granted titles. For example, “Professor Anita Brown,” “Judge Regina Blake,” and “President Flora Barnum” should be capitalized, but titles like “artist,” “race car driver,” or “musician” should remain lowercase, as in, “This song is performed by musician Louis Armstrong.”
- Another way to decide if a job title preceding a name should be capitalized is to determine if it’s an official title or simply a description. For instance, “Director of Marketing Joanna Russell” should be capitalized if it’s her official job title. If it’s just a description, you would write it without capitalization: “marketing chief Joanna Russell.”
Capitalize job titles when signing off your name. When signing a letter, email, or any form of communication, your job title should be written with a capital letter. For instance, instead of signing as “John Smith, editor in chief,” you should sign as “John Smith, Editor in Chief.”
Capitalize titles used as substitutes for names. When using a title to replace someone's name, especially when addressing them directly, it should be capitalized.
- Examples include: “Can you make it to my graduation, Dad?” or “With all due respect, General, I disagree,” or “I saw the Queen of England ride by today.”
- This rule also applies to terms of respect, such as “Your Honor” or “Your Highness.”
Use capitalization for endowed positions. Some job titles, such as those for endowed professorships or fellowships, are considered proper nouns because they refer to unique positions. These titles should always be capitalized, even when placed after a person’s name.
- For instance, “Georgina Bourassa, the Barnaby G. Gray Professor of Circuses, taught for five years.”
Always use title case when capitalizing job titles. Title case means that you capitalize the first, last, and important words in a title, but leave small words like prepositions (“of,” “about,” or “with”), conjunctions (“and,” “but,” or “or”), and articles (“a,” “an,” or “the”) in lowercase.
- For example, “associate director of research and development for the cancer unit at Pharmacon” should be written as “Associate Director of Research and Development for the Cancer Unit at Pharmacon.”
- You can also refer to sources like networks (e.g., ESPN) or media outlets (e.g., CNN) to see how to properly capitalize words in a title.
When to Keep Titles in Lowercase
Do not capitalize general titles or common job names. When a job title is used to refer to a general profession or a category of jobs, rather than a specific or official designation, it should remain in lowercase.
- For example, “Janice Buckley is a microbiologist,” or “Here are some tips from painter John Green.” These job titles are describing a profession rather than an official title, so they do not need to be capitalized.
Avoid capitalizing a title when it's used alone. If a title stands alone in a sentence without accompanying a name, it should not be capitalized. This is the most typical use of job titles, which means they are frequently written in lowercase.
- For example, “John, who is a salesperson, works at the dealership,” or “The clerk helped us with the documents.”
Use lowercase when a title follows a person’s name. This rule applies regardless of whether the title is official, general, specific, or vague.
- For example: “Jesse Roberts, editor in chief at Grammar Central, hates typos,” or “Helena Briggs, social worker with the NHS, is handling the case.”
Capitalizing Titles in Job Application Documents
Capitalize job titles when they appear as headings in your resume. When listing a job you’ve held in the experience section of your resume, make sure to capitalize the title. For example: "Director of Human Resources (2011 - Present)".
Do not capitalize job titles in the body text of your resume. If the job title is part of a sentence or paragraph within your resume—such as in the summary or job description—it should not be capitalized. For example: "As director of human resources, I improved recruitment and reduced time-to-hire."
Be consistent with capitalizing official job titles in cover letters. While there’s no clear rule on whether to capitalize official job titles in your cover letter, the key is consistency. Once you decide, stick with it throughout.
- If you’re applying for a specific role, many people prefer to capitalize the title: “I am writing to apply for the Assistant Professor of American Literature position at Bard College.” If you do this, make sure to capitalize all other job titles in the letter.
- To decide, check the company’s job listing and website to see how they handle capitalization of job titles. If they use uppercase, you should too.
- Just remember, general job titles should never be capitalized in a sentence: “I have over twenty years of experience as a director of human resources,” or “I’m seeking a campaign manager role in the nonprofit sector.”
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If you’re unsure, don’t capitalize job titles. Most style guidelines recommend using uppercase sparingly, so it’s usually not necessary.
Warnings
- Capitalization rules can vary based on where you're located or the field you're working in. For example, there are distinctions between U.S. and U.K. English, as well as differences between disciplines like biology and journalism. Make sure you're aware of the specific conventions you need to follow depending on your intended audience.
- If you're writing for a company or organization, it’s a good idea to consult their style guide to check if they have specific rules for capitalization preferences.
