Do You Capitalize Career Names?
Most people encounter job titles when they have to refer to the responsibilities and the names of those responsible for them. This can include company executives, teachers, medical professionals and other similar positions. But how should these titles be written? Do you capitalize career names?
The basic rule for capitalizing job titles is to capitalize all words except prepositions, articles and conjunctions, even when coming at the beginning of a title. The same style should be applied whether the person is being referenced by name or the title is used alone.
Examples of proper career name capitalization:
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- Head of Human Resources
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- Executive Vice President
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- Chief Administrative Officer
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- Chief Operating Officer
In informal conversations, career names are often not capitalized. However, it is important to be mindful of capitalization if the situation requires formal writing, e.g. resumes, business emails and applications.
Exceptions:
Some job titles may have special capitalization rules. For example, words like president, senator, and pope are generally only capitalized when used as part of a title before an individual’s name.
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- President Donald Trump
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- The president gave a speech
In this context, the president is only capitalized when it precedes someone’s name or when it is part of a formal title.
Conclusion:
In most cases, you should capitalize job titles, with exceptions being made for words like articles and prepositions. It is important to stay consistent with your capitalization rules when writing in a formal capacity. No matter the nature of your written work, the capitalization of career names can be a helpful tool for ensuring clarity and structure.
