Unusual job titles are on the rise in the US, as the number of companies advertising positions with the word "ninja" in the job title rose 90 percent between October 2017 and October 2018, according to career site Indeed. Job postings for "geniuses" and "rock stars" also grew during the period, rising 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively. While unconventional job titles like "evangelist" have been around for years, falling in and out of favor, some entrepreneurs consider creative titles to be an important part of their company's brand.
Unconventional titles can help employers stand out in the crowded labor field, where job seekers are sifting through hundreds of open positions online, according to Rebecca Toman, vice president of the survey business unit of executive compensation consulting firm Pearl Meyer. "This is a really competitive job market and companies have to go above and beyond and titles are one way to do that," Toman says. "It's attractive—employees like the fun titles."