So I was exchanging emails with our company’s intern this week and noticed offhand that they are using the title “associate” in their email signature. For context we are an private equity/development shop and like everyone else in RE our titles are inconsistent and somewhat meaningless. They have been doing typical basic intern functions like market research, etc.
On one hand I don’t really care because they are the intern and we all internally in senior leadership have bigger things to focus on.
But it does also feel to me like a pretty big stretch and misrepresentation as associates are a step up (typically) from analysts so on a certain level I feel the need to say something.
What are your thoughts? Am I overthinking this and it’s too petty to get involved or should I flag it with our COO (his manager)?
EDIT/RESPONSE: I just wanted to circle back and tell everyone I appreciate your feedback, particularly your honesty. I should have put it in my initial post but I would’ve done a little digging and started with the individual first before I had any discussions with his superior. I wouldn’t risk my own reputation internally/looking out of line without knowing if it got granted to him for specific reasons that many of you cited below. My gut feeling was that this is too petty to bother tracking down but thank you again for re-affirming.
I have had three internships and not a single one had an "intern" title in my email signature. For example when I was an intern at a development/acquisitions shop they had me put "acquisitions associate" in my signature, they even gave me business cards with that title. When emailing people outside of the company (brokers/GCs/civil/county officials/ect..) "acquisitions associate" gives you a little more authority whereas "intern" is more likely to get blown off. Guess it depends on your shop but I don't think its worth brining up to management.
We can't really tell you if it's a big deal in your company or not. It sounds somewhat petty to me, but maybe it's a big deal at your firm?
Be a man and ask him about it if you care that much. Escalating this to his manager without talking to him first is ridiculous
A Karen move
I responded officially/updated my post above but appreciate your candor/response. I should have included it previously but I completely agree with you and would’ve done some digging/had a discussion with them first prior to elevating it. Even so, thank you for covering this/addressing the most significant error in the scenario I laid out in my original post.
You said yourself that titles are meaningless and inconsistent so why would it really matter what the kid has
I'd take the signal and just upgrade your own title, maybe throw a senior to it? or MD? or Supreme Allied Commander! Have some fun with this!
Kinda a stretch, but let them live a little. They'll learn later in life that title generally has very little meaning attached to it.
When I interned at a buy side shop I was straight up told to tell people I was an analyst / associate. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what’s happening here
The firm I interned for before had interns labeled as analysts, rather than specifically calling them "summer analysts". Have also seen quite a few people on LinkedIn put down "Analyst" in experience but have the dates as the summer of that year. Never seemed like a big deal to anyone
When I was an analyst in investment sales and I was fishing for intel or trying to make some shit head respond quicker, I would change my title in the signature block to make people respond faster or be more inclined to give me what I wanted. Crazy how well that works/ed...
Anecdote aside, the right thing to do is pull the kid aside and say "hey shit head don't fucking do this, or else people will think you're a clown and won't want to hire you after graduation"... in a nice way of course.
I work as an intern in a PE shop, my signature says “Financial Analyst”, my boss said not to use intern because it’s more important people know your role and not your level of internal authority
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