When to Capitalize Job Titles: A Guide for Writers

When it comes to writing job titles, there are a few rules to keep in mind. Generally, titles that come before a name should be capitalized, while those that come after should not. For example, “Officer John” is correct, while “John, officer” is not. Titles that are used descriptively or as common nouns should also not be capitalized.

When used as part of a name, titles such as “Director”, “President”, “Manager” and “Team Leader” should be capitalized. However, when used descriptively or as common nouns, they should not be capitalized. For example, “The mayor wants to see you” and “I wouldn't capitalize supervisor in that last line of dialogue” are both correct. It is also important to note that titles can be capitalized when used as part of a name or to address someone directly.

For example, Wang is the Director of the Office of International Relations and the Office of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Affairs of Nanjing University. In summary, when writing job titles, it is important to consider whether the title is being used as part of a name or descriptively. If it is being used as part of a name or to address someone directly, it should be capitalized. If it is being used descriptively or as a common noun, it should not be capitalized.