I recently started my job search after holding a staff engineer title at my current company, and I've encountered some unexpected challenges. While my title signifies real scope and influence on technical direction within my organization, it seems to create friction when I interview elsewhere. For instance, during one panel interview, the atmosphere shifted when they realized I was applying as a staff engineer while they were looking for a senior engineer. I made it clear that I was comfortable with the senior level, but that didn't seem to ease the tension. On the flip side, when I aim for staff or principal roles, the expectations vary drastically from one company to another. What one company considers a staff engineer might be seen as a mid-senior role at another, leaving me either overqualified on paper for positions that would actually suit me or underqualified for roles that match my current title. I'm curious how others at this level are handling the title mismatch. Are you applying for senior roles without mentioning your current title to let your experience speak for itself? Or are you leaning into the staff title and searching for companies where the leveling aligns more closely with your experience?