How to Flag Former, Retired and Open-to-Work Job Titles in a Lead List
To flag stale job titles, look for wording that says the person no longer holds the role: former, ex-, retired, open to work, left the company, student or intern. Upload the list to the stale job title flagger, pick the title column and download the full file with a flag, the rows to keep or only the flagged rows. It runs in your browser, and your file is not uploaded.
Why it matters before outreach
A profile export is a snapshot, and some people change the headline the day they leave a job. Writing to a Former VP of Sales as if they still hold the role looks careless, and the address may bounce a few weeks later when the company closes the mailbox. Our lead list quality check puts this next to the other checks worth running.
The by-hand way in Sheets or Excel
Add a helper column that looks for a few phrases:
=IF(OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("former",A2)),ISNUMBER(SEARCH("retired",A2)),ISNUMBER(SEARCH("open to work",A2))),"check","")
Then filter on it. Every new phrase needs another SEARCH, and plain SEARCH("ex",A2) matches inside "Executive", so you have to write careful patterns.
Step 1: upload and pick the title column
Upload a CSV or .xlsx file, or paste the cells with the header row first. A header such as Title, Position or Headline is picked for you.
Step 2: tick the reasons that count
Five reasons, all on by default.
| Reason | Example wording |
|---|---|
| Former role | Former CTO, Ex-Google engineer, previously |
| Retired | retired, retiree |
| Looking for work | open to work, seeking, between jobs, in transition |
| Left the company | no longer at, departed, was at |
| Student or intern | student, intern, trainee |
Untick student or intern if you sell to interns.
Step 3: read the flags
Each flagged row gets a Title flag column with its reasons, and each example shows the words that triggered it. You also get a count per reason. Download all rows with the flag, the rows to keep, or only the flagged rows.
Step 4: decide what to do with them
Treat a flag as a prompt to look, not a verdict. Drop the rows, or move them to a separate list that gets a different message. Run the kept rows through the job title normalizer and, if you filter by level, the seniority filter.
What this tool cannot do
- It reads only the wording of the title; it cannot know who has really left a job.
- Words in English only.
- A flag can be a false alarm, such as Ex Libris Manager or an intern you want to reach.
- Only the first sheet of a workbook is read.
Check the addresses before you send
Tidy columns do not make an address deliverable. Upload your list on the verify page: the first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card. Each address comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason, and nothing is sent to anyone on the list. For larger or recurring lists, see bulk email verification, list cleaning and pricing.
Flag your titles now
Open the stale job title flagger.
Common questions
How do I find people who have left their job in a lead list?
A title that says former, ex-, retired or open to work is a clue. By hand you can filter with SEARCH in a helper column; the stale job title flagger checks five kinds of wording at once and names the words that triggered each flag.
Which titles does it flag?
Former role, Retired, Looking for work, Left the company, and Student or intern.
Can a flag be a false alarm?
Yes. Intern is a real current title, and Ex Libris Manager is not a former role. Treat a flag as a prompt to look, and untick a reason if you sell to that group.
Can it know who has really left a job?
No. It reads only the wording of the title.
Is my file uploaded?
No. It is read in your browser and goes nowhere.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.