error: missing return statement despite there being a return statement

Question

' have this error despite there being many return statements returning a value depending on specific string inputs from the user.

public int convertPosition(String pos)
    {
        if (pos.equals("dean"))
        {
            return 0;
        }
        else if (pos.equals("chair"))
        {
            return 1;
        }
        else if (pos.equals("professor"))
        {
            return 2;
        }
        else if (pos.equals("secretary"))
        {
            return 3;
        }
        else if (pos.equals("teaching"))
        {
            return 4;
        }
        else if(pos.equals("otherwise"))
        {
            return -1;
        }
    }

Answer 1

This is a baaaad method.

    else if(pos.equals("otherwise"))
    {
        return -1;
    }
    return -999;