Name Suffix Overkill?

In project management circles, I have found it common for individuals to use name suffixes such as the following:

John Doe, PMP, MBA

If I were to complete all of my educational and certification goals I would be able to list mine as follows:

John Doe, PMP, CPC, MBA, MSPM, SCPM

Would this be overkill? It seems to me that it would be but they would all relate to my position and I am not sure which I should eliminate if any.

Also I was wondering if name suffixes should be in order of attainment?

 

It depends on context. In the world of chivalry, for instance, four postnominals and four sets of regalia are considered the absolute upper limit of good taste, no matter how many one holds rightful use to, unless absolutely necessary.

Order of attainment? As a general rule -- the higher the honor, the closer it is to your name, postnominally speaking. Certain honors always precede others. Certifications would come after academic or honorifics.

Here's Australian usage explained (somewhere into the document):

http://www.studentservices.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/36432/Student_Services_Style_Manual_Complete.pdf

Also, I believe some professions regulate appearance and order, to avoid misunderstandings or misrepresentations. In some contexts you MUST use postnominals in a very particular way. Best to check within the profession.

Prenominals are another story altogether. One would write:

Chev. Dr. John Doe

or just

Chev. John Doe (since Chev. trumpts Dr. in title)

or

Rt. Hon. Chev. John Doe (in very formal circumstances)

but

John Doe, CGSG, Ph.D.

(Where CSG is Chevalier Grand Cross of the Order of St. Generic, say).

That is -- prenominals seem to work the other way around -- the higher the honor, the further from the name.

And finally -- local custom trumps formalities. If your circles use certain custom -- perhaps best not to shake the tree too much.

 

Don't be ashamed to quote all your degrees, diplomas and professional memberships.

If you know more than someone else, why hide that fact?

 

me again, MA, BS, AA, Powerpoint Certification & Woodshop in High School

 

Licenses & Certifications

I have many certifications and licenses that have suffixes.

I usually only include the ones that I think will apply to the application because it would be an over-kill.

IEng - Incorporated Engineer, EC UK
CBRE - Certified Radio Broadcast Engineer, SBE
CEA - Certified Audio Engineer, SBE
CET - Certified Electronic Technician, ETA/ISCET
GROL - General Radio Operators License, FCC
GCGI - City & Guilds Institute of London / Graduateship Diploma in Engineering

 

Re: Licenses & Certifications

Remember the old adage, "If you've got it, flaunt it?"

Bullshit. In these days of egocentric wazoos who often flaunt bogus credentials, when you've got the real thing, you don't have to flaunt it.

Believe me, it impresses people far more if they get to know you first, then happen to find out that you are credentialed. Why? Because you didn't throw it in their faces on first meeting.

I've had my "title," as it were, for going on 15 years, and I have hardly used it at all. I don't have the egocentric need to be addressed by title, and much prefer my first name.

The ultimate question is, are you self-confident enough in terms of your abilities and personality not to use your title until and unless it's appropriate or necessary to do so?

(And no, kiddies, I don't avoid the title because I'm a trucker. I've never bothered using it, even when I was teaching at graduate schools.)

For what it's worth, when my time comes, I don't feel the need to have people say that I was a great teacher, writer, scholar, etc. I'll be satisfied if they say, "He was a nice guy." (Or, if it's a degree mill operator I busted, "He was a prick." That would be fun, too.)

 

Re: Re: Licenses & Certifications

Another thing to consider:

If one throws around his or her postnominals on the sigline, or dances the dance of insisting on professional prenominals and titles in person -- one opens oneself up to issues of professional due diligence if one's advice is not well-considered.

One doesn't have to have paid a professional for considered advice for that advice to be considered a professional opinion, and it gets murky when postnominals et al. are attached to that advice.

So, saying, "Hi, I'm John Doe. I read your post and believe you might want to consider XYZ" rather than "I am John Doe, PhD, SPQR, ABCD, and I believe you should consider" have two totally different meanings to the reader, and this can be a serious issue.

The moment one holds oneself out to be an "expert" by virtue of one's postnominals -- one is asking for the trust of the other party, and violating that trust can be a serious issue of professional ethics.

"Prestige" comes with social and professional responsibility.

 

Does this mean that if I use my four earned academic postnominals, I cannot also list my PowerPoint certificate?

 

Re: Re: Licenses & Certifications

I had a bit o'fun when I was first docterated, but then went back to my normal self (my version of it, at least) about a week later. I only recently went back to using the alphabet soup after my name here on degreeinfo just a few days ago. Up till then I used JRG

In my firm, we are not allowed to use academic letters on our cards and other stationery. We can use our professional credentials, but not the academic titles. I agree with this. I met a financial services person at a mixer, and he had PhD on his card. I asked him what type of PhD. He told me Electrical Engineering. That has little to do with financial services.

I have found, as Steve pointed out, if people are hit in the face with it they tend to back off. Usually, in my biz, I talk with folks first, and then if they really want to delve into my background and ask, I will give them my education. I do have a bio/backgrounder where I list, amongst other things such as community service, my education, but few people read it. I have my diplomas on the wall in my office, but few people look closely at them. They just seem content there are some official looking things on the wall.

I have gone back to teaching, and do use the academic initials/letters. It seems to fit in that environment, and since I went through the 25 year plan to finish my BS, and continued to work full time, I believe it shows that it is possible to work Silicon Valley hours and complete school. It also cuts back on the, "But you don't know what it's like to have to work full time and try to go to school at night" comments other instructors receive.

 

Page 80, onwards. Useful.

 

I am not an alphabet soup guy either. When I become a civilian and licensed as a CPA, then CPA is most likely the only designation I will put on my business cards. I doubt that I will list an MBA after the CPA designation. It seems unecessary, especially with the 150 hr requirement to practice in most states now, most newly minted (and older CPA's too) already have a Masters degree related to the field.

William

 

Since I do consulting and teaching for various professional associations (Project Management Institute, Institute for Supply Management, and the National Contract Management Association), I definitely display my certifications (PMP, C.P.M., CPCM) on my business cards and publications. The way I see it, these professional associations hire me to teach for them because I have achieved their certifications. Plus, I consider it part of my branding for my consulting in project management, purchasing/supply management, and contract management. These professional certifications are definitely instrumental in getting teaching opportunities. If you don't display them in some form or another nobody will know you have them and you may miss out on some teaching opportunities.

 

Not if you were a Brit.

 

Dr. Rene has raised a good point. The original poster has asked about "listing" his qualifications. I'm uncertain what he means by this. Listing on a business card? Listing on letterhead? Listing as a sig line? Listing on a resume?

Personally, I like business cards that are stripped down to the bare essentials. Resumes, on the other hand should list everything you've got. I think it's OK to leave off degrees that are irrelevant to the position for which you might be applying but I don't think I'd leave anything off.

In my world, where people live and die by licensure status, it is understood that if you've got a certain sort of job then you're qualified for that job. I can put "LCSW" on my business card but if I don't, it's understood.
Jack

 

Would it be appropriate to write: "Ted Heiks, MBA, MBA" or would that just sound so redundant and dorky that maybe one should only use one of the same postnominal initials regardless of how many you've got?

 

"Ted Heiks, MBA^2" ?

 

Ted Heiks, MBA (Marketing), MBA (Entrepreneurship)

??

 

Perhaps not everything.....

I am also a certified massage practitioner. I just don't think it would help my resume if that were on there.

It reminds me of the commercials for Delta Dental running out here on the left coast. One is an HR person interviewing a job candidate. The candidate has an MBA, but also has a number of other, wildly different credentials on his resume, "just in case."

 

I was once, back in the late 80's, handed a business card by Yves Gelinas. The card had a foldout listing. It was the first and only multipage business card I've ever seen. I remember that somewhere on it, it read "polyvalent" (French for "Jack-of-all-Trades" roughly).

I suspect that cards handed out in Oregon by non-accredited degree holders would have to be of the two-page variety, to fit the disclaimer on there in an appropriately legible print size.

 

Of course, that might depend entirely on who was doing the hiring.

Jack