BG Professional: Adding Credentials After Signed Name

[Acturus]

So, I'm graduating with my masters next fall in Health Administration (MHA), and I'm trying to gauge the appropriateness of listing those credentials after my name in emails and signed letters once I've earned the degree.

i.e. "Bob Smith, MHA"

I'm not medical, but I work in the medical field, so there are plenty of MD/DO/RN/BSN/etc. actual professional credentials that make sense, but my wife and I had this conversation a few weeks back because she's in a similar situation. She's an office manager at a physician practice, but she also took a class, passed a test, and is an actual certified medical office manager (CMOM). We're not sure if it's acceptable to list these types of credentials that not everyone has, but maybe aren't actually notable enough.

Obviously the goal here for each of us is to not look like a self-important douche by listing credentials that aren't that big of a deal, but I really can't find a checklist of etiquette for this sort of thing.

Opinions?

[Bingbong]

Obviously the goal here for each of us is to not look like a self-important douche by listing credentials that aren't that big of a deal,

That's my answer. Just hang your diploma where everyone can see it, no need to literally stamp it on the end of your name.
Congrats on the degree.

[Surealistic]

yours yes, hers no

you paid a shitton of money for that recognition (not saying she didnt pay for it, but you got a degree, she has a certificate), fuck anyone that thinks your a douche, remember, haters gonna hate, and everyone needs haters, means your doing good, if no one is hating, your doing something wrong

[Hellfury]

Eh, I'd read that signature, and go "heh, this dude is either self-important or really really insecure", when you get a Ph.D. sign with it.

[Surealistic]

Eh, I'd read that signature, and go "heh, this dude is either self-important or really really insecure", when you get a Ph.D. sign with it.

haters


they gonna hate

[Weiing]

I agree with the above poster: putting MHA after your name is fine. Hers, I'm less sure about.

Especially when you find a job and have a work email, you could include "MHA" in your signature. I think that would be most appropriate.

I plan to include MSW in my signature for my work email once I get a job somwhere. Currently I have "MSW Candidate 2011" and the school's name because I use my personal email a lot to email other professionals in the field asking questions and whatnot.

[notorious bum]

I've never seen anyone sign with an MHA at the end before. Gonna go with the non-douchebaggary-look and say leave it out. It's not worth the risk of losing a good first impression over the added advertising imo

[Abandon]

Before you even start, Shut the fuck up, Olo

[Acturus]

I agree with the above poster: putting MHA after your name is fine. Hers, I'm less sure about.

Especially when you find a job and have a work email, you could include "MHA" in your signature. I think that would be most appropriate.

I plan to include MSW in my signature for my work email once I get a job somwhere. Currently I have "MSW Candidate 2011" and the school's name because I use my personal email a lot to email other professionals in the field asking questions and whatnot.

MSW is a requirement for a lot of your field, though. Similar to accountants with MBA versus CPA. If you are certified as a public accountant, that holds clout over an accountant with an MBA, and some accounting positions require a CPA to perform at that level. I would expect someone to sign their name with MSW.

I guess maybe the rule is to use the credentials if they represent a significant certification or professional achievement, and not just a tier of education.

[Sylvrdragon]

I think it'd be less pretentious if you just write out the whole title underneath your name, and then, only to people who might have reason to know it. Abbreviating it looks really bad. It's like you're just waiting for someone to ask you what it means so you can brag about your credentials.

- Sylvrdragon, PDG

Spoiler: show

Pizza Delivery Guy

[Uzor]

I'm no expert on the subject, but imo it looks bad. Normally you add your titel in your email, like General, doctor etc. MHO is credentials - not a title - so I don't thin kit is neccesary. It's not like you're applying for a job in every email you send, so adding that to the end of emails sounds more like you're either bragging or trying to make yourself look better - unless it's for a specific purpose, such as you talking about medicine in the email/letter or other work-related matters. Outside of work, it'd just look douchey.

[Talus]

You could add the credentials after your name when your correspondence is in a professional capacity, in other instances it just kind of says, "I'm insecure and need to bolster my perceived status somehow."

Congratulations on the MHA.

Questions to ask yourself about using it though: am I licensed to work in this capacity (like lawyers are admitted to their jurisdiction's bar, doctors are licensed by the state/commonwealth's medical board, etc). Are MHAs licensed to work in health administration? Is the professional training important enough to put the initials after your name so that your coworkers and clients can see it, or is it really no big deal? Is it to inflate your own ego?

Some examples of correct initials, IMO (not all-inclusive):

Bob Smith, M.D.
Bob Smith, D.O.
Bob Smith, Esq.
Bob Smith, CPA
Bob Smith, LCSW
Bob Smith, PhD

And for all of the fields above, I'd argue again that, it's best to use the credential in a professional setting. Just because you are a PhD, doesn't mean you should sign your bar tab as "Bob Smith, PhD" because it does not matter in that context unless you're trying to impress someone.

[Kumbai]

Pretty much if it's suitable in the situation then go for it. On your CV etc yes. Job applications etc yes. If you're sending a letter to someone about something which isn't related then no.

[Yuri-G]

depends on the position and the accreditation. I'm accredited in a certain finance-related field, and I use it when it on my work email and on my resume if I'm applying for a new job in that field. if I'm applying for jobs that are unrelated, I wouldn't use it, because they'd have no idea what it is. some accreditations - PhD, M.D., etc. - are good no matter what, but with most of them you'll want to tailor your usage to the communication at hand.

[Elesirdur]

In a professional context where having a specific certification is required to do the job, then yes go ahead and use your post-nominals. Do put them on your CV or resume if part of your qualification is having that kind of education. Likewise on your business cards and letterhead if your position requires that training or is part of a provincial/state/nationally certified body to legally practice that profession - this could include CA, CPA, PhD, LPN, and the whole host or 'registered' professions encompassing massage therapists, counsellors, social workers, etc.

Think twice about putting it in your email signature. For inter-office emails, leave it off - just makes you look like a cock. For communication with external clients then I think it's wholly appropriate, since your email signature should be similar in formality to your business card or professional letterhead.

Maybe I'm being unjustly picky, but I think the worst offenders for unnecessary post-nominals are human resources workers. Cool, you took a two week course to teach you how to fire people, no need to make an acronym out of the program name and add it to the seven other post-nominals appending your name. That's an extreme non-example, but I have yet to work in an organization where the HR people have less than two post-nominals in their email signature, none of which come from higher learning institutions. I kind of feel like your wife's situation falls into that category. Her training is a good achievement, and might be okay to use on a resume, but putting it in email signatures or business cards just smacks of insecurity compared to people with more formal education.

Oh, and don't forget all those silly MBA-holders who tack that on whenever and where ever they feel like it.

[Qalbert]

I think I will refer to dessert as postnominals

[Elesirdur]

Usage

The order in which post-nominal letters are listed after a person's name is dictated by standard practice which may vary by region. In the UK, the Ministry of Justice recommends the following ordering:[1]

• Bt/Bart or Esq.
• Decorations and honours and decorations (in descending order of precedence)
• Appointments (for example, QC for Queen's Counsel, MP for member of parliament)
• University degrees
• Religious orders (for example, SSF) and medical qualifications
• Fellowship or membership of learned societies, academies or professional institutions (for example, RA, FRCP)
• Membership of the Armed Forces
• According to the University of Oxford,[2] university degrees should be listed in ascending order: bachelor's degrees first, followed by master's degrees, then doctorates. Awards from the same faculty replace lower-ranking degrees (for example, John Smith, MA rather than John Smith, BA MA) However, when the awarding institutions are listed and the degrees are from different universities, lower degrees are included (such as John Smith, BA Wales MA London; but Jane Doe, MA Virginia rather than Jane Doe, BA Virginia MA Virginia).

Notice that there is no category for certifications. As for professional organizations, my thinking is that unless you must pass an exam and/or require some form of academic or previous professional experience in the field (ie. 2000+ hours on the job), then it's not really appropriate to name them. This does cover most, if not all, regulated professions, as well as professions with legal limitations on who can practice - law, medicine, dentistry, engineering, architecture, etc.

[Acturus]

I've never heard of them referred to as "post-nominals".

That's a big help, as are a number of the replies here.

[SephYuyX]

Tech Certs are ok though, as longas theyre the move involved ones like MS and Cisco.

[alt]

yours yes, hers no

you paid a shitton of money for that recognition (not saying she didnt pay for it, but you got a degree, she has a certificate), fuck anyone that thinks your a douche, remember, haters gonna hate, and everyone needs haters, means your doing good, if no one is hating, your doing something wrong

I'd say the opposite personally. I see tons of people in the business world listing their certifications after their names on cards. Such as Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Risk Analyst (CRA), Doctors/Nurses/etc. which require professional certifications.

Never see anyone list their degrees.