BG Professional: Adding Credentials After Signed Name

[Boyiee]

Considering how none of the DO/MD/surgeons I know put any of their shit in their signature, I wouldn't ever put any of that bullshit at the end of mine. Email's, sure, outside on the sign for your practice, definitely, on a paper when you sign something or on your personal shit - fuck no.

Pretty sure if I ever saw any RN sign with RN at the end I'd have to laugh at them, and show it to other people to continue the laugh.

Typically people in those positions have headers and printed signatures with their license/title/degree/whatever listed at the end, and sign above it with their name with nothing following.

[MarkM.]

Agree with most doctors don't put MD,etc... at the end of your name. If you graduated college, technically you can put your degree type at the end of your name. If you get business cards put your letters, but 99% of people don't sign their extra initials after their name.

[kuronosan]

E-mails, yes. Signature, no. Doctors don't sign their prescriptions and other things with "John Johnson, M.D." so there's no need for you to write "Bill Williamson, MHA".

Congrats on the degree. You should have it on plaques, papers, and official documents, but there is no need to sign your name with it. You won't look like a self-indulgent douchebag if you do, so just ignore people saying you will.

Self-indulgent douchebags are the ones who sign their name on everything (checks, etc) with their degrees, put it on address envelopes, sign it on business letters, etc.

In other words, if you aren't using it to identify yourself in your field, there is no point in it.

[clobetasol]

congratulations on the degree, use it on official documents, CV etc. But i wouldn't use it in the emails.

[Khamsin]

I'm an active P.E. (Professional Engineer), which is a license granted by the Washington State Board of Engineers to practice engineering. It is a professional license that is renewed every other year (and will become inactive if I don't), comes with a license number and a stamp, and it is required that every engineering project (in my case, roads/construction) have a P.E. sign off on and stamp the plans and specifications. As such, there are documents where I have to put P.E. after my name. Though in everyday life, I wouldn't.

I don't know anything about your field, so if this is a similar situation to yours, then put MHA after your name where it'd be relevant, whether on a legal document needing an MHA to sign it, or in any professional situation where you need that credibility (e.g. working with clients) so people know you know what you're talking about.

If it's not quite the same, then in either case, you can still feel free to use it where you need that professional credibility. Even if it doesn't have a legal purpose, it still reassures people they're working with a professional. However, if you don't work directly with clients whom you want to be reassured of your professional status, and it's not a legal license or otherwise required that an MHA sign something, then it's not much use other than on your resume.

[Acturus]

Thank you for the congrats, but they're pre-emptive.

Fall 2011. I'm only really bringing up the topic now because my wife and I had a similar conversation a couple weeks ago. Also, the difference between right now and next fall is 4 classes and a capstone course, so I'm well past the peak of my workload.

[Elesirdur]

No thesis or major project?

[Acturus]

No thesis or major project?

My capstone class is essentially a 9 week major project.

I believe the project is to create a business proposal for a business that I would want to start. There is a capstone class this Spring that I may audit a week or two of, to get an idea of what will be expected for my class.

[wyrmtung]

Agreed with the others that you don't need to state your resume on all your communications like email. I think your job title is more appropriate and more useful to the recipient.