Cubicle 101: Should I add 'MBA' after my name?

March 19, 5:34 PMLife in the Cubicle ExaminerDudley B. Dawson

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Adding credentials after a name is not exactly a new concept.  Depending on the field of work, many experts add some type of abbreviation after their name.  Doctors often have "MD", dentists have "DDS", and professors with doctorates often add "PhD" following their name.  Unfortunately, there are only a handful of professions in which adding credentials after your name make sense.  Having an MBA is certainly not one of them, and there are a host of other abbreviations that are downright pathetic.

The idea of having credentials after your name is a good one.  If I have to get a physical, there's no chance in hell I'm going to see a guy named "Trapper John".  Sounds like the nickname of a serial rapist.  However, you tell me to go see Trapper John, MD and I'm ready to drop my pants for him.  A simple MD allows Trapper John's clients to trust he is trained and properly licensed to perform the service.  A service that the common man would be unable to provide.

Sadly, many people in the corporate world don't understand that their professional certification or training isn't all that important.  In my seven years of cube life, I've come across email signatures including everything from "Bill Lumberg, MBA" to "Samir Nagheenanajar, MCAD" (Microsoft Certified Application Developer).  Even worse are Human Resources employees, who have found an abundance of abbreviations to add after their name.  Many of them like to include dozens of them.  This likely stems from their inflated and false sense of importance.  HR "professionals" take the cake on adding an unnecessary suffix after their name.  The list includes:

    * PHR – Professional in Human Resources
    * SPHR – Sr. Professional in Human Resources
    * GPHR – Global Professional in Human Resources
    * CCP – Certified Compensation Professional
    * GRP – Global Remuneration Professional
    * CPP – Certified Payroll Professional
    * CBP – Certified Benefits Professional
    * CEBS – Certified Employee Benefits Specialist
    * CPLP – Certified Professional in Learning and Performance
    * CPT – Certified Performance Technologist
    * QKA – Qualified 401(k) Administrator

Here are some things to think about before adding a suffix to your name:

1. Is my professional training as important to clients as it is to me?
2. Does my suffix look ridiculous after my name?
3. Can a high school student perform admirably at my job?
4. Are you performing a service that requires licensing, by law?
5. If you really think about it, is this suffix you are about to add just inflating your own ego?

There are very few professions that truly pass the suffix sniff test but millions of corporate employees include one in email signatures everyday. Do me a favor and next time you receive an email from someone with an unnecessary suffix after their name, respond back with your own ridiculous suffix and hyperlink it to this article.

Best Regards,

Dudley B. Dawson, CCRLD (Certified Core Rhythms Latin Dancer)