Don't you feel iffy when people put letters after their name?

[TheIncredibles!]

I have letters too:

TheIncredibles!, PTSD, OCD

 

[ford family]

In a profession like law, I would expect their business cards to have their professional designation (e.g. Esq) on it. Now, if they introduced themselves in a non professional setting as “John Smith, Esquire”, I’d be rolling my eyes.

Understood, but that is only the case in American English.
Over here it is polite to address any untitled man in writing as Esquire as in John Smith Esquire.

ford family

 

[jimmymc]

I tend to assume it's relevant to the job. For academic papers, you'll see things like PhD, Assoc. Professor, etc., and in engineering, people will use PE (professional engineer) because that's a special certification and gives you additional abilities in a company. Hospitals will do the same thing, since there's a big difference between RNA, DNP, RN, and MD.

 

[MillauFr]

Passing the exam doesn't mean you know anything important either. Adding to that, becoming licensed (separate from passing the exam) is the step that makes you responsible for what you say and do.

I only add PE behind my name when I'm acting in an engineering capacity.

Absolutely correct. I learned more useful skills in working construction inspection for 5 years than I did sitting in the classroom for 5 years in college.

 

[geargrinder]

Absolutely correct. I learned more useful skills in working construction inspection for 5 years than I did sitting in the classroom for 5 years in college.

Me too. Grew up in the construction trades, worked my way through college as an inspector, tester, and survey technician. I use my field knowledge way more than any of my book learning.

 

[jo-jo]

My mother in law would send birthday cards and the like with my husbands name DR....person in HUGE letters to impress the mail carrier I guess.

 

[Praying Colonel]

In a profession like law, I would expect their business cards to have their professional designation (e.g. Esq) on it. Now, if they introduced themselves in a non professional setting as “John Smith, Esquire”, I’d be rolling my eyes.

Where I practice it's considered pretentious for an attorney to have "Esq" on their own business card. If you're part of a firm you'd just have your name and the firm's info on the card. If you're a sole practitioner you may have "Attorney" or "Attorney at Law" on your card below your name. In addressing correspondence to another attorney you'd do them the honor of referring to them as "Jane Doe, Esq." or even "Hon. Jane Doe."

 

[Lumpy1106]

Brings up an interesting question for the group; in Engineering, you pass the license exam, then also have to take an ethics exam that basically emphasizes that you are only qualified to sign off on projects in your expertise. I'm a structural engineer, I'm not going to sign off on a set of roadway design plans because I'm not qualified, though the license is the same. Do other suffix qualifiers also have this? It seems like it's not consistent. Example; There is a particular person in my County that was in charge of pandemic restrictions that has the suffix initials, "PhD, MPH, MEd" next to her name. Not a medical Doctor, no background in medical research. In short, not qualified. If she had the same ethical restrictions as a PE, she would have lost her license. I do know lawyers who are very careful to only practice law in their specialty; a real estate attorney wouldn't handle a personal injury case for example. Medical doctors, same thing. A brain surgeon is not going to perform a knee replacement surgery.

 

[soccerdad72]

Where I practice it's considered pretentious for an attorney to have "Esq" on their own business card. If you're part of a firm you'd just have your name and the firm's info on the card. If you're a sole practitioner you may have "Attorney" or "Attorney at Law" on your card below your name. In addressing correspondence to another attorney you'd do them the honor of referring to them as "Jane Doe, Esq." or even "Hon. Jane Doe."

Interesting - thanks for the info

 

[_19disnA]

If someone uses letters in a non-professional setting, they just appear pretentious or somehow trying to impress others. Even people who are 'engineers' who have an engineering degree where I work have never used letters on the end of their name in something like company emails/letters. There is just no need for that.

 

[RangerPooh]

Example; There is a particular person in my County that was in charge of pandemic restrictions that has the suffix initials, "PhD, MPH, MEd" next to her name. Not a medical Doctor, no background in medical research. In short, not qualified. If she had the same ethical restrictions as a PE, she would have lost her license. I do know lawyers who are very careful to only practice law in their specialty; a real estate attorney wouldn't handle a personal injury case for example. Medical doctors, same thing. A brain surgeon is not going to perform a knee replacement surgery.

A few things seem incorrect with your statement, "PhD, MPH, MEd" next to her name. Not a medical Doctor, no background in medical research."

Are you aware that in order to complete a PhD you have to do research. Depending on the particular degree, the research might be quite extensive. For my husband's PhD he had to complete a lot of field and lab research in addition to book/journal research.

MPH- stands for Masters in Public Health. Again, chances are likely that they did do research for this degree. In addition to his PhD, my husband also has his MPH, with a focus in Epidemiology (which looks at infectious disease and its spread).

Assuming that someone who only has a PhD has no background in research is incorrect. I work with plenty of MDs, who do not do research and have limited experience in research. A PhD who works in a College of Medicine may actually have more experience in research than an MD does.

 

[bsmcneil]

I'm feeling especially punchy today. But I might start adding letters for an acronym.

bsmcneil, IDGAF.
bsmcneil, SMH.
bsmcneil, IDKWTFBBQ

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I'll be getting "letters" after my name, but they're so trivial that I won't be putting them on any correspondence.