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ALPHABET SOUP:
LETTERS AFTER NAMES By Christian D. Malesic, MBA, IOM, CGR, CAPS
Interestingly enough, when the academic disciplines are different, both are listed. Therefore, if instead of earning a DBA he earned a PhD in economics, he would have become “Dr. Makyo Feelgood, PhD, MBA.” Accreditation and Certification
in and around construction and the business of construction. Letters can be earned for academic education, accreditation, certification, designation, and/or recognition. Though the result is the same–the professional can place some letters after their name– the prestigiousness of the accomplishments are not the same. There are clear levels of accomplishments which are greater than others. Said plainly, some letters mean a lot more than others. Academic Education
W
hen you are handed a business card of a professional with letters after their name, what thought comes to mind? That of the infamous billionaire Thurston Howell III, the famous character from TV sitcom Gilligan’s Island, who was tactless, blameful, pretentious, and lazy? Or the customer-serving, career-minded, educated professional who wants to do the job right the first time to earn your praise and your smile? Letters after names mean things. They should be a prerequisite when choosing your next professional.
The Difference is in the Details
Letters after names are officially called “post-nominal letters.” They can be earned for a number of accomplishments. This article focuses primarily on those 26
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Though a student should be very proud when they earn their Certificate degree, Associate degree, or Bachelor degree, these degrees do not earn the student post-nominal letters. Earning a graduate degree, either a Master or Doctorate, is considered the highest and most prestigious level of professional accomplishment; so, not only does it come with letters, they are the most prestigious of all letters. As a rule, if someone has a Master and Doctorate in the same discipline, they only display the highest level achieved. Thus, when Mr. Makyo Feelgood earns his Bachelor degree in finance, he remains “Mr. Makyo Feelgood.” When he goes on to earn his Master of Business Administration (MBA), he becomes “Mr. Makyo Feelgood, MBA.” And, when he reaches the pinnacle of academia by earning his Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA), he not only replaces his postnominal letters (replaces MBA with DBA), but we refer to him as “Doctor.” Thus, “Dr. Makyo Feelgood, DBA.”
Generally speaking, these mean the same thing. Usually, a training or education program is ‘accredited’ by an outside government or accrediting agency and then those who complete the program are ‘certified.’ Though not as prestigious as academic education, certified programs require the professional to have a number of years of experience in the profession, pass a comprehensive test, and complete continuous education to maintain their certification. Designation Though training is part of earning a designation, and sometimes, so is even passing a comprehensive test, a test is not required of designation programs nor is continuous education or experience. Therefore, it is an accomplishment worthy of letters; but, at a lower level than accreditation or certification. Recognition Still worthy of post-nominal letters, recognition is the least prestigious of the four categories. It may be earned through training or simply through reaching a professional career milestone that is often not reach by others in the same profession. Testing, experience, and continuous education, then, are not involved. Order Means Everything When a professional has earned more than one set of post-nominal letters, it is appropriate to display each set of letters after their name. This is done in descending order with the most prestigious letters being first (closest to the name) followed by a comma then the next set of letters and so on. Thus, when Snoopy earns his doctorate degree in engineering, he becomes “Joe Cool, PhD.” When he passes his first set of Continued on page 28
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ALPHABET SOUP: LETTERS AFTER NAMES Common Degrees, Certifications, Designations, and Recognitions: Academia DBA–Doctor of Business Administration M Arch–Master of Architecture MBA–Master of Business Administration PhD–Doctor of Philosophy Association Staff CAE–Certified Association Executive
IOM–Graduate of the Institute for
Organization Management Construction
CAPS–Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist CGB–Certified Graduate Builder
CGP–Certified Green Professional
CGR–Certified Graduate Remodeler GMB–Graduate Master Builder
GMR–Graduate Master Remodeler
HCCP–Housing Credit Certified Professional PMP–Project Management Professional
Design AIA–American Institute of Architects
AICP –American Institute of Certified Planners CID–Certified Interior Designer
CKD–Certified Kitchen Designer EIT–Engineer in Training LA–Landscape Architect LC–Lighting Certified
LEED AP–Leadership in Energy &
Environmental Design Accredited Professional LS–Land Surveyor PE–Professional Engineer RA–Registered Architect SIT–Surveyor in Training Lending & Accounting CMC–Certified Mortgage Consultant CPA–Certified Public Accountant
CRMS–Certified Residential Mortgage Specialist GMA–General Mortgage Associate
Real Estate Sales ABR–Accredited Buyer’s Representative
CMP–Certified New Home Marketing Professional CSP–Certified New Home Sales Professional GAA–General Accredited Appraiser
MIRM–Master in Residential Marketing RAA–Residential Accredited Appraiser
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ALPHABET SOUP: LETTERS AFTER NAMES
exams on the way to becoming a Professional Engineer (PE), he is known as an Engineer in Training (EIT) and becomes “Joe Cool, PhD, EIT.” Finally, when Snoopy goes back to school to sharpen his design prowess and eventually earns his Master of Architecture (M Arch), he becomes “Joe Cool, PhD, M Arch, EIT.” It is important to note that post nominal letters DO NOT appear in the order in which they were chronologically earned; but, in the order of the importance of the accomplishment. Once earned, a professional has every right to use all of the letters for each accomplishment earned as long as they maintain their license, continuous education, or other requirements of the accomplishment. That said, in common practice, it is rare to display more than three sets of letters at once. Usually, the professional drops the least prestigious accomplishment(s) to display three or less. In certain instances, it is appropriate to show all of the accomplishments (more than three) of the professional in the form of postnominal letters; such as: when receiving an award, when instructing or teaching on relevant subject matter, or other special circumstances (such as shown herein by the author: when writing an article on letters after names). However, even if not used after the professional’s name, the accomplishments should always be shown on a résumé. Tying this Back to Construction Like every profession, there are some Chuck-in-a-Truck, Fly-by-Night contractors that give our industry a bad name. Nothing causes the blood to boil more than when a professional builder, remodeler, or trade contractor hears a story of a home or business owner being burned by a conartist or unskilled worker. The scammers and wanna-be’s bring down the reputation of the industry and of the true professional who believes their career honorable, takes pride in their knowledge of the latest codes and products, and maintains a high-level of continuous education as represented by post-nominal letters. Don’t become a victim. Choose a designer, contractor, real estate agent, banker, accountant, and lawyer who take their careers seriously by staying at the top of their professional field. A professional may cost a little more to hire up front or may ask you to wait a little longer before they can start on your project; but, in the end, will serve you better. Letters after names mean things. Look for them. Learn about them. Only hire those who have earned them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Christian D. Malesic, MBA, IOM, CGR, CAPS is the Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of Berks County. He provides insight on construction issues, business operations, marketing, personal finance, and occasionally, on political philosophy/history. Contact Christian at the HBA of Berks County office: Christian@HBAberks.org or, to receive notice of the newest articles written by Christian, follow him on Twitter @CDMalesic. 28
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