I hate titles … I really do. And I especially hate title-happy people.
While skimming some LinkedIn postings recently, I encountered a person who was seriously title-happy. After his name was ‘… MBA, BA, BS, NP, MPM.’ Wow – aren’t you impressed with his credentials!
With an ‘MBA’, no need to include the BA & BS degrees. And while the ‘MBA, BA & BS’ are recognizable, ‘NP & MPM” aren’t. More confusing than impressive.
I also encountered an entrepreneur once at a networking event who introduced herself as ‘Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer’ of her company, which was obviously a sole proprietorship business.
Necessary to list all three functions? I don’t think so. She could simply have said ‘CEO’ instead. Something more imaginative would have been ‘Chief Marketing Officer’, ‘Chief Coaching Officer’ or ‘Chief Strategy Officer’, depending on the focus of her business.
So, what changes will you consider for your business cards, signature blocks and elevator speeches? The message here is clear with titles and professional designations – Keep It Short & Simple and let accomplishments and professionalism impress others, not a string of letters or words.