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Professional Designations – Less is More?
 

Isra's picture
HF
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 7:36am
Certified

We’ve all seen that person on an e-mail signature listing out 6 professional designations following their name. You like to take exam. We get it. While you’re at it why don’t you should include H.S.D. for your high school diploma and that rock climbing certifications after that brutal safety test?

I’m all for exceling one’s career and earning these professional designations, but at what point do you move these letters from after your name to the bottom of your resume? You got your MBA, CFA, CPA, J.D. – do you list them all out after your name, or focus on the one that is most applicable to your current position?

The only reason one includes these designations as part of their name is to portray a level of expertise in a subject matter that commands a level of respect. It’s a way of projecting credibility when discussing a topic without having to refer to your background.

But at what point does less mean more? You spent $200,000 on an MBA, you know that’s staying up there, so does your law school degree and probably any other thing you spent years working for. Yet a lot of the benefit that comes with being a CFA Charter Holder is the prestige of the designation after your name.

As you rack up more than one designation it seems to me that the added benefit is diminishing. While the perception is still the same, yes you are smart and qualified; you are also instantly projecting your entire background without saying a word. Too much, too soon, negative benefit.

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Isra's picture

Rewind a few paragraphs and

HF
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 9:05am

Rewind a few paragraphs and fast forward a few years, I don’t want to be that person.

Background on myself:
-Public Ivy, graduated at 20
-CPA at age 21
-CFA Level I candidate
-Work for an accounting firm specializing in alternative investments in SF
-Business school is always an option in the next few years

My school’s accounting program is one of the best so I was always geared towards the CPA path from the firms recruiting. Developed a heavy interest in finance and the markets my senior year; got the best of both worlds first year out (although your bonus season discussion is killing me!)

Will definitely transition to HF/VC/PE position in the future (although directly into a start-ups is also a very attractive option), and than comes business school. Assuming I finish the CFA process and get my MBA, I think the most powerful thing to do is add “M.B.A.” after my name, and include CPA & CFA on my resume, only mentioning it as it comes in conversation. That way that diminished benefit of all the designations is gone since you are not seeking that additional level of respect, not are you projecting your entire background with every e-mail/business card.

I would appreciate knowing what you think about spending the time to get these 3 certifications in the first place.

grapefury's picture

putting MBA behind your name

(Baboon, 117
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 8:49am

putting MBA behind your name makes you look a tool.

FormerHornetDriver's picture

grapefury is correct. What

IB
(Orangutan, 363
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 9:56am

grapefury is correct. What professional resume writers/reviewers have told me time and time again is that their three (and ONLY three) things that you put after your name on the top of a resume:

CPA, Esq (For a JD who has passed the bar), or MD

That is it.

FutureBanker09's picture

FormerHornetDriver: grapefury

AM
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 10:00am
FormerHornetDriver:

grapefury is correct. What professional resume writers/reviewers have told me time and time again is that their three (and ONLY three) things that you put after your name on the top of a resume:

CPA, Esq (For a JD who has passed the bar), or MD

That is it.

Whoever told you this smokes crack. CFA is infinitely more difficult and respected than a CPA. Also no one puts JD after their name.

FormerHornetDriver's picture

They do not put JD. They

IB
(Orangutan, 363
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 10:07am

They do not put JD. They put: Joe Smith, Esq.

You're the first person I have heard of who has said that CFA carries more weight than a CPA. Maybe in certain jobs that is true, but across the board a CPA tends to have wider applicability.

Also, I have seen quite a few business cards get laughed at because the guy put CFA next to his name. I know that is different than a resume, but the message is similar.

grapefury's picture

FormerHornetDriver: You're

(Baboon, 117
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 10:20am
FormerHornetDriver:

You're the first person I have heard of who has said that CFA carries more weight than a CPA. Maybe in certain jobs that is true, but across the board a CPA tends to have wider applicability.

Also, I have seen quite a few business cards get laughed at because the guy put CFA next to his name. I know that is different than a resume, but the message is similar.

While I appreciate you agreeing with me that Joe Smith, MBA = tool

I have never. ever. heard that putting CFA next to someone's name is laughable. The CPA and CFA generally pursue different fields. There are a LOT of CPA's trying to pursue finance jobs, but I've never seen a CFA charterholder pursue an accounting job.

Do you even work in finance?

FutureBanker09's picture

FormerHornetDriver: They do

AM
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 10:28am
FormerHornetDriver:

They do not put JD. They put: Joe Smith, Esq.

You're the first person I have heard of who has said that CFA carries more weight than a CPA. Maybe in certain jobs that is true, but across the board a CPA tends to have wider applicability.

Also, I have seen quite a few business cards get laughed at because the guy put CFA next to his name. I know that is different than a resume, but the message is similar.

This can't be a real post from someone who's a first year Associate. People laughed at the CFA? Really? Who the hell is laughing at the CFA? Probably someone who dropped out because they couldn't pass Level II. In finance it's the gold standard. Not the CPA which you can flunk multiple parts and just keep retaking multiple times a year until you pass them all.

Ravenous's picture

Really? CFA is harder than

HF
(King Kong, 1,347
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 11:17am

Really? CFA is harder than both CPA and MBA and probably most law schools. I hate the CFA program with a passion, but it's no joke. Anyone who laughs about it on someone's card should be summarily punched in the balls. Truth be told, I've never met anyone quite that dumb in finance before.

FutureBanker09's picture

CFA is harder than the MBA,

AM
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 11:31am

CFA is harder than the MBA, CPA, and every bar. The bars pass rate on average across the 50 states is around 70% and that's just for one test. The only way law could be considered harder is if you're trying to make law review at a T14 law school. MD it goes without saying is harder. But that's why there are zillions of lawyers/ CPAs/ MBAs.

grapefury's picture

Get this fact. Every year in

(Baboon, 117
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 12:19pm

Get this fact.
Every year in the US alone, there are over 130,000+ MBA's awarded.
In the 50 year history of the CFA, there are only 100,000 people in ALL who hold it right now.

Compared to the CFA, there are 10X more people that have a CPA

justin88's picture

Public ivy? Are you serious?

HF
(Gorilla, 580
 
Points)
 on 7/16/12 at 1:34pm

Public ivy? Are you serious?

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