Watch Your Wallet
Over the span of my profession, I’ve held careers at fortune 500 companies, investment banking institutions and small companies. Every now and then, I’ve come across people who make the huge mistake of using the MBA designation in their name. This use is absolutely wrong and it is one of my pet peeves.
You can be very pleased which you have an MBA, but do me a favor- never use it in your name. The MBA is not a professional designation like a PhD or an MD. If you put MBA after your name, it just appears like you’re trying too much to win over people.
- What will be the risks
- Debt ratio
- “Expert opinion, thought as the better market timers, are bullish
- Managers could use leverage in an attempt to enhance portfolio profits
- 40 Wall Street
- Sharpland International Engineering Co
If you do not want to take my word for it, have a look at this piece in the Wall Street Journal, entitled “Why you need to leave “MBA” off your card”. I’ve also seen this issue come up on Linked-In webpages which is usuall people in the IT field or something.
Actually, I had a link to a page with someone using MBA in their name, but this page has been removed. I’m having second thoughts about picking on people specifically, so I’m not going to displace it. I simply did a completely arbitrary search to find someone using MBA in their name on linked-in and found this person. Looking at their education, I see it got them four years (probably night school) to get an MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology which almost properly matches my above thesis.
And while I’m on the topic, don’t EVER call yourself “an MBA.” This profile on LinkedIn is a good example of someone I would never want to work with. Of all First, the person seems psycho about LinkedIn and lists himself as a “networking ruler fairly.” Second, he uses MBA in his title. I’m preventing right there. Moral of the story: you come with an MBA degree, you’re not a doctor.
Keep it in the background and let your work prove your well worth. By the real way, no offense at all meant towards someone who got an MBA at night school at a community college. I don’t care where you got your degree. In fact, I don’t even care if you have a degree if you’re a genuine, intelligent one who does good work.
I’ve just noticed a correlation between night college or internet MBAs and the use of “MBA” in their name. I encourage you to read all of the responses below and choose for yourself. EDIT 11/19/2010: I’ve come around in my own thinking since writing this original post, because of lots of the comments below.