Are Credentials Meaningful?

More specifically, are credentials noted by a series of letters after your name meaningful? Are you annoyed by individuals whose name size doubles when including the various letters and numbers showing their achievements after their name? At some point it seems a bit ridiculous. So I ask you....are sharing those credentials meaningful? My opinion? If you are in an industry driven by credentialing and it sets you apart, then by golly use those initials to sell yourself. If you are talking with individuals, partners and organizations that have no idea what they mean, leave the initials at home.

I am a CFRE. Yep -- bet that's impressive, right? Chances are you have no idea what that means. In fundraising circles, CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) tells people I know what I'm doing, but to the average nonprofit or business person those four letters are nebulous initials that have no meaning.

So I choose to use them on LinkedIn. You'll find those four precious, hard-earned letters following my name. There are enough groups and professionals here that I think it's worth mentioning. On my email signature? Nope. I leave the initials at home. What say you?

-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP