Post Nominals
"In my (recent and extensive) experience of ex-Officers and ex-SNCOs using these items, I reckon the score is about even."
Ex being the key part. It's only serving, usually senior officers that feel the need to use post nominals.
Ex being the key part. It's only serving, usually senior officers that feel the need to use post nominals.
There seems to be a lot of ex SP on Linked-In who list their Post Nominals...but I estimate (very unscientifically) that about half are people list obscure industry-based diplomas, or qualifications from rather random, non-accredited colleges. It's as if ex SPs need to 'big up' their backgrounds, whereas in most cases there's no need to do so.
I use my post-nominals in work (as it is expected) but UK military seem to be about the only group who do it on a regular basis.
I use my post-nominals in work (as it is expected) but UK military seem to be about the only group who do it on a regular basis.
My last paid job before retirement was as Secretary (paid) of a large sports club. My predecessor for whom I worked for 18mths used his retired rank (gp capt) and insisted I did the same (wg cdr). When he retired I dropped the rank (and the blazer and tie) on the grounds that I needed to be approachable ("You want WHAT?"). I then approached a senior member of the general committee (a retired 2*) suggesting that we dropped ranks from names in committee minutes. "Jolly good idea" he said, "but don't you suggest it, I will". What a gent. Service rank was wholly inappropriate, except when dealing with the Outer Office of our Patron, at Buckingham Palace.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: 59°09N 002°38W (IATA: SOY, ICAO: EGER)
Age: 80
Posts: 812
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We had a dentist, a chap in his late 50s, up here who prefixed his surname with "MAJ" (yes, in capital letters). He was quite upset when I addressed him as Madge and even more upset when, after his explanation that he was a major in the RADC, I asked if he was still serving.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,812
Received 137 Likes
on
64 Posts
A very dear friend of mine ran to 3 lines of post-nominals in the RAF List ... well, he was/is an Engineer. Now that he's also a Professor, I suspect he may have even more. To my knowledge he never used them in the public arena.
MPN11, O-Level and 5 Bars.
MPN11, O-Level and 5 Bars.
I worked at HQRAFSC for a gp capt who claimed he had more qualification related post-nominal letters than anyone else in the Air Force List, that is until I beat him by one. Then there was a well known and much admired senior officer who was Air Marshal Professor Lord....
jayc530
Have you ever noticed on threads like this how non-Officers bleet about the behaviour of Officers but you rarely if ever see the reverse?
I'm not about to postulate as to why that is but I do find it strange.
BV
BSc (Hons) QTS CFS RAF
Just stirring again. Sorry.
I'm not about to postulate as to why that is but I do find it strange.
BV
BSc (Hons) QTS CFS RAF
Just stirring again. Sorry.
Fox3: "If you have more post-nominals than nominals, it looks silly... "
We used to call it the pseud's quotient: if you have more letters after your name than in it then you were a pseud!
Incidentally, way back in the 80's when SAMA was brought in and we all had to provide our details on a form for transcription into the computer system in PSF, we found that the specification had only allowed for 6 letters post-nominal. The Medics, Engineers, Engineer Trainers etc were most put out!!
We used to call it the pseud's quotient: if you have more letters after your name than in it then you were a pseud!
Incidentally, way back in the 80's when SAMA was brought in and we all had to provide our details on a form for transcription into the computer system in PSF, we found that the specification had only allowed for 6 letters post-nominal. The Medics, Engineers, Engineer Trainers etc were most put out!!
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: South of Old Warden
Age: 87
Posts: 1,375
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
how non-Officers bleet about the behaviour of Officers but you rarely if ever see the reverse?
Just an observation but as a former SNCO, I'm amazed at how often, on these threads, officers bleat about other officers.
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Just to add some gasoline to the Officer/SNCO post nominal debate, my experience has been that ex-enlisted Officers are the worst offenders, particularly around the engineering disciplines. Makes them dead easy to spot on CV's and Linked In though.
Two's in
Red Swimming Badge and Bar
Two's in
Red Swimming Badge and Bar
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: in my combat underpants
Age: 53
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So what? Some people need that stuff in their life - mostly Engineers and I include all ranks of Engineers in that. As a Loggie I proposed a couple of well-calculated and accurate solutions to what were engineering problems. Dismissed out of hand from Sgt to Wg Cdr level - largely because I didn't have any engineering quals and they didn't want to hear it from outside Eng Wg.
It would appear that the framed McDonald's 5 star crew member certificate on my office wall was not sufficient.
It would appear that the framed McDonald's 5 star crew member certificate on my office wall was not sufficient.
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Lowick
Age: 75
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Post Nominals
Fortunate to have a double barrelled surname of some length I have found post nominals quite fun when working in a certain middle east state where the military really had the PN bug you would be introduced to Lt Col, Dr, Master of Business Administration Mohammed the urge to ask which one was he today would probably not have gone down a storm.
Did once start a rather elongated paper chase to ascertain as to which PN came first MA or psc never did resolve in some 12 years. So if any member can help do let me know?
Signed CdoGunner Late RA, OBE, MA, psc or psc MA your choice.
Did once start a rather elongated paper chase to ascertain as to which PN came first MA or psc never did resolve in some 12 years. So if any member can help do let me know?
Signed CdoGunner Late RA, OBE, MA, psc or psc MA your choice.
Shortly after starting IOT last century, some bright spark - either in the RAFC hierarchy or in TGDA or whatever it was called, came up this plan to get cadets to enrol on a scheme whereby they completed IOT, sent a cheque for £80 off and then got some sort of qualification in leadership from a university.
I can't remember exactly what the qualification was, it might have been a diploma or even a degree if you did a few extra modules. Anyway, having just joined up after slogging my way through a postgrad MSc in Meteorology, I along with another chap who had done something similar on a different hard sums course, refused to sign up on the grounds that we already had proper qualifications, earned the traditional way of hard work and difficult exams rather than just sending off a cheque. As I recall, telling them that didn't go down too well at the time, especially as a number of the Flt Cdrs didn't have degrees and so saw it as a quick way to credibility.
The whole post nominal issue has always amused me and I've generally found that it's the most insecure individuals that collect and use postnoms most often. On LinkedIn, I know of a few individuals that have included every award and citation they've ever received short of their 25m swimming certificate; it does make me wonder who they are trying to impress with it all. That said, during my CAS Fellowship interview, I did get asked if collecting degrees was a hobby!
But the big question is - do you boost your postnoms with the inclusion of (Hons) to get a cheeky extra 4 letters??
Melchett BSc(Hons) MSc RAF
I can't remember exactly what the qualification was, it might have been a diploma or even a degree if you did a few extra modules. Anyway, having just joined up after slogging my way through a postgrad MSc in Meteorology, I along with another chap who had done something similar on a different hard sums course, refused to sign up on the grounds that we already had proper qualifications, earned the traditional way of hard work and difficult exams rather than just sending off a cheque. As I recall, telling them that didn't go down too well at the time, especially as a number of the Flt Cdrs didn't have degrees and so saw it as a quick way to credibility.
The whole post nominal issue has always amused me and I've generally found that it's the most insecure individuals that collect and use postnoms most often. On LinkedIn, I know of a few individuals that have included every award and citation they've ever received short of their 25m swimming certificate; it does make me wonder who they are trying to impress with it all. That said, during my CAS Fellowship interview, I did get asked if collecting degrees was a hobby!
But the big question is - do you boost your postnoms with the inclusion of (Hons) to get a cheeky extra 4 letters??
Melchett BSc(Hons) MSc RAF
Bronze Star?
If I write to someone in the UK, should I include, or avoid, the "BS" for my Bronze Star?
Is that why a science degree is BSc rather than BS?
BSc, MHA, Lt Col (US Army (Signals) (retired)), BS, CFI-G, sore fingers...
Sometimes I wonder if we speak the same language once it delves into military jargon!
Terry
PS All meant in jest.
Is that why a science degree is BSc rather than BS?
BSc, MHA, Lt Col (US Army (Signals) (retired)), BS, CFI-G, sore fingers...
Sometimes I wonder if we speak the same language once it delves into military jargon!
Terry
PS All meant in jest.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: South of Old Warden
Age: 87
Posts: 1,375
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Take you pick
RAFORoyal Air Force of OmanRAFO
Read And Find Out
RAFOReserve of Air Force Officers (UK)
RAFORoosevelt Adjunct Faculty Organization (Chicago, IL)
RAFORoyal Air Force Orienteers
RAFORoyal Air Force of OmanRAFO
Read And Find Out
RAFOReserve of Air Force Officers (UK)
RAFORoosevelt Adjunct Faculty Organization (Chicago, IL)
RAFORoyal Air Force Orienteers
I put BSc (hons), BSc solely because I have discovered people think there's a typo when they read BSc, BSc
In general, it seems best these days to only list directly relevant qual's and avoid post nominals altogether, except that academia and Engineers seem to still like them.
I've never used RAFO for RAF Orienteers as a post-nominal; should I start?
In general, it seems best these days to only list directly relevant qual's and avoid post nominals altogether, except that academia and Engineers seem to still like them.
I've never used RAFO for RAF Orienteers as a post-nominal; should I start?