Credentials

So I was working at a place a little while ago and saw an individual with the following title block

Joe Smith, RLA, ASLA

The RLA stands for Registered Landscape Architect. I could not figure out what the ASLA stood for though so I asked the guy.

He said that it stood for American Society of Landscape Architects.

Now that I am looking for it, I see it a lot among Architects (AIA) and Landscape Architects. It is very rare to se ASCE.

Does being a part of these groups bring any value to anything? Does it really need to be a signature block? I don't think that they publish a members list, so is there anyway someone who is not in the club could verify whether someone was in the club.

Thoughts?

My pet peeve is people who use the title: SECB. It's basically just a club.

I don't see any value in putting these organizations after your name.

Architects usually have a Napoleon complex, so they feel that alphabet soup after their name make them more important. I only put the credentials after my name that apply to the job I'm doing at the time. For example, I'm a LEED AP from my days at the A&E firm, but I haven't used that credential on anything at my new job.

And I don't think that joining a trade group (such as ASLA or ASCE) is grounds for adding an acronym to your signature. If you earn a credential from that organization, that would be appropriate. For example, I'm a member of NAFI (National Association of Fire Investigators) and I don't put that at the end of my name. But I did get my CFEI (Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator) credential from them and I use that on my reports and work email signatures.

Credentials and certifications only. Organizations such as clubs and schools are not credentials.

Superalpha, P.E., Eb.com.

SuperAlpha said:

Superalpha, P.E., Eb.com.

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:lmao:

LOL! That's pretty good!!

Isn't a landscape architect a groundskeeper with a degree?

I just say I am JR ... seems to work.

JR

jregieng said:

I just say I am JR ... seems to work.
JR

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Well, that's because you are JR. That wouldn't work so well for the rest of us!

personally I think any inititals behind your name that are not associated with a license assigned by a State Board are worthless..

AICP, CECP, CEPM, PTOE, etc, etc, etc,

wilheldp_PE said:

Architects usually have a Napoleon complex, so they feel that alphabet soup after their name make them more important.

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To be fair, there are plenty of engineers like that. I work with a guy that used to be "John Doe, PE" until a coworker and I got out PEs, then he rushed to get more certs so he could be "John Doe, PE CFI1 CFPE." He pointed that out to me after he started putting it in his sig block, and I told him, "I got my certs in those three years ago, but don't see the point in an following my name with the alphabet."

I guess some guys have the mine is longer than yours mentality.

My brother is an architect and uses "AIA" and "NCARB" behind his name. I have no idea what else is available for acronyms, but he likes his.

Also, how about degrees? "Ph.D." and "M.D." are commonplace. Why don't we see "B.S." or "M.S."? Is it another one of those "I spent more money than you to get that final stepping stone degree" or "I really am smarter than you" situations?

I could put B.S. there, but everyone who works with me wouldn't think it was an education-oriented acronym.

Master slacker said:

My brother is an architect and uses "AIA" and "NCARB" behind his name. I have no idea what else is available for acronyms, but he likes his.
Also, how about degrees? "Ph.D." and "M.D." are commonplace. Why don't we see "B.S." or "M.S."? Is it another one of those "I spent more money than you to get that final stepping stone degree" or "I really am smarter than you" situations?

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I think NCARB is sorta like an NCEES Record for architects. Which makes it really stupid that the guy puts it in his signature.

I think that most doctors put PhD or MD in their signature to say what kind of doctor they are. If you just put Dr. Master Slacker on your card, and you have a PhD in engineering, you don't want people asking you to take a look at their weird rash. (Then again, you probably don't want that if you are an MD either, but you should have thought about that before you went to medical school.) It's fairly common for Canadians to put B.Math or some other undergraduate degree after their name. I saw it a lot when I was doing conveyor projects in Canada.

We have a guy here that we joke needs a 2nd business card for all the letters after his name

Willsee, PE, M.Eng, NCEES, LEED AP, PPI, PMP, Black Belt, MBA, NICET

(no i don't have all of those)

wilheldp_PE said:

I think NCARB is sorta like an NCEES Record for architects. Which makes it really stupid that the guy puts it in his signature.
I think that most doctors put PhD or MD in their signature to say what kind of doctor they are. If you just put Dr. Master Slacker on your card, and you have a PhD in engineering, you don't want people asking you to take a look at their weird rash.

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My brother's a registered architect, so I assume the "NCARB" is the "PE" equivalent of licensure letters.

And if I were a doctor, I'd be "Doctor slacker". Also... who has the rash? Does she live in Sweden? And is she on the Swedish bikini team?

Nah NCARB is like NCEES

Master slacker said:

wilheldp_PE said:

I think NCARB is sorta like an NCEES Record for architects. Which makes it really stupid that the guy puts it in his signature.
I think that most doctors put PhD or MD in their signature to say what kind of doctor they are. If you just put Dr. Master Slacker on your card, and you have a PhD in engineering, you don't want people asking you to take a look at their weird rash.

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My brother's a registered architect, so I assume the "NCARB" is the "PE" equivalent of licensure letters.

And if I were a doctor, I'd be "Doctor slacker". Also... who has the rash? Does she live in Sweden? And is she on the Swedish bikini team?

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I'm pretty sure that the AIA is the architect equivalent of the PE. NCARB is the architect equivalent of NCEES Record.

The rash is on the "kitty" from the funny pics thread. Meow.

Hill William, P.I.M.P.

Well, at one time I was also looking at going for my Registered Architects license. I figured that since I started out as a pen and ink draftsman and now do CAD, I could put all that together when I get my PE to sign in as "Humner: R.A.P.E.D." I guess more is sometimes not good.