Use of BSc, BA, etc

The_blue · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:00

Mr-White said:
she didnt go to uni did she ?

MW

School of hard knocks...

Lysander · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:01

Swordfish said:
Can I ask if anyone knows what the "rules" are regading the use of post nominal letters.

I have recently gained my BSc and was wondering when it is apporiate to use these letters after ny name.

For example should they only be used in a professional manner, ie jon applications etc or can they be used in everyday correspondance.

Cheers

Don't use them after your name in any written context, you just look like a pratt. I have a degree with honours but I'd never write the letters after my name, it's pointless and no-one's impressed.

Sometimes I get emails from estate agents which are signed

James Amos BA (Hons)

And I always think "what a knob".

Nitefly · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:06

dirtydog said:
Indeed. Having a degree used to mean something. Now it means little.

I plan to go into scientific research. I think my degree will help

Otherwise, they are a great way of showing an employer how hard working you can be. Assuming you go to a decent university taking part in a respectable course, of course!

Tunney · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:07

I've noticed that a lot of solicitors and financial advisors sign their e-mails with their qualifications listed. I guess it adds a bit of legitimacy to what they're saying.

I don't work in a field where a degree gives you much legitimacy, so I never use it.

Tunney BSc. (hons), MSc., ASD, MInstP, BBQ

dirtydog · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:08

Nitefly said:
I plan to go into scientific research. I think my degree will help

Otherwise, they are a great way of showing an employer how hard working you can be. Assuming you go to a decent university taking part in a respectable course, of course!

I'm not saying all degrees are worthless, far from it

I just think that a few decades ago, having a degree at all, regardless of where it was from or what subject it was in, used to mean something. Nowadays, it doesn't, necessarily.

Nitefly · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:10

dirtydog said:
I'm not saying all degrees are worthless, far from it I just think that a few decades ago, having a degree at all, regardless of where it was from or what subject it was in, used to mean something. Nowadays, it doesn't, necessarily.

I approve of this much better worded statement

cleanbluesky · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:10

Tunney said:
I've noticed that a lot of solicitors and financial advisors sign their e-mails with their qualifications listed. I guess it adds a bit of legitimacy to what they're saying.

I don't work in a field where a degree gives you much legitimacy, so I never use it.

Tunney BSc. (hons), MSc., ASD, MInstP, BBQ

Don't you mean

Tunney BSc. (hons), MSc., ASD, MInstP, WTF, BBQ

[TW]Fox · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:11

dirtydog said:
Indeed. Having a degree used to mean something. Now it means little.

If you keep telling yourself that it will help you feel better about your academic achievements

dirtydog · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:11

cleanbluesky said:
Don't you mean

Tunney BSc. (hons), MSc., ASD, MInstP, WTF, BBQ

I giggled

(it doesn't take much)

Lysander · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:12

dirtydog said:
I'm not saying all degrees are worthless, far from it I just think that a few decades ago, having a degree at all, regardless of where it was from or what subject it was in, used to mean something. Nowadays, it doesn't, necessarily.

University degrees used to be for the cream of the crop. Just by having a degree you stood out by being privileged and intelligent.

Now since Labour's equal opportunities policies of the 1990s anyone can get a degree - in anything. The accolade of having a degree has been dramatically devalued.

Bar · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:12

Certainly in my experience when hunting for jobs and recruiting for roles a degree is not viewed as highly as experience.

Suppose it all comes down to what the degree is in and what the job is.

dirtydog · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:13

[TW]Fox said:
If you keep telling yourself that it will help you feel better about your academic achievements

Hehehe

My academic achievements are poor. I am not embarrassed about that

I stand by the comment that degrees are not necessarily meaningful nowadays. Do you think that they are? Do you think that everyone who has a degree is well educated overall?

csmager · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:13

I'd say only in a CV, unless it's relevant. As the example given before, you'd expect CEng for Engineers. Another I can think of is Solicitors.

C.S.Mager, BEng (Hons) Dunelm

dirtydog · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:14

Lysander said:
University degrees used to be for the cream of the crop. Just by having a degree you stood out by being privileged and intelligent.

Now since Labour's equal opportunities policies of the 1990s anyone can get a degree - in anything. The accolade of having a degree has been dramatically devalued.

Exactly. I feel sorry for those people today who are well educated whose degree is devalued

WillyNelson · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:14

It only really ever looks ok on a business card, and then only when it fits with the job.
Eg.
Nelson Nelson BSc(Hons), MSc
Chief Financial Officer

But would look odd with
Nelson BSc(Hons), MSc
Accounts Clerk

Professional qualification abbreviations also ok on a business card, but again only when they fit with the job.

[TW]Fox · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:16

dirtydog said:
Hehehe

My academic achievements are poor. I am not embarrassed about that I stand by the comment that degrees are not necessarily meaningful nowadays. Do you think that they are? Do you think that everyone who has a degree is well educated overall?

You said they mean little - this is, IMHO, not the case. They mean a lot, most of the time. Of course there are exceptions to the rule and rather too many people scraping a 3rd on Sports Management with optional Surfing Module thanks to Labours misguided education policies, but on the whole, a degree is far from 'meaningless'.

ArmyofHarmony · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:17

I have a degree, and I have to say im no smarter than most the non-degree people here, probably a lot dumber !

Lysander · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:18

[TW]Fox said:
You said they mean little - this is, IMHO, not the case. They mean a lot, most of the time. Of course there are exceptions to the rule and rather too many people scraping a 3rd on Sports Management with optional Surfing Module thanks to Labours misguided education policies, but on the whole, a degree is far from 'meaningless'.

Not per se, it just depends what your degree is in. A 2:1 in Maths or History is far more worthwhile overall than a 2:1 in Madonna studies.

ArmyofHarmony said:
I have a degree, and I have to say im no smarter than most the non-degree people here, probably a lot dumber !

Without being offensive, I think that's the point we were trying to make.

ArmyofHarmony · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:25

I know, I was just confirming the previous points which is why I said it

lozza23_uk · 2 Jul 2007 at 13:28

i think it is a little off to use it on a daily basis. but in a professional context it is necessary.

lozza23_uk, Process plant HNC and 10 years hard graft...wanna make summink of it!

edit:

I feel that degrees have been and always will be purely to gauge ones ability to learn/adapt to particular subjects.

a mech eng degree (whixh would be the only one vaguely realated to my field) would have done more harm than good to my engineering experience now.

so I scrapped degree, and will probably roll into a masters when I can sustain 8months away from work and pay the mortgage.

Use of BSc, BA, etc

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