business cards and degrees

[hate late people]

I was wondering what folks think about putting abbreviations for degrees after their names on their business cards in addition to the massage therapy certification. For example,

: if you have a bachelor's: "My Name, BA, CMT"

: or if you have a master's: "Your Name, MS, LMT"

What if the degrees obtained don't directly relate to your current career as a massage therapist?

I'm new to this forum, so if this has been discussed in another thread, my apologies (I couldn't find it through the Search feature).

Thanks!

 

[Byron C]

I went back and fourth on that as well. I printed my cards before I was an LMT, because I couldn't print them myself anymore. I have a BA in Biology Pre-med, have the national cert and my license now, and all it looked like was alphabet soup. I will probably put it on my next printing. All I have now is Massage Therapist and Infant Massage Instructor.

 

[Pompal 09.]

My general opinion is that undergraduate degrees do not belong on business cards, nor do unrelated graduate degrees--I really don't care if my massage therapist has an MA in anthropology.

 

[daydreambeliever]

I think it would be very tacky. Do you feel like you don't sound smart enough listing just LMT? I think if I were a nurse or physical therapist or a doctor or chiropractor I would list those if I wanted to attract certain types of clients. Otherwise it is just out of place.

 

[Yousufzai]

Actually, my first inclination was to leave out any unrelated degrees. However, a couple of peers suggested that I should put my other degree on there, and I have seen it done elsewhere. I was considering it since I hope to market toward people who are in the same field I was in previously. I'll likely stick with the bodywork credentials -- until I have a PhD in physiology or some related field, that is. :wink:

 

[Zak]

I agree that unrelated degrees don't belong on the business card. If you are looking to attract a clientele from the field you were previously employed in, you may look to ways to market to them. Or perhaps on your brochure you can have a little biography of yourself and include your past field.

 

[squirrelifer]

In some ways, I'm more proud of my LMT than my BBA. For the most part a degree doesn't qualify or license you for anything. Leave it off unless it's relevant to Massage.