Let me say it plain: If your certification initials are longer than your actual name, something has gone wrong.
You know the type. The signature block reads like a cheat code:
John Smith, PMP, CSPO, SAFe-CH, PMI-ACP, LZR-42, FRG-MT
At some point, it stops being impressive and starts being insecure.
The Alphabet Soup Effect
Certifications aren’t bad. I’ve got a few myself. But when you start collecting them like rare Pokémon cards, we have to ask why.
- Are you learning or just stockpiling?
- Are you growing or just flexing?
- Do you even remember what FRG-MT stands for?
Here’s the thing: The more initials you stack after your name, the more people expect you to know what you’re doing. And the moment you don’t, all those letters turn into punchlines.
Real Expertise Doesn’t Have to Prove Itself Every Time
The best practitioners I know have two things in common:
- They’re confident in what they know
- They’re even more confident in what they don’t know
They let their work speak for itself. Their teams trust them. Their results show up. And their email signature doesn’t need to look like a Scrabble board.
The Certification Trap
Some folks treat certifications like career insurance. If I get just one more, then I’ll finally be taken seriously. Then I’ll get promoted. Then I’ll have credibility.
But credibility isn’t something you can print on a certificate. It’s earned. Through experience. Through trust. Through outcomes.
The Real Flex
You want to impress me? Show me a team that trusts you. A project that got delivered without burning everyone out. A decision that made someone’s job easier, not harder.
Those things don’t fit neatly after your name. But they matter way more.
So go ahead and get certified. But when your credentials need footnotes, maybe slow down and ask yourself what you’re really trying to prove.
Less alphabet. More impact.
