DISCUSSIONS

Should I use my academic letters PhD behind my name in emails?

Anonymous Image

Anonymous

Welcome to Fairygodboss!

We’re the largest online career community helping women achieve their career goals. Gain access to articles, jobs, events, and a supportive network of women and allies. Membership is free, always.

Should I use my academic letters PhD behind my name in emails? I work for one of the largest online sales organizations in the world for a little over a year. It is extremely toxic and unbearable at times. I had one of “the favorites” mean girls ask me what have I done in my career to get the program that I manage. Btw I have over 18 years of high level experience and a doctorates degree in my field. She has 8 years of experience and a masters. Which is an amazing achievement. However, she has made me her target and leadership treats her with favor and thinks she’s the smartest person on earth. That’s bc she steals my ideas and presents them as hers.

I said all that to say, I’m wanting to use my letters on outgoing emails as a statement. I know it’s passive aggressive but I’m don’t how else to prove that I deserve to be here and have worked hard too.

Also, we are on the same level. She constantly has an issue with anything I propose in meetings with an audience. She is the only one who questions every single thing I say. I just want to have something that makes me feel of value when in correspondence with her. I know it’s petty…

Why women love us:

  • Daily articles on career topics
  • Jobs at companies dedicated to hiring more women
  • Advice and support from an authentic community
  • Events that help you level up in your career
  • Free membership, always

Like

45 comments

Share

Share your insight

Join an authentic community that helps women support each other at work. Share your professional experience or ask for advice — you can even post anonymously.

45 Comments

Join the conversation
  1. maria rose

    You didn’t mention what field you have your PHD in. But unless you’re currently in a field where your degree is part of your job title, that PHD is meaningless. Don’t be like First Lady Jill Biden and insist on being addressed as Dr. Leave the use of the Dr for the medical professions —unless you are the head of your department at some university or research institution.

    You can use the title on your personal correspondence via inter-department reply but not on company wide emails.

  2. Martine McNee

    Why shouldn't Jill Biden insist on being addressed as Dr? It's her correct title. She didn't get her qualifications by mail order....

  3. Julie McGovern, EdD

    Thank you! As someone with the same degree as Dr. Jill Biden, I have included my credentials as soon as I earned them. And, original poster, you earned your PhD. Be proud and use your letters.

  4. Anonymous

    This is absolutely awful advice. Indeed please be like Dr. Jill Biden, an accomplished professional who earned her doctorate by working for years to achieve that title and depth of expertise that she employs in her chosen profession. You are also evidently unaware that the medical profession actually adopted the honorary 'Doctor' from the very long established PhD title (not the other way around). The use of 'Dr.' or 'PhD' in your title is applicable to any person who achieves this level of expertise and accomplishment, not just highly placed academics. People with PhDs are becoming more and more sought after in industry these days. Great deal of ignorance in your statements here.

  5. Patricia Brown

    You worked hard for that PhD, I say Absolutely display your academic letters on your emails! It’s not petty, stand tall.

  6. Barb Hansen

    Fly your PhD flag high!

    There is no issue with you listing your educational experience in your email signature - be that an MBA or a PhD

  7. Anonymous

    I'd go with whatever the standard is in your company. That said, it's pretty common for people with advanced degrees or relevant (and sometimes irrelevant) certifications to include all of those things in their signature line. My MPA and field-specific credentials are in my default signature at work.

  8. Anonymous

    Head of Corporate HR for a medium sized company (1,000-ish employees) here…I have an MBA and heck yes I put those letters after my name, I worked hard for that degree and experience. I aspire to PHD status one day because that would be an amazing achievement as well. So yes, most definitely do it and it’s also totally appropriate!

  9. Dawn M Rollins-Murrell

    "If you don't toot your own horn you'll never hear the band play." My dad used to say that and I thought it was goofy until I realized that titles, ideas and hard work should and deserve to be recognized. Make sure that YOU get credit for the ideas you present. Know your own worth and stand tall when you and the colleague are in the same room. Your leadership skills, poise and class will speak for itself. It's not being petty to ask for and get the respect you deserve. Display your letters proudly and get your flowers!

  10. Megan Russell

    I am obsessed with this response. It has taken me YEARS to understand this, and your dad sounds like an incredibly brilliant guy. I love this advice.

  11. Dawn M Rollins-Murrell

    Thank you Megan! Sometimes I think we as women believe that being humble is being "ladylike," and if you want to say that you did something good it looks petty or like you are looking for attention. Not this girl!! Being proud of your accomplishments and saying, I worked hard for this and I deserve credit, is just as important as being accountable if you make a mistake. I really appreciate your reply and for saying you understand. <3 You made my day! :)

  12. Anonymous

    Go for it! You earned it! As for the toxic colleague maybe make a half joking remark about her level of attention on you and not others in the meetings but turned it around in a way that makes you look good. Maybe something along the lines of "Thanks so much for more insights and suggestions for fine tuning my ideas. I'm always happy to get feedback and suggestions but would like to hear from the whole team. Anyone else have thoughts?". Suffice it to say, document all your ideas and share them as meeting recaps and definitely do not share anything directly with her. Finally, try to ignore her as much as possible and focus on building your career and cultivating network relationships while keeping her at arms length and out of your business.

  13. Anonymous

    Love this! Thank you for posting! I will be trying some of these things! Also, I made a post and meant to quote yours because it’s great advice for the OP but I made an error somehow. Anyway, this post is helpful, thanks!

  14. maria rose

    I can see that my response on using your PhD title is definitely being misinterpreted. You can use your title in settings where you are communicating in an official capacity or working in a professional role where your PhD title is part of your job description. The OP anonymous mentions nothing about the need for their PhD title to their job position, in fact they want to use their PhD as a way to upsell themselves to the “ mean girl favored “ coworker whom they claim is bullying them. Totally forgetting that they have been in their own position for years and their had nothing to do with their performance at the job except to give them a further education background to apply to the needs of the job.

    So in this case of “ I am the better because I have a PhD” using the title now is just being narcissistic. Stop giving use of the title of PhD a bad name. If you really wanted to use it, you would have done so as soon as you got it many years ago.

  15. Anonymous

    OP if you’re reading the post above feel free to stop and read the post below: Go for it! You earned it! As for the toxic colleague maybe make a half joking remark about her level of attention on you and not others in the meetings but turned it around in a way that makes you look good. Maybe something along the lines of "Thanks so much for more insights and suggestions for fine tuning my ideas. I'm always happy to get feedback and suggestions but would like to hear from the whole team. Anyone else have thoughts?". Suffice it to say, document all your ideas and share them as meeting recaps and definitely do not share anything directly with her. Finally, try to ignore her as much as possible and focus on building your career and cultivating network relationships while keeping her at arms length and out of your business. *Whether your PhD is specific to your current position you earned it and not from finishing a box of Cracker Jacks! If you weren’t using it before and have changed your mind, good for tou as that is also yours!

  16. Anonymous

    Interesting. I don't think anyone misinterpreted your original response nor will misinterpret the response above as anything other than mean spirited, catty, and unhelpful. No one needs your permission on where they can and cannot use their title. Ugly and petty response.

  17. Anonymous

    Extremely petty response

  18. Anonymous

    Not at all. She's absolutely correct.

  19. Anonymous

    She's absolutely right. Her response was not at all petty.

  20. BethB

    You are asking the wrong question. Using or not using your title isn’t going to stop her from stealing your ideas or questioning you.

  21. Stephanie F, MSHRM

    This! And also, you earned that Doctorate. You should have been using it the day you conferred.

    You don't need to use it for this colleague, you need to use it for you and because you earned it!

  22. Hold on Lee Lou

    I second everything about getting to the root of the problem, but adding the PhD after your name in an email signature feels right. I wouldn't type it out every time.

  23. Anonymous

    If you want to use it go ahead, since you've earned it. Keep in mind if this organization is this toxic it will probably just be something else for the toxic people to use against you or as fodder to mock you. This place doesn't deserve your skillset; you should look to go where you're appreciated for the results you deliver.

  24. Anonymous

    A PhD is a pretty huge deal! ;) You earned that title. Many decades ago in high school, our English teacher received her PhD during the school year and insisted everyone now addressed her as Dr. instead of Mrs. And we did, because she earned that title. Good for her and good for you!

  25. Anonymous

    I agree, be proud of your educational achievement and accomplishment.
    Do not allow this woman, who is likely jealous of you, to steal your thunder. Guard your ideas such that she doesn't hear about them first.

  26. Anonymous

    I see two separate questions here.

    1) As many mentioned here, you worked hard, spent years to earn your PHD. You should definitely add this on your LinkedIn and email signature. If your PHD is related to your current position and field, this will solidify your position as an industry expert.

    2) I see the main problem is the mind game that the mean girl is getting into your head. It’s hard to shallow of course but adding your PHD is certainly not going to stop her manipulative and bullying behavior.

    You should talk to a therapist and a career coach on how to address and defused some of these issues. This is common office politics and it’s easy to get emotional impacted. I can sense that your confidence in yourself has decreased. Address those issues right away before it further affects you and your work performance.

    Remember, you are a high achieving professional who has the education and work experience to back it up. You proved yourself enough. Don’t let someone head game make you doubt yourself. Your senior management is looking at this and how you can tackle this issue. Good luck.

  27. Anonymous

    The only person you have to prove this to is your direct manager who gives you raises and increases. Start to track your work and if someone tries to take credit for it openly and loudly speak up. If you earned a Phd put it on all of your signatures as it should be worn proudly as an accomplishment for you and you alone. If others see it as a plus so be it but you own it like a crown!

    As for this gaslighter you speak of, 2 possible ways to stop her BS.

    1- ignore her completely and document any communication with her in writing. Don't be in any meetings with her and others without speaking up for your own work. She is clearly professionally jealous or you and just competing for glory and attention.

    2- speak to the manager and HR and ask them to make her behavior toward you which is condescending stop.

    Your value is within you and you have zero to prove to her. Find an outlet and a mentor within your team that supports you and gives you the recognition which I think is what you are truly seeking.

  28. BethB

    Good advice except for going to HR. She sill

    look like she can’t fight her own battles and lose their respect. HR is there to protect the company and this doesn’t rise to that level.

  29. Lorrie Holtz

    I say make her address you as Dr from
    now on!

  30. Kelly Walsh Heier

    LOL! Yes!

  31. Liz Milne

    Good lord, you earned your PhD, stick those letters on your email signature right away!

  32. Kat

    Using your title won't change her attitude toward you. I'm sure she already knows you have a PhD. You could create a billion dollar idea and become head of the company and it wouldn't matter to her. Stop letting her bully you and participate in her mind ganes. Document your ideas (private email/docs stored off site if needed) and don't let her take credit for them. You have nothing to prove to her as she is obviously jealous of your status and success. Too bad for her. It might be time to start looking for another job (internally to get away from her or externally to get away from the negative environment completely). Life's too short to deal with petty crap like that. Find somewhere that deserves and appreciates you.

  33. Anonymous

    UM, hell yeah put those letters in your signature! You worked hard and spent a lot of time and money to earn them. Wear them with pride!

    That said, it won't make any difference to the office bullies.

  34. Anonymous

    I work with someone who questions everything I say in meetings, and it's really tiresome.
    In fact, this past weekend I wasted time mulling over how to assert my proficiency to him, my boss, and the peanut gallery who had to be thinking "OMG what is with this guy?" when he questioned me in a meeting on Friday. I have 25 years of experience and he admitted not knowing anything about the subject but went on and on about why I was wrong. Grrrrr.

    So... yeah, go ahead and add your letters to your signature! It's not passive-aggressive. It's a common thing to do.

  35. Kelly Walsh Heier

    You earned them - use them!

  36. Kathy

    It's not petty.

    People that question every statement and every idea are usually insecure narcissists. You could always throw the question back to her, "what is your proposal/idea"?

    I would definitely used your hard earned PHD title in your emails and on LinkedIn profile title.

  37. Anonymous

    I work with/for many PhDs (administrator at a research institute). Definitely use them! You earned them but they also signify a level of in-depth training and expertise that your colleague does not possess. And if you really want to be passive aggressive, you can sign your emails to this colleague as "Dr."

  38. Sherry Carson

    You are her target because she is totally threatened by your talents, experience, and hard work.

    She knows you shine, and she would love nothing more than to blow your light out every chance she gets. No more. When she discredits you in a meeting with an audience, call her out in front of everyone by asking, "why do you always take issue with my proposals in front of all our peers? Are you struggling to come up with your own? Is there something you have to add that is productive? Why do you struggle being a team player? Shut her down and move on.

  39. Maegan, Nike Sales Rep & Career Coach

    What if you take this approach instead - you don't have anything you need to prove to her.

    By thinking you do, you are making a lot of things ABOUT her, giving her even more control on your career/life.

  40. Anonymous

    Try this, come up with a really bad, but talk it up. Let her run with it and present it to management and watch her fail. How bout that. Use that PHD you have.

  41. Anonymous

    You earned your Ph.D and you have every right to use it in this circumstance. That being said, consider the corporate culture. Is it common to see educational credentials and certifications in other people's signatures? I worked in academic medicine, where it looked like alphabet soup after people's names vs. time I worked for a relatively new pharmaceutical where no one listed their credentials. If it makes you feel better, do it. But also consider ways you can build relationships with leadership and others so that her issues with you don't take an outsize portion of your day.

  42. Anna L Garcia

    You absolutely earned that degree, I would be petty and start correcting them Dr. Please, LOL Honestly, individuals like that usually stumble on their own. I would not allow them to dictate my reactions, they cannot have my energy like that. However, if it is your idea figure out a way to take proper credit for it. I was the only female on my team for a long time and I would be in a conference room and they would steal my ideas live and in color during meetings. Until I spoke up and said something. It went like this, 1st time I was overlooked and my colleague repeated what I said . I shucked it as maybe they didnt hear me. 2nd time it happened I pulled my director aside and said hey I noticed this is the 2nd time, I shared something and was ignored but when Bob (changed name to protect the guilty) repeated it you all said great idea. Literally my director tried to gaslight me and say I was looking too deep into it and nothing was meant by it. I said ok. 3rd time it happened YES IT HAPPENED A THIRD TIME. I said Bob, thank you so much for repeating everything I say at our meetings. I clearly must have spoken with an accent (I have no accent) and needed you to repeat it. It never happened again and I got my credit. I know not the best advice, but just letting you know they only get away with stealing credit as long as we let them. Of course you can be more tactful about it, but I have never been that girl and frankly at that time didnt care to be. PS I was also the only one with a Master’s degree on the team and the top performer. I got promoted before all of them and had the least amount of time there and they said I wonder what she did to get that job. I told him, I actually did just that, my job instead of talking crap about everyone else. UGH ,Memories.

  43. Lisa Marie

    Sounds like she's being "that kind of female towards you. You decide if it's worth having her continue until it becomes unbearable. You could request to speak with her in the presence of HR, where you'll simple state what you have noticed, and ask for those actions to cease on the grounds that it "feels like bullying." Hopefull, Do not argue or engage in any back and forth conversations. Hopefully simply requesting a meeting with HR should shake her up.

    You read for your letters. Use them in *EVERY EMAIL* including your personal email.

    It *is not* petty. You're simply *good bragging* on your achievements. Don't evet let anyone - especially an obviously jealous and insecure female - make you feel less than.

    Regarding her ideas stealing and questioning your suggestions, try presenting your ideas in writing directly to who need them, and in meetings - perhaps do not offer any suggestions for a little while to take the wind out of her bullying sails. When she has nothing to pick at in front of others, what else can she do but move on?

    Good luck.

  44. Jackie Beecher

    I feel your pain ? From personal experience (& I know it's über hard), don't let her dull your sparkle. There's a danger you'll invest/waste time & energy trying to understand why she targets you and how come her Ways Of Working appear to get her places career wise. My empathetic side intuits that we don't know what personal circumstances could possibly trigger this toxic Mean Girl behaviour on her part. My mischevious side advices you to picture her as the physically tiny immature Mean Girl of your imagination's choosing (any age under 16 yo, in an unflattering retro outfit in a playground/schoolyard/behind the toilets/...?setting of your choice) Do this whenever her Nasty Side emerges, don't react to it, and move away from the situation & her, and carry on being fabulous you !!!

    Use your academic letters if you'd like to & show them off with pride. As Bob Ross wud say, it's your world & you can do anything you like. Including them or excluding them in your email signature are both equally acceptable from a professional email etiquette perspective ?

  45. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    I don't think it's petty. I'm sure you worked plenty hard for that degree. I was just looking at an email from one of my hiring managers after I read your posting the first time and guess what his signature had? John Doe, PhD.

    Go for it.

Browse recent posts

Ready to land your next sales or marketing role? 🚀💜
Hiii everyone!
I'm. Current looking for remote jobs
The Great American Job Hunt is on. Despite advanced hiring technology, thousands of qualified candidate's report being rejected before a human interview.
I am looking for remote opportunities so that i can stay at home with my grandkids.
Empowering Business Women: Inspiring Women Leaders Making a Global Impact
See more
Fairygodboss VIP
Achieve your career goals.
Be part of the largest online career community for women to find jobs, advice, and support — for free.
Fairygodboss members