Copywriter - and Chartered Manager

CMgr MCMI.

Translation: Chartered Manager. Member of the Chartered Management Institute.

I've been in possession of the letters after my name for almost two years now, having been awarded the 'ultimate accolade in management' by becoming a Chartered Manager with the CMI in Spring 2017.

I'd been working towards this status during my studies for just under 18 months, and had built towards the pre-requisite experience via a good five years in formal leadership and management roles along the way. Similarly, further study and an ongoing commitment to my CPD have been essential and expected tasks for me since receiving the award, so that I may 'renew' my chartered status each year and subsequently keep my letters!

Those 8 letters remind me not of my status or qualification, but of how hard I have worked in both business and education, and how committed I am to leadership and management in the workplace and beyond.

So what does any of this have to do with my profession (and indeed my own business) of being a copywriter?

I appreciate that the letters after my name may mean different things to different people when they see them written on any of my literature or online places of presence, and for a lot of these people, it could be the reason they hire me. That's what it has to do with my business.

For those who do know what the letters CMgr MCMI mean, I'd hope that those people are straight away interested in the fact that I could bring so much added value to their business above and beyond the role of a good copywriter. It's a USP in my ability to provide either business specific content, or to work most effectively with teams and individuals in a training capacity. Put simply, owing to the qualification, knowledge and experience that my status suggests, clients know that I don't just know the right words; I know the right ways to do business. That's a pretty attractive mix when appointing somebody to either write on behalf of your business, or to work with your team to train them up to do it themselves.

To those who don't know what the letters CMgr MCMI mean, I'd hope that the way I put myself across/out there shows that I'm approachable and would therefore happily answer any questions as to what the letters mean and why they're important. Come to think of it, if those people simply scan a little further through the profile or platform on which they found me, they'll find it's all explained anyway in black and white - because I'm a good writer, and this they already know!

So whilst I appreciate that having those 8 little letters after my name may baffle or bemuse in some situations, they set me apart from the competition. I would always hope that my own personal branding (warped sense of humour, fairly controversial attitude, completely outshone by her own child etc) would be the thing that sets me apart, but there's no harm in having a more standardised string to one's bow, I find!

And yes, whilst I know I've blogged in the past about the links between letters after a name and the small issue of perceived pretention, I continue to stand by the fact that if those letters bear relevance to the position that the person is currently in, or soon wishes to find themselves in, then the letters should be celebrated, not berated.

In promoting myself as an asset to businesses who can benefit from the boost to their brand that I can provide through my writing, editing and training, I think those letters are pretty cool (as well as hugely relevant) if you ask me.