Would you/do you have degrees on your wall?

teecee

We're moving into new offices soon. I want to put my framed undergraduate and master's degrees on the wall. Is this crude, you think, or ok to do? I'm proud of my degrees. I worked hard to get them and I believe that it will send a message to the upper level that I'm not just a social organizer/HR file clerk. What do you think? Thanks for your input.

Balloonman

I had my Masters degree and my professional certification on the wall in my last office. One of only 4 managers in a company of 8,000+ with a Masters degree. I now work for a smaller family owned organization, and I decided not to put them up on the wall. It goes to fit, and how I think others, especially the field personnel would perceive it.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ

Don D

TeeCee: Yes, you should be proud of and display your framed certificates and degrees. Any employee should feel free to display framed acknowledgements of personal accomplishments, no matter what level of accomplishment they acknowledge. Mechanics frame and display certificates showing training completion. Various departmental assistants and specialists display their personal citations and certificates. Doctors, Lawyers, CPA's, Accountants, Engineers and others do the same. In my opinion, we should also feel free to display any other milestone certificates or other acknowledgements of which we are proud, whether they are degree-level or not. Every employee has something that should be a framed source of pride. Let me suggest, though, that if your place of work has a policy prohibiting putting things on walls or you see that not a single other soul has similar things posted, you might want to ask first. Personally, I like to see things like this in people's work areas. It looks more like home, more personalized. I also hope you'll put children's post-it-note scratchings, a snapshot of your favorite get-away-place and a picture of your pet somewhere in your office.

Parabeagle

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 01-22-03 AT 11:38AM (CST)[/font][p]I think at lot depends on the environment you are in. I had my degree and certificates on my office wall when I worked for a law firm because higher education is valued in that environment. I don't think it would be appropriate in my current company where most of the employees are not degreed (and probably don't care, for that matter).

I do, however, have my Captain Marvel Secret Decoder Ring mounted on my office wall.

Crout

You should try to fit in with the existing culture. It that means leaving the degrees at home then that's what you should do. Going against the grain may give people around you a bad impression.

dolores

For some or maybe no reason I don't have any of my degrees on my wall. I've been a lawyer for ten years, and I know this goes against the norm. Don't know why, but I've just never taken the time to get them framed. I have other stuff on my walls, a really cool painting, a framed newspaper picture of me participating in a funeral parade, a plaque of appreciation by a former client, and some artwork done by a former co-worker. Any psychologist wannabes out there have any theories on this?! Anyway, I enjoy seeing where other people have gone to school or what awards they've received. So I say -- hang 'em high and hang 'em proud!

Don D

A 'funeral parade'? That conjures up thoughts of a New Orleans funeral with umbrellas, trombones and high steppin'. Is that what you're talking about? Yes, it is indeed odd beyond belief that an attorney does not have degrees expensively framed. DD

dolores

Yep -- a funeral parade like they have at the Mardi Gras except it's held at the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta in Charleston, West Virginia. Actually, I've worked for two different law firms, a state agency, and a city, and the city is the only employer to which I ever had to provide proof that I was a lawyer! Maybe I'm like Frank Abignale, Jr. in the movie "Catch Me If You Can!" only I take care of the mundane things in being a lawyer like taking continuing legal education classes and paying bar dues!

sonny

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 01-23-03 AT 09:13AM (CST)[/font][p]I go with the "depends" group. Position and culture make a difference. Last job I had them up as it was required by credentialling (sp) and licensing bodies. Here, I do not. It is a lower level position and I have a masters and my supervisor does not which seems to bother him for some reason. Just didn't feel right about it here. My office is personal, yet professional. Read somewhere once "your office should not look like your college dorm room" Good advice I thought, but like Don, I would not be comfortable spending 8 hours a day in a room that did not have some of my personal "treasures" in it. For what it is worth, hanging degrees was more important to me when I was younger. .strange. Bottom line (before I babble too long) if it is important to you go right ahead recognizing in some cultures it may be better received than in others. PS. The Stern wheel Ragtta in Charleston is a wonderful experience should you ever get the chance. .

Don D

I am always very cautions about discounting or accepting such things as those all encompasing 'sayings', like, 'Don't ever let your office look like......' Remember that was just 'one man's opinion'. Besides, who would have underwear and stinky socks laying around their office? Here's another sorta interesting take on things on walls. My boss is the CFO. He's a really conservative, usually quiet Jewish guy from up north, really a sharp finance person and really reserved. For his first three years here, he had absolutely nothing on his walls except about 50 small nails sticking out where his predecessor's pictures hung. Christmas before last, we (The HR Dept) gave him an expensive tiny safe with a green grinch curled around it (remember he's Jewish). He loved his Christmas present so much that he cleaned off a whole shelf on his nice bookcase for it. Two weeks later, he brought in large framed photo posters of The Beatles and The Doors (circa 1967) and hung them on the wall. Suddenly things took on a whole different atmosphere in and around his office. He's really a regular guy. Walls are extremely personal. If what you do is in 'good taste' (whatever that is) and you don't offend or appear unprofessional or against the company grain, I vote for individuality and expression. Makes for a warm work environment. The things on my walls tend to humanize me when I have a 150K sales candidate sitting at my table. My kids standing beside 100 pounds of dressed catfish twelve years ago, a really nice 2x4 framed picture of a 1954 Harley Davidson, Along with various degrees and certificates, a gift collection of Buddhas, pictures of Mississippi bridges, a bronze civil war cannon replica and an urn labelled "Ashes of Problem Employees".........maybe I do have a dorm room here. I really would love to have a photo of Pork on my wall.

ritaanz

Whatever you decide to do, do NOT make a copy of it and hang it on your wall with a push-pin. Very tacky. One of the CFO's I worked with did that. He said the original was too precious to bring to "this place".

Gillian

I agree, personal and fit the culture. On the latter point, I am probably not following the university culture because I don't have my diploma's on the wall. They have been gathering dust for many years and if someone suggested that I should put them up now because everyone else does at a university I probably wouldn't because the individuals who work with me do not have degrees. I have a couple of awards, the SHRM certificate, pictures from Colorado where we lived for a long time and some small examples of art from Mexico which I rotate between the office and home.

Balloonman

At the last place, big corporate office, I did as Don said and expressed myself. Like many offices, every single wall in the place was beige. I personally can't stand that. Nice offices too. One Saturday my wife helped me with sponge painting one wall as I had done in a past life, nice two blues a dark and light with a tan color.
You would have though I had hung a nude photo. Everyone who walked by came to a dead stop, backed up and looked, some thought it was wall paper. To VP's even expressed interest in having that done to their offices.
I then found out at my staff meeting that morning that when we first moved in to the brand new offices the walls were considered sacred! My boss even said, I like it, looks great, be aware someone may ask you to paint over it. I laughed and said if they have a problem with it they can see me, and I might give the okay for them to paint over it, but I will not. He just shook his head. He hired me because I was type A, lol, which he forgot momentarily.
I then heard about how sacred the walls were. It was entertaining. I received lots of compliments on it, and never did anyone say it had to go.
Oh well that is at least $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

Don D

Save some space Gillian. I am sending you a photo of me for your wall. Don D.

Gillian

With or without the deep fried turkey?

ritaanz

I know, I know....Don on his motor cycle holding the fried turkey.

Don D

I'll say it before someone else does......You're being redundant.

Dasher

When I get my SHRM certification I am going to frame and hang it. For some reason it is harder for me to get than a degree. I missed it by a few points. It must be a conspiracy -- they just want more money!

Parabeagle

Feel the same way about my CHRE, but I haven't gotten to the point where I can bring myself to plunk down the money yet.

Rockie

Personally, I am proud of my degrees, especially my PHR. These were achieved through a lot of hard work, not to mention the blood, sweat and tears. (Especially, the PHR which I felt like was 4 years of college crammed into a 12 week course).

Everybody else has the same opportunity to achieve, if they put forth the effort and the desire.

By the way, Don, I wouldn't discount the stinky socks and underwear in offices. We have a gym downstairs and given the smell in some of the offices I've been in, PHEW!!!!!

Human Resources Manager

I went back to school to finish my Bachelor's about a year and a half ago, and will be finished this summer. The way I feel about finally finishing and becoming a college graduate, people will be lucky that I don't wear my degree around my neck.
I say unless there is some written or unwritten (but well-known) rule against it, hang 'em up. They are a physical representation of an acheivement that you are rightly proud of.