If you are not really conversant with this, you might want to know what exactly it means on an application.
So it might trigger questions such as “what does suffix mean on an application?”
This post promises to answer that.
Trust me, after reading this article, this will no longer sound strange to you.
First of all, we need to understand what the phrase means.
When you hear suffix on an application, it does not mean application as in software.
Suffix on an application is particular to job application or employment. Just like when I shared what an employer’s name means on a job application. Enough of the stories! Let’s get to find out the meaning of suffixes and in the context of a job application.
What does suffix mean?
Suffixes are a letter or a group of letters added to the ends of words to change their meaning or function. These useful formative tools can be as small as -s, and -ed, or they can be larger additions like -ation, and -us.
Example of suffix?
A suffix is a letter or group of letters, for example ‘—’ or ‘-ness’, that is added to the end of a word to form a different word, often of a different word class. For example, the suffix ‘—’ is added to ‘fast’ to form ‘quickly’. Compare affix and prefix.
Suffix in the case of a job application
If you are filling out a job application and you are required to provide a suffix, you might get confused especially if you do not have any special suffix.
There is nothing really special about suffixes on an application. Suffixes in a job application are the title that is usually attached before your full initials. So anything you add before your name is simply referred to as a suffix.
If you’ve been in the education industry, you may be seeing the names of senior scholars or lecturers written then PhD added to it at the end. E.g Chris Pushfinder PhD. The PhD here is the suffix.
Another case where you can have a suffix is if someone else is sharing your name with you. So a suffix has to be added to your own name to differentiate you from others.
Here are a few examples to further explain what I mean.
Chris Pushfinder Jnr. Chris Pushfinder II. Chris Pushfinder Sr. These are all examples of suffixes.
A grammatical suffix after your name on a job application is not a smart idea unless you truly want to confuse the person who reviews applications.
Instead, use either a name ending like Jr. (junior) or a degree like PhD. (Philosophical Doctor).
Conclusion When a man’s given name and that of his father are the same, he may use the suffix “Jr.” (Junior) while his father may use the suffix “Sr” (Senior).
Roman numerals may be used alternatively by males with the same name across multiple generations.
For instance, John D. Rockefeller IV, a former U.S. senator, is the great-grandson of the oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller I.
Historically, suffixes are synonymous with men and women have not been recorded as using suffixes.
The Spanish term for “mister” or “sir,” “senior,” is to be noted; it is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable.
It can also be shortened to “Sr.” but only when it comes before a name, like the movie director “Sr. Alphonso Cuaron.” Now you have a better understanding of how suffixes are used and how they work.
So the next time you find that anywhere, whether on a job application or anywhere, you will not get confused.