Industry Expectations and Professionalism

Professionalism

Professionalism is the conduct, behavior and attitude of someone in a work or business environment. A person doesn’t have to work in a specific profession to demonstrate the important qualities and characteristics of a professional.

what makes you professional?

• Strong skills and competence in your chosen field.
• The qualities and behaviors you exhibit.
• The way you conduct yourself during your business affairs.

There are 10 sub parts in the professionalism,

Appearance

A professional is always neatly dressed.

• meet or even exceed the requirements of your company’s dress code.
• pay special attention to your appearance when meeting internal and external clients/ stakeholders.

Demeanor

Reflect confidence, but not cockiness.

• be polite and well spoken whether you’re interacting with customers, superiors or co-workers.
• you may be the expert in a field, but that does not earn you the right to treat your colleagues and clients like ignorant idiots.
• Your demeanor affects how people perceive you. An unprofessional demeanor in a professional situation could get you fired, so you’d better learn what the word means.

Reliability

You will be counted on to find a way to get the job done.

• Respond to people promptly and follow through on promises in a timely manner.
• Clarity everything, especially when things change, to make sure you are always an the same page as your client/team.

Competence

Strive to become an expert in your field.

• continue your education by taking courses, attending seminars and obtaining related educational and professional qualitications.

Ethics

All professionals must adhere to a strict code of ethics.

• Even if your company does not have a written code, you should always display ethical behavior.

Maintaining your Poise

A professional must maintain his/her poise even when facing a difficult situation.

• When you are challenged or questioned you need to be able to state your case in a calm and structured manner.
• Do not loose your cool or air personal emotional baggage in a tense situation.

Phone etiquette

Your phone etiquette is also an important component of professional behavior.

• When placing an official call, identify yourself by your full name, company and designation.
• Do not dominate the conversation, ensure that you are listen to what the other party is saying.

Writer Correspondence

During written or email, correspondence keep your emails brief and to the point

• your tone should be polite and formal without being “stuffy”.
• email etiquette 101 — never, ever write in capital letters in an email, no matter how frustrated you are.

Organized skills

A professional can quickly and easily find what is needed.

• your work area should be neat and organized.
• when heading in for a meeting or presentation, you should only take what is necessary.

Accountability

You are always accountable for your actions.

• If you make a mistake, own up to it and try to fix it if possible, Don’t try to place the blame on a colleague.
• If your company made the mistake, take responsibility and work to resolve the issue.

Industry Expectations

the industry has an expectation of workers to be professional, productive, respectful, and responsive to customer needs. No matter which style of operation you are working in, it is important to remember why you chose this career path in the first place and always to respect your job and the other people you work with.

Communication skills

Good communication skills are essential if you expect to be hired into a reputed firm or organization.

All your knowledge will be of no use if you are unable to articulate your thoughts clearly.

Innovative thinking

Companies look for individuals who can go beyond the confines of a book/ particular area of thought and produce innovative solutions.

Ability to Lead

The ability will catapult the right to the top ranks of job seekers and is are trait all leading companies look out for.

Positive Outlook

The workplace is on environment full of challenges and obstacles. Those with a positive outlook will find it much easier to survive and thrive than those without.

Versatility

In order to make the maximum impact, you should be able to play multiple roles within your team. you can be strict boss, the helping colleague, the understanding employee and the courageous leader all at the same time.

Willingness to Learn

you should always be willing to stay updated on industry trends and learn new skills. this applies not just to technical skills, but to soft skills as well.