Everyone always speaks about professionalism – but it seems that not many people would be able to define the term if asked to do it. Simply put, professionalism is an individual’s conduct in a work environment that represents both them and their organization in a positive light. According to Brooks (2019), it includes behavioral standards that are precepted in the staff handbook and traits that might be difficult to identify while still being essential for a professional. That way, professionalism is beyond the scope of lists of requirements and rather embodies the values of a particular company.
Nevertheless, there are general advice for those who want to develop their professionalism. Virginia Tech (n.d.) states that, first of all, one must productively use their time at work and manage it efficiently to perform their duties reliably and qualitatively. Additionally, a person has to be resilient and know how to solve problems when they arise for no challenges to lead them astray. Moreover, effective communication and relationship-building help establish connections useful for one’s job.
Professionalism is considered to be one of the essential factors in a person’s career success. As per Brooks (2019), one’s level of professionalism determines how they do their job in every aspect. Without it, no employee is taken seriously and is likely to get overlooked when promotions or wage increases are considered. This importance of professionalism is due to it being an apparent display of one’s dependability and loyalty. A lack of it is indicative of a lack of respect for an employer as well as a company in general. The question of why someone would not want to promote or even hire an individual with such an attitude is a rhetorical one.
References
Brooks, A. (2019). Why is professionalism important? Expert insight for recent graduates. Rasmussen University. Web.
Professionalism. (n.d.). Virginia Tech. Web.