Professionalism….You Know What I Mean…

Um…sure…sort of…maybe you want to clarify…

Let’s talk about “professionalism”. This is a key word we use in career management. This is one of the most important things we try to communicate to our students and graduates when we prepare them for entering their new career. We emphasize the importance of being “professional” while they are still in school; we stress it when we send them out on externship, on job interviews, and as they start a new job. But do our students really understand the meaning of being professional? Do we?

PROFESSIONALISM: the skill, good judgment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well; the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person (Merriam-Webster).

As you read through this brief essay, I challenge you to stop and think what makes YOU professional. I can imagine that you will be able to easily list several attributes a professional person is expected to possess or exhibit. But did we ever stop and think WHY those attributes define “professional”?

Reliable and punctual, competent, professional appearance, composed… Can you think of other attributes?

Let’s look at the list above and try to understand, so that we can clearly explain to our students, WHY these are important attributes.

If we just think about why these particular attributes are expected from people at a workplace we will realize that all of them have to do with a company or organization being able to support its objective, goals, and mission. Regardless of the industry or a particular organization, these attributes are the ones that allow the organization to function effectively and to serve its clients to the standards defined by the organization.

If we were to prepare our students for externship or a job at a medical office, what can we expect, in general, as the office’s objectives and goals? It is probably safe to say that any medical office would want to make sure that their patients are comfortable, confident in getting the best care possible, and stress-free of any logistical aspects associated with being a patient at that office—scheduling visits, processing payments, etc.

So now, what does being reliable, for instance, have to do with that? We all understand that it is important to be at work when you are expected to be. Why? Because in order for a company to meet its overall objective, every staff member is counted on to be there to perform his/her duties. Imagine if a patient comes for an 8AM appointment and the front office person comes at 8:05—the objective of making the patient’s experience stress-free is probably already tainted.

What difference does the appearance make? What does it mean and why is it important to look professional? I look much better in tight jeans than in loose Dental Assistant scrubs—well so I may think (LOL). But if we, again, tie the appearance to a business’s objective, we will see why I have to wear the scrubs and why those scrubs must be ironed and stain free. If I am a Dental Assistant, and we want our patients to feel confident and comfortable, they have to believe that the office is clean—can’t be more basic than that! If I am wearing a dental scrub with a stain on it, the patient will question whether the dental mirror going into his mouth has a stain on it too, so to speak. Can’t imagine that would be “stress-free”.

What about professional demeanor? Why can’t I be “myself”?! I can! If I am naturally calm, polite, and have thick skin. If not, I need to practice those skills as I have to practice the technical skills of my profession—answering the phones, processing insurance claims, fixing computers, or providing facility security—whatever the occupation –because whatever my role may be, if I engage in a heated argument with a patient, or a colleague, or my boyfriend or girlfriend in front of the patients or customers—what will it do to my company’s image and reputation and to my company’s ability to attract and retain customers and business?

As the final point, I would like to emphasize the importance of us developing clarity in understanding and also in articulating the concept, not just attributes, of “professionalism” and why professionalism attributes are important. Every time we bring up “professionalism”, specifically when we prepare our students for externship and for job interviews, we should help our students research the company’s mission statement, values, and other references to the company’s objectives and goals so that together with the student, we can identify very specific professionalism attributes (not simply job qualifications), that the company will be looking for based on their mission and objectives.

For practical exercise and discussion, let’s take a look at an example of a mission/objective from a medical office:

At (company name), we consider it both a great joy and responsibility to care for children. Most of us are parents ourselves, so we strive to be understanding and available to the families we are privileged to serve. We are honored that you have chosen us as your child’s primary medical provider and are confident that you will be pleased with the quality of care and service that we can provide you and your family…A vital part of our service to children begins with our outstanding staff who works hard to manage and maintain a professional, caring and supportive environment for our patients in a timely manner. We strive to treat each and every patient as we would want our own children to be treated. Our doctors and staff look forward to building a relationship with you and your family.

As an exercise for you and for your team, use this example to identify specific attributes that would be critical to exhibit for anyone who wants to join this particular office. What can you learn and communicate with your students or graduates whom you may schedule for an interview with this office? What will it mean to be “professional” in that particular environment and why?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: I encourage you to review YOUR company’s mission and objectives and to think and discuss what specific professional attributes are essential for being successful in your organization, your campus, your department, and how they support your organization’s mission and objectives.

I look forward to your contribution to this topic–your comments, feedback, and thoughts.

Inna