I am a Professional!
1. Competence
As a professional, you get the job done – and done well. Your abilities match the requirements of your role, and you often produce results that exceed expectations. Your professionalism allows you to manage your own and others' expectations, and to ask for support when necessary.
2. Knowledge
Professionalism involves developing detailed, up-to-date knowledge. At every stage of your career, you strive to master your role – and keep adding to what you know. Being professional means feeling confident to show what you know – not for self-promotion, but to help yourself and others to succeed.
3. Conscientiousness
Professionalism involves being reliable, setting your own high standards, and showing that you care about every aspect of your job. It's about being industrious and organized, and holding yourself accountable for your thoughts, words, and actions. True professionals plan and prioritize their work to keep it under control, and they don’t let perfectionism hold them back.
4. Integrity
Integrity is what keeps professional people true to their word. It also stops them compromising their values, even if that means taking a harder road. Integrity is bound up with being honest – to yourself, and to the people you meet. Your beliefs and behaviors are aligned, and everyone can see that you're genuine.
5. Respect
Professionalism means being a role model for politeness and good manners to everyone, not just those you need to impress. What's more, you show that you truly respect other people by taking their needs into account, and by helping to uphold their rights.
6. Emotional Intelligence
To be a true professional you need to stay professional even under pressure. This takes strategies for managing your emotions, plus a clear awareness of other people's feelings. In short, emotional intelligence is essential. Sometimes, professionalism means keeping your emotions in check. But at other times it's important to express your feelings, to have meaningful conversations or to stand up for what you believe in.
7. Appropriateness
A big part of being professional is knowing what's appropriate in different situations. It avoids awkwardness or upset, boosts your credibility, and helps you to feel secure in your role. Appropriateness relates to outward appearances, such as dress, personal grooming, and body language. But it also covers the way you speak and write, the topics you choose to discuss, and how you behave with others.
8. Confidence
Well-founded confidence reassures and motivates other people, boosting your ability to influence and lead. It also pushes you to take on new challenges, because you don't fear damaging your professional reputation if things go wrong. Professionalism makes you confident about what you’re doing now, but always eager to do it better and achieve more.