18 Professionalism
What is Professionalism?
There are few things an employer values more than employees who carry out their duties in a professional manner and demonstrate business etiquette (Video 18.1).
Watch Video 18.1: Business Etiquette Basics to learn more about ways you can demonstrate business etiquette, or professionalism. Closed captioning is available. Click HERE to read a transcript.
Professionalism isn’t one thing; it’s a combination of qualities (Video 18.2). A professional employee arrives on time for work and manages time effectively. Professional workers take responsibility for their own behavior and work effectively with others. High quality work standards, honesty, and integrity are also part of the package. Professional employees dress appropriately for the job. Communicating effectively and appropriately for the workplace is also an essential part of professionalism.
Watch Video 18.2: Professionalism to hear different perspectives on what professionalism involves. Closed captioning is available. Click HERE to read a transcript.
Professionalism may look slightly different in various settings, but the core elements are the same, and will give employees an edge as they begin their careers.
Career Readiness and Professionalism
For college students preparing to enter the workforce, career readiness is the foundation upon which a successful career is launched. For employers, career readiness plays an important role in sourcing talent, providing a means of identifying key skills and abilities across different job functions.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which is the leading source of information on the employment of college educated individuals, has identified professionalism as one of eight competencies that contribute to career readiness. NACE describes professionalism as understanding and demonstrating effective work habits and acting in the interest of the larger community and workplace. More specifically, professionalism involves such behaviors as:
- Acting equitably with integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization.
- Maintaining a positive personal brand in alignment with organization and personal career values.
- Being present and prepared.
- Demonstrating dependability (e.g., consistently showing up for work or meetings).
- Prioritizing and completing tasks to accomplish organizational goals.
- Consistently meeting or exceeding goals and expectations.
- Having an attention to detail, resulting in few if any errors in their work.
- Showing a high level of dedication toward doing a good job.[1]
Read the “Guide to Professionalism in the Workplace” to learn more about how you can demonstrate behaviors associated with professionalism.
Don’t skip this! It is part of this chapter’s material.
Developing Professionalism in College
In its 2022 Job Outlook Survey, NACE found that “while 86.9% of responding employers say professionalism is very or extremely important, just 44.2% of employers indicate that new college graduates are very or extremely proficient in it.”[2] In other words, despite the importance of professionalism in the workplace, many college graduates fall short of demonstrating it at the level employers are expecting.
Some students assume they can wait until they are in “the real world” to practice and develop professional behaviors. But there is no better time than college to do so.
Read the article “A Memo to My Students Re: College and the Real World” to better understand why college is the ideal time to work on and demonstrate essential professional skills.
Don’t skip this! It is part of this chapter’s material.
Optional Resources to Learn More
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Articles |
| “Professionalism in College” https://collegepossible.org/news/professionalism-in-college/ | |
| “Competencies for a Career-ready Workforce” https://www.naceweb.org/uploadedFiles/files/2021/resources/nace-career-readiness-competencies-revised-apr-2021.pdf | |
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Books |
| How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students by Cal Newport https://calnewport.com/writing/ | |
| True Professionalism by David Maister https://davidmaister.com/books/tp/ | |
| The Etiquette Advantage in Business https://emilypost.com/shop/books/the-etiquette-advantage-in-business-3rd-edition-personal-skills-for-professional-success | |
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Videos |
| “5 Proper Workplace Etiquette Tips to Practice for Professional Success” https://youtu.be/etxASaYtJu8 | |
| “How to Be More Professional as a Leader at Work: TOP 8 Qualities of Leaders Who Are Professional” https://youtu.be/p9nFuPfqxgg |
Chapter Attribution
This chapter incorporates material from the following source:
U.S. Department of Labor (n.d.). Soft skills to pay the bills. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/individuals/youth/transition/soft-skills. This content is in the public domain.
Media Attributions
Video 18.1: GCFLearnFree. (2018, September 20). Business etiquette basics [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/qWbWL0l3ySk
Video 18.2: Candid Career. (2017, May 12). Professionalism [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eVOdR7Z_zb0
- NACE. (n.d.) What is career readiness? NACE. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined. List reprinted courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers. ↵
- Gray, K. (2022, March 4). Addressing the shifting standards of professionalism. NACE. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/addressing-the-shifting-standards-of-professionalism/ ↵
A foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare college students for success in the workplace and lifelong career management.
Understanding and demonstrating effective work habits and acting in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
