- 1). Practice honesty and integrity in everything you do. People place a high value on being able to believe what you say and that you will do exactly what you say you will do. Make certain that you honor your commitments and do what is right at all times.
- 2). Arrive on time for your appointments. Reliability will make you the go-to person in your company. To be a professional you have to be there when people expect you. Your work starting time is an important commitment. Being on time demonstrates that you understand the importance of what you do.
- 3). Educate yourself continuously. Learning does not stop when you get out of school. Professionals read trade journals to keep up on their field. Part of professionalism means always wanting to improve yourself, and to be the best person that you can be at all times. Look for the learning opportunity in everything you do.
- 4). Focus on listening to people. Let the person in front of you know that he or she is what matters the most at that moment. Don't let the phone or e-mail interrupt conversations with people. Maintain eye contact and sharpen your listening skills. Listen to gain understanding of the person and situation, not just to answer a question.
- 5). Give others the credit when it is due them. Take responsibility when it belongs to you. A gracious and professional person respects those around him when they do a good job and he honors their contributions, maybe even understating his own involvement. Likewise, a professional sees areas where he could have done things better. By demonstrating this consistently, you will be maintaining your professionalism over the long term.
- 6). Learn new skills to help show competence in what you do. Never let there be a question in anyone's mind that you can do the job you are paid to do. Be willing to expand your areas of responsibility beyond your comfort zone and be quick to try new things to gain skills.
previous post