Do you know being a true professional needs certain unique traits from you?

“Aren’t you late for your work?” I asked my friend when I saw her at home well past her duty time.

“Well, my manager is on leave and so I need not worry about my timings. There is no one to question me even if I am late,” my friend told me casually.

I totally disagreed with her attitude. I felt she was being unprofessional. A true professional is sincere in his work, irrespective of whether he will be noticed by his higher official or not.

If my friend was a true professional, she would have been on time to her work, even if her higher official was not there.

Sadly, there are many people who are like my friend.

Yes!

Nowadays, it is rare to see true professionalism among employees.

Today’s youth want to be triumphant in their work, but do not care to achieve it through sincere professionalism. They want success without dedication. They want affluence without hard work.

Their casual mentality about their job makes them lack true professionalism.

“Without hard work and discipline it is difficult to be a top professional.” Jahangir Khan

What exactly is true professionalism?

• It is your dedicated approach to your work.
• It is your self-discipline in your profession.
• It is your loyalty towards the company you are working.

If you consider your work as just a means of your livelihood, you will never have the qualities that make you stand out as a true professional.

What exactly are the qualities of a true professional?

Here goes

1. You are well-groomed

Do you know you are often judged by your outer appearance?

When you are shabbily dressed, it instantly sends out the message that you are not assertive or confident. It also shows your disinterest in work.

This is the reason you should always be well-groomed when you go for work. Your well-groomed look gives you great inner confidence. It makes others respect you, because your neat appearance signals to others that you are a true professional.

Follow the dress code of your company to the dot. Do not wear freaky dresses to your work place. If you are a male professional, be clean shaven and well shod. If you are a female professional, do not wear dresses that are too exposing. Long danglers and highly fashionable dress is a big no.

Though being well-groomed is the outer façade of professionalism, it reflects your positive thoughts towards your job like a mirror.

2. You are punctual

Punctuality is yet another essential quality of a true professional.

When you are sincere in your work, you will be punctual, day in and day out.

Most of you cite traffic jam and long commuting distance for your late arrival. These are all lame excuses. Traffic jam is a daily occurrence. You knew about the commuting distance when you joined the job.

You have to get up early in the morning to arrive in your office dot on time. Punctuality signals to the management that you are committed to your work.

3. You prove your worth

Your sincerity makes you give the best to your job. You never merely make an attendance. You make your worth known to the management through your hard work.

You do homework about your work, as you want to give the best to your job.

You keep the knowledge about your work updated.

4. You never waste time

You never get involved in office gossips. You never take a long recess, as you know your work is waiting.

You have a plan for your day’s work. You work consistently without indulging in unwanted distractions. You give priority to important work so that your management feels confident that you will keep up your target.

This way you prove yourself worthy to the administration.

5. You are communicative

You are very communicative. You greet your colleagues with a pleasant good morning.

You participate in group discussions with enthusiasm. You interact with the company’s clients in a knowledgeable manner.

Your phone etiquette is perfect. Your voice is firm and assertive that your clients are confident that they are talking to the right person.

6. You never do personal work

You never do your personal work in your workplace. You never check your personal emails. You never keep talking in your mobile needlessly.

You never indulge in social media activities in your workplace. You keep your mobile in the mute, as you do not want unwanted disturbances.

Your true professionalism makes you realize, that your workplace is not a place for your personal work.

7. You are pleasant

You have a smiling look. You interact with your higher officials with dignified confidence. You are not brash, and you are not servile either.

You are not subservient and slavish with your boss\higher officials because you trust in your ability and not in sycophancy.

You never bully your juniors. In fact, you make them feel at ease. You also help them in knowing their work better.

8. You are flexible in your work timings

You are flexible in your work timings. You know that an emergency might need you to stay back in your office beyond your work time.

You do not crib when you have to stay late. When you willingly help to overcome your company’s crisis, you are stamped as a true professional.

9. You are prepared to learn

You are not smug thinking that you know everything about your job. You keep updating your knowledge about your work.

When you have any doubts about the work to be done, you have no reservations in asking for help.

10. You never self-trumpet

Though you are confident, you never trumpet about your contribution to the company. Since you are a true professional, you know that your work will speak for you.

Your humble nature makes your colleagues respect you.

CONCLUSION

Yes!

Being a true professional needs all these basic qualities.

Can you see how your success in work needs your dedication and sincerity?

Do not think that your job is just a means to make your living. If you do so, you can never rise above mediocrity. But, if you put in sincere professionalism into your work, you will definitely stand above others.