tokyo_juliet
Active member
Thank you everyone for responding. I got the answer that I needed already. Thanks again.
Professionals on the job?
- Thread starter tokyo_juliet
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user79
Well-known member
A professional, as far as I am aware, means that you have extensive training and skill development in a very particular field of work which you have made a permanent career. It means you have trained skills that the average person does not have, often accompanied by some kind of professional certification given by a licensed authority.
It doesn't mean that you are not allowed to make mistakes. A professional just means that the person has a certified competency and skill training that other workers do not have.
It doesn't mean that you are not allowed to make mistakes. A professional just means that the person has a certified competency and skill training that other workers do not have.
gigglegirl
Well-known member
Quote:
MissChievous summed it up perfectly--this is what I believe when I hear a professional (prob said hella better than I would have!).
I don't think the title "professional" would not come into effect or be lost if the person isn't perfect.
In my mind, a professional also has a code of conduct to uphold, such as one explicitly stated through his/her association (ie Accounting designation association) or even a self imposed one.
Originally Posted by MissChievous
It doesn't mean that you are not allowed to make mistakes. A professional just means that the person has a certified competency and skill training that other workers do not have. |
MissChievous summed it up perfectly--this is what I believe when I hear a professional (prob said hella better than I would have!).
I don't think the title "professional" would not come into effect or be lost if the person isn't perfect.
In my mind, a professional also has a code of conduct to uphold, such as one explicitly stated through his/her association (ie Accounting designation association) or even a self imposed one.
Dizzy
Well-known member
In the US, a professional is loosely defined as someone who works a job that requires at least a bachelor's degree (there are shades of gray here, I'm just using it for argument's sake). That degree doesn't guarantee that the recipient will not make mistakes, as mistakes are a part of life. It just indicates that the recipient has received training above that of the average high school graduate. Just because someone falls under the classification of a professional doesn't strip them of their privilege to make mistakes.
Example: Teachers are considered professionals. Everyone has had a teacher make a mistake (grading error, wrong information, lost work, screwed up an exam question, etc). That doesn't mean that they are no longer professionals, it just means they're human.
Example: Teachers are considered professionals. Everyone has had a teacher make a mistake (grading error, wrong information, lost work, screwed up an exam question, etc). That doesn't mean that they are no longer professionals, it just means they're human.
Loveleighe
Well-known member
From what I learned in my cosmetology class, professionalism is behaving appropriate to a business setting. we had this whole lesson on how a professional is someone who treats others with respect, is positive, polite, and they avoid disclosure. I think the word beauty expert would describe your arguement more. A beauty expert is more based on your success in the industry, people see you do good work, that you are confident in your abilities, and you there are very few things they might not know. You can be a professional and not be right or know some things in fact 80% of retaining clients in the beauty business is based solely on personality, your image, and your business/people skills and 20% on talent. I mean of course people don't want t go to someone who can't answer any questions or can't do their job properly. I think a professional doesn't have to know all the answers but they should know how to get those answers if they don't have them, and also be willing to continously learn things they might not know in order to better service clients.
athena123
Well-known member
Don't confuse professionalism with omniscience. No one "knows it all". What makes a professional stand out from an amateur is the self knowledge of their limitations. A professional will know they don't know, unlike an amateur who doesn't know they don't know. A professional will know how to find out what they don't know while an amateur may not. Professionalism also relates to behavior as well. Loveleigh described professional behavior very well.
Briar
Well-known member
My understanding of a professional is one with a specific skill set, and more often than not a degree in that field. Professional implies a certain level of training and education. The word does not imply one will be perfect in that field, as that is impossible, perfection doesn't exist. Examples of professional careers include nursing, medical doctor, professor, lawyer, accountant, engineer. In general, jobs considered "white collar" are also considered "professional".
purrtykitty
Well-known member
I agree...there's no way for one person to know EVERYTHING. And by that same token, people are human, therefore people make mistakes. Even the most educated, doctor who has been practicing for 35 years could potentially make a mistake. Being a professional means that you have education and/or expertise in a specific field.
tokyo_juliet
Active member
Loveleighe's response was very informative and it was what I needed to know. I agree with what she wrote, it cleared up a lot for me.
Beauty Mark
Well-known member
Well, the loosest sense of being a professional is utilizing specialized skills (skills generally not everyone has) for money.
Professionals will screw up from time to time. It's inevitable. However, most people who are professionals in a certain field will not majorly mess up. For instance, if teaching is your profession, you may some day give some bad advice accidentally or do something that pedagogically doesn't work. You won't cuss out a student, though.
Professionals will screw up from time to time. It's inevitable. However, most people who are professionals in a certain field will not majorly mess up. For instance, if teaching is your profession, you may some day give some bad advice accidentally or do something that pedagogically doesn't work. You won't cuss out a student, though.
Dizzy
Well-known member
Quote:
I think there you're marking the difference between professionals and professionalism. Two different creatures.
A professional can act unprofessionally (a teacher cursing at a student) and yet a non-professional can act professionally (treating people with common respect and doing your job up to par).
| Originally Posted by Beauty Mark
For instance, if teaching is your profession, you may some day give some bad advice accidentally or do something that pedagogically doesn't work. You won't cuss out a student, though. |
I think there you're marking the difference between professionals and professionalism. Two different creatures.
A professional can act unprofessionally (a teacher cursing at a student) and yet a non-professional can act professionally (treating people with common respect and doing your job up to par).
Beauty Mark
Well-known member
I think that people often equate the two, which is totally different things.
For instance, I've seen fast food workers exhibit beautiful professional behavior when dealing with customers. I wouldn't consider them professionals, though.
For instance, I've seen fast food workers exhibit beautiful professional behavior when dealing with customers. I wouldn't consider them professionals, though.
