Who are Professionals and who are not? Is a doctor or engineer a Professional and Gardners or Cobblers are not?

What are the major elements of any profession?

Philosophy

Professions have their own philosophy, which must be articulated in both written and oral form.

Body of Knowledge

Professions must have a body of professional literature of research, study and comment.

Leaders or Philosophers

Professions have, both historically and currently, those who write about and research the profession. Leaders can be writers, doers, role models and those active in service.

Guidelines for Behavior

Professions have codes, guidelines, creeds, oaths, commitment statements, belief statements -- such as statements on ethics and professionalism.

Admission Requirements

Professionals in many professions are licensed, certified, and have specific initial and advanced education, as well as requirements for ongoing education. In addition, many professions require both initial and ongoing testing for admission and maintaining membership.

Other

Many professions require support and/or professional development opportunities outside the work environment such as associations or professional organizations.

Criteria

Training : There is an extensive period of training, often after a combination of formal education, training and apprenticeship; usually in a higher education environment.



Intellectualism :The intellectual component is dominant.



Autonomy : Professionals usually have autonomy in their work.



Judgement :Professionals are in a position, given their training and education, to use their own judgement in determining the appropriate approach to their clients or customers.



Independence: They can work independently and charge fees or they can be part of an organization.



Service : Their abilities can provide a valuable service to society and operate with little or no self-interest.



Dedication: Professionals are dedicated to services and institutions.



Pride: They take pride in the quality of their work

Characteristics

• Professionals are considered experts.
  

Professionals have a high degree of generalized and systematic knowledge with a theoretical base.

• The primary orientation of professionals is to their public and/or community interest.
  

Professionals have a high degree of self-control of their behavior and are governed by a code of ethics.

• The code of ethics is a statement of values.
  

The code ensures a high quality of service.

• The code guarantees competency of membership, honor and integrity.
  

The code is a direct expression of the professions' principles of service orientation.

• The code emphasizes no personal gain and protection of the client or patron.
  

The professional's system of rewards is primarily a set of symbols of work achievement.

• There is a system of testing the competence of members
  
  Responsibilities:
  
  a. Protest against stereotyping
  
  b. Maintain associations which advance the goals of the profession.
  
  c. Promote the well being of the profession's members.
  
  d. Develop standards for themselves and the institutes.
  
  e. Control access to knowledge about the profession
  
  f. Make sacrifices
  
  g. Have the final say of what is accurate about the profession.
  
  h. Promote favorite legislation
  
  i. Find money to support the profession
  
  j. Publish information and research to explain the profession's uniqueness.
  
  Expectations:
  
  Professionals are expected to . . .
  
  
  
  Establish a special relationship with clients or patrons.
  
  Have a lack of self-interest.
  
  Be involved in all aspects of the profession.
  
  Publicize what the profession "does" and "is."
  
  Competencies
  
  Mastery of Theoretical Knowledge
  
  Capacity to Solve Problems
  
  Application of Theoretical Knowledge to Practice
  
  Ability to Create Knowledge as Well as Possess It
  
  Enthusiasm and Commitment to Clients
  
  Commitment to Continuous Learning About the Profession
  
  Education
  
  Becoming a professional involves...
  
  Unique training
  
  Formal education
  
  Achieving credentials
  
  Activity in continuing education opportunities
  
  Joining and actively involving
  
  Support
  
  Professions have responsibilities to professionals.
  
  Professions create structures of subcultures for professionals.
  
  Professions provide legal reinforcement for the activities of professionals.
  
  Professions strive to provide environments of public acceptance.
  
  Professions promote ethical practices.
  
  Professions define penalties for professionals who work against the tenets and practices of the profession.
  
  Regards
  
  Julie
  

Are You a Professional?

How you look, talk, write, act and work determines whether you are a professional or an amateur. Society does not emphasize the importance of professionalism, so people tend to believe that amateur work is normal. Many businesses accept less-than-good results.

Schools graduate students who cannot read. You can miss 15% of the driving-test answers and still get a driver license. "Just getting by" is an attitude many people accept. But it is the attitude of amateurs.

"Don't ever do anything as though you were an amateur.

"Anything you do, do it as a Professional to Professional standards.

"If you have the idea about anything you do that you just dabble in it, you will wind up with a dabble life. There'll be no satisfaction in it because there will be no real production you can be proud of.

"Develop the frame of mind that whatever you do, you are doing it as a professional and move up to professional standards in it.

"Never let it be said of you that you lived an amateur life.

"Professionals see situations and they handle what they see. They are not amateur dabblers.

"So learn this as a first lesson about life. The only successful beings in any field, including living itself, are those who have a professional viewpoint and make themselves and ARE professionals" — L. Ron Hubbard

A professional learns every aspect of the job. An amateur skips the learning process whenever possible.

A professional carefully discovers what is needed and wanted. An amateur assumes what others need and want.

A professional looks, speaks and dresses like a professional. An amateur is sloppy in appearance and speech.

A professional keeps his or her work area clean and orderly. An amateur has a messy, confused or dirty work area.

A professional is focused and clear-headed. An amateur is confused and distracted.

A professional does not let mistakes slide by. An amateur ignores or hides mistakes.

A professional jumps into difficult assignments. An amateur tries to get out of difficult work.

A professional completes projects as soon as possible. An amateur is surrounded by unfinished work piled on unfinished work.

A professional remains level-headed and optimistic. An amateur gets upset and assumes the worst.

A professional handles money and accounts very carefully. An amateur is sloppy with money or accounts.

A professional faces up to other people’s upsets and problems. An amateur avoids others’ problems.

A professional uses higher emotional tones: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, interest, contentment. An amateur uses lower emotional tones: anger, hostility, resentment, fear, victim.

A professional persists until the objective is achieved. An amateur gives up at the first opportunity.

A professional produces more than expected. An amateur produces just enough to get by.

A professional produces a high-quality product or service. An amateur produces medium-to-low quality product or service.

A professional earns high pay. An amateur earns low pay and feels it’s unfair.

A professional has a promising future. An amateur has an uncertain future.

The first step to making yourself a professional is to decide you ARE a professional.

Are you a professional ?

Source:http://www.tipsforsuccess.org

A few months back i had touched this same'self 'styled heading.Indeed nice to see some relevant focussed discussion.
"
I have come across many resumes related to H R....the term very relevant today,but the work they have done being irrelevant to this term,and the TITLE they give themselves HR PROFESSIONALS
Does performing a HR activity for six months make them eligible?
or a sustained 'exposure ' to the core field of HR application!
Can we as a focussed group work towards 'SELF TITLES' having relevance?
hrg-rajaram

Interesting....

Self - styled, as the term implicates will remain only as self-styled. Professionalism needs to be acknowledged, recognised, relevant and depended upon. It is only Rose by any name will smell Rose.

If one claims to be professional with just a mere six months' on the job experience, it is a mockery. It is like an Elementary school student claiming to have covered a Phd level knowledge. Not even worth commenting on this. It is not only sustained 'exposure', but consistent updation, practice & by keeping oneself relevant to prevailing demands of industry, can be termed as professional.

True, many irrelevant or scantly relevant job profiles are termed under "HR" and hence the resume of such portfolio-managers are having the HR stamp. Such candidatures may not gain entry in industries where HR per se exists. They need to seriously understand the actual HR assignments and responsibilities and add value to their profile. Lest they may be weeded out in the long run.

Let the forum build... further on this topic...

Rgds. Venkat

Dear Friend,

I agree with you that assertiveness is also a important characteristic of a professional. But dont you think that ammatures are the prospects of Professionals. Should we also see the ability of Trouble shooting and delegation of duties.

I request to not to mix up a Manager with subordinate as some time subordinates are better professionals as Computer Operators or Typist, Office boy or Peon.

HR Manager / Personnel Manager desk is Paper waste bin usually.. ISN'T IT???? By the way even if we file all documents on daily bases even than it cant be paper less as it greatly depend on the staff # and Seasons.

Finishing tasks on time depends on Resources more than individuals capabilities, so planning and utilization cannot be omitted.

What about Being Proactive by the professional or by emmatures???

Lets see the possibility of adding this point in to the list.

Now we are really reaching to a conclusion about the SIMPLE Definition of PROFESSIONALS, PROFESSIONS & PROFESSIONALISM

Lets not lose till me Finish. After all we all are professionals.

My Heartiest Regards

Fayyaz :idea:

professionals are those persons who have good subject knowledge,lot of practise and implementation. And who guides people with his extraordinary knowledge.

The word professional deal with the two thing "person and work" means that how a person can perform a particular work in a proper and best manner with the 100% knowledge about the work.
Any one can be a professionals, if we talk about gardeners, thae also may be professionals, because they have proper knowledge about their work there is only one work any gardener have for earning.
here earning is a crucial node where the gardener trying to reach with their proper knowledge and 100% effort.

Interesting one!
Everyone whether qualified or not who involve himself completely in finishing a job qualitatively as well as quantitatively by understanding the consequences of that job and who is ready to face such consequences

I feel professional is one with Matured mind and who never looks down at the juniors or the non performers and who is always ready to help them. It doesnt help to be technically good in everything... A technically good heart is required by a person to be a Professional... Else every human being is a perofessional..

I understand & believ a person who give their attitute to professional instinct without involving their personal attributes and desires.as its well known fact attitute is product of two things 1.Value 2. Belief.
Now, i believ it is quite clear.
Rakesh Ranjan
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