Perhaps in response to trainees like me, didactic training in professionalism may be the new normal. A cursory Google search reveals many online and classroom-based seminars and courses designed to teach you how to act professionally. Similarly, according to the National Postdoctoral Association, which lists the fourth of six core competencies for postdoctoral training as professionalism, 59 percent of higher education institutions offer training in interpersonal skills, as reported in its Institutional Policy Report 2014.
How do you, as a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar, gain the professionalism skills you need? Clearly, one way is to seek out didactic professionalism training, perhaps specific to the field you wish to pursue. But what if your career path is yet to be defined or you do not have access to such focused training?
essays on being a professional
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My suggestion is to treat professionalism not as a set of behavioral expectations to be learned, but as tools to advance your career. Though career planning is a personal process, it is not accomplished in isolation. To advance, you must interact with others, and the manner in which you do so affects your professional reputation. You can acquire behaviors associated with professionalism by training in the skills used to relate effectively with others. I recommend that you:
Enhance your emotional intelligence to interact professionally. Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your emotions and those of others, often measured in terms of your emotional quotient. Emotional-intelligence skills involve harnessing and regulating your own emotions, allowing you to apply them toward specific tasks. Such skills can also help you identify the emotions of those around you, influencing your interactions both personally and professionally in matters of collaboration, conflict resolution and leadership. To learn more, refer to the work of Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and foremost authority on behavioral science and emotional intelligence. Twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has written extensively on emotional intelligence in the workplace.
Adopt a time-management strategy to plan professionally. Regardless of the career path you take, the ability to allocate your time wisely will allow you to fulfill your obligations and complete projects in a timely manner. It is important to remember, however, that a time-management strategy must also consider how your actions affect the time of those with whom you work. As some of the components of this strategy, you should:
Treat all of your commitments with equal importance. Whether a one-on-one with your supervisor or a training session led by an instructor, treat equally all meetings to which you have committed to attend. The party with whom you are meeting may have invested considerable time in preparation. Not attending or canceling without notice is not simply disrespectful -- it may disqualify you from being invited or included in the future.
Participate in communication training opportunities and then practice communicating. In order to embody professionalism, you need to communicate like a professional -- both on paper and verbally. The best way to become a better communicator is to practice communicating. Writing about and presenting your research at a conference is one obvious way, but many other opportunities exist, such as joining a Toastmasters club or attending networking events to learn the language of a field in which you are interested. Universally, some sound advice that you should consider is to:
Be aware of your nonverbal communication. Just as your words must convey a professional tone, so too must your appearance and body language. Regardless of the attire that your workplace requires, keeping a clean and well-groomed appearance ensures that colleagues notice you for your expertise. In addition, your body language may convey more than you intend. Though I do not believe that one body position conveys one specific meaning (e.g. folded arms as a sign of frustration), be aware of how your body language conveys your overall demeanor.
The core of the Vanderbilt professionalism policy is that positive professional interactions gain respect and rewards, helping you advance in your career, whereas negative interactions limit future opportunities, holding you back. Seeking training in professionalism will help ensure the former, but didactic training may not prepare you for every situation. If you find yourself in unfamiliar territory where you question how to act, simply ask what is expected, or seek advice from peers, in order to turn the implicit into the explicit.
Many people struggle to find a career they want to pursue. Some of them succeed to do so, while others fail. Without any doubt, it is critical to choose the right job and make an effort to become a professional. Otherwise, individuals may suffer from a discontent with life, poverty, and demotivation to set new goals and achieve them. Fortunately, I clearly understand who I aim to be in the future and work diligently to turn my long-held dream into reality. Therefore, I am currently working as a dental assistant and studying for a dental hygienist to become a leading professional.
To begin with, I am aware of the skills required for a successful dental hygienist and invest much time in developing them. For example, each professional should possess technical abilities and knowledge to perform effectively in the workplace. Making the most of my studying process, reading nonfiction books, and searching for different visuals help me advance technical skills and become more confident. Furthermore, interpersonal skills are crucial for any employee in a dental office, where interactions with patients play an essential role. Developing interpersonal skills is a gradual and complicated process, but I genuinely enjoy it. In addition, every dental hygienist must be attentive to details, as one unsterilized tool can lead to many adverse consequences.
Third, I have an all-consuming passion for being a leading dental hygienist. For example, while working as a dental assistant, I often come in early, stay late, and take extra tasks. I highly appreciate working hand-in-hand with a dental hygienist, who shares his knowledge and experience. Without any doubt, spending time in the dental office is not just about my job but also about the way of life I desire to live. However, I want to take more responsibilities, be able to interact with patients independently, and solve different problems. Therefore, I invest most of my free time in gaining knowledge and experience, which will help me to turn my vision of becoming a successful dental hygienist into reality.
In conclusion, I can state that the career of a dental hygienist is the one for me. I possess many skills required for this profession. The benefits, which are possible to acquire, motivate me to study for a dental hygienist harder and work as a dental assistant more diligently. My extraordinarily good technical skills and interpersonal skills prove that I have made the right choice regarding my future profession. Besides, my great passion inspires me to make the most of each opportunity and move towards my professional goal.
To me being a teacher means that I get the opportunity to not only teach my students math, English, and science but to teach life lessons that will stick with them as well. It means walking into school every day being the reason my students look forward to coming to school. It means being surrounded by crafts, books, and music and not being stuck in an office. It means educating our future generation. And if somebody has to do it, it should be somebody who is passionate about it.
So I study, even when I am tired from working two jobs or sick of not being where I want to be. When my time comes to walk into that classroom, my worries and doubts will be silenced by the knowledge I have mastered and the dream I have finally achieved.
Looking back to a middle school class I attended, there was a boy who never really participated. He sat in his hoodie, looking down to his desk. Only after trying to talk with him, I discovered he spoke with broken English and a thick Spanish accent. It seemed as if no-one in our class actually knew that he struggled to understand what was being taught because it was presented in English.
My ultimate goal is to change the lives of people. Studying to be a teacher is hard. All of the classes that are required, all of the practicums, and all of the time spent just to become a teacher is stressful, but the thought of being able to help just one person changes everything.
Being able to pass my courses and get a degree and teaching credentials is the first main goal I am striving for. But being able to have a positive impact on students I have will be an even greater goal that I want to accomplish. I am hoping to guide them through their study of my favorite subject so I can teach them about the world and help them just like my teacher had helped me.
At USC Upstate, I am studying to be a Secondary Education Mathematics teacher. The math courses are not easy and the education courses pushes you to challenge yourself. The thought of being a future teacher is what motivates me to keep pushing.
Although I do not know any of my students, they are precious to me and I believe it is my job to change their lives for the better. Teaching math is my job, but looking beyond my content and into the wellbeing of my students is my passion.
Answer: A professional must showcase the following characteristics to be successful in their career: Knowledge, confidence, strong work ethics, respect, conscientiousness, emotional intelligence and competence.
Kathleen McGrory, Society for Values in Higher EducationTeaching and Values: What Values Will We Take into the 21st Century.Our values drive our decision-making about a range of everyday concerns as professionals. This essay identifies some current values being addressed in scholarly inquiry and attempts to predict the role of values inquiry in curriculum and teaching in the 21st century. 2ff7e9595c
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