What Makes Someone a "Professional"?

 

There comes a time in every engineer’s life, somewhere between leaving campus after graduation and walking out the front door of your office after your retirement party, where he/she becomes a professional at what they do. Professionalism is an integral part of the workplace, yet it is not something that necessarily comes to you overnight. It looks different for every person, it’s valued differently by every company, and there’s no way to perfectly achieve it. So, what is professionalism and how do I go about obtaining it?

 

Glad you asked! Professionalism can be defined as the competence or skill expected of a professional. Most people’s minds quickly jump to what someone looks, or dresses like in a business setting. I think the definition really encompasses something much broader, which is the way a person carries themselves in a professional setting. In this blog I’ll touch on five main points I’ve learned in the engineering consulting world that would help characterize someone as a professional in their career.

 

1.     Understand Your Surroundings

It’s important to be fully aware of the type of setting you’re in. As a civil engineer, the conduct expected of me during a crucial meeting with an important client is different than that on the construction site. An employer wants to see that you possess the respect to demonstrate politeness in the office environment.  Read the room. Watch those around you. Be respectful and speak up when appropriate. Clear and concise language should be used to get your point across. Fully listen to anyone voicing an opinion, no matter their job title.

 

2.     Attitude and Eagerness

When faced with adversity, a true professional will be able to take it on in stride. A client or employer will always prefer to work with someone who takes on opportunities to grow with a smile and an excitement to succeed. Challenges are bound to happen, don’t let them bring your attitude down. Difference makers in the professional world are those that press on through difficult times and understand that hiccups aren’t the end of the world. Albert Einstein put it simply when he said, “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” Whether positive or negative, attitude during trials is always contagious.

 

3.     Become a Subject-Matter Expert

Now this step may be easier said than done, but an inherent trait of being a professional at anything is simply being good at what you do. I’m not saying you need to master every skill, but master the skills required to complete the task at hand. Take the time to understand the expectations of you. Have clear and direct conversations with your supervisor or mentor to ensure you understand the responsibilities you’ve been given. Once those expectations are established, execute the tasks well. Study the intricacies of each project as you would an exam in college. When I began working in the civil engineering industry, this translated to learning CAD software. Although it didn’t seem the most glamorous or interesting aspect of the job, it was what was expected of me and I took the time to learn and excel at it. Soon thereafter I was naturally given more responsibilities having proved that I had the desire to learn on my own rather than just do enough to get by. If there is a willingness to take ownership of your work, others will realize they can depend on you. Once that trust is formed, clients and colleagues will begin to see you as an expert at whatever your job title may be and come to you when they need solutions to problems.

 

4.     Mastering Healthy Conflict

One of the most seldom talked about aspects of professionalism is conflict. In the engineering design world, conflict and arguments are bound to happen. The very nature of teams working together involves discussion with differing points of view, and all great projects are completed by diverse individuals who look at things from different angles. Professionalism in conflict is removing personal feelings in order to see that problems are solved, and the team succeeds. Be able to admit mistakes, be vulnerable, and respect everyone’s opinion equally. The desire to win arguments isn’t a sustainable way to go about working with others. This mentality may win you the battle but has already lost you the war of professionalism. The intent of all conflict in the business place should be to see the group succeed, not personal gain. Patrick Lencioni says it best in his book 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, “teams that trust each other are not afraid to engage in passionate dialogue around issues and decisions that are key to the organization’s success. They do not hesitate to disagree with, challenge, and question one another, all in the spirit of finding the best answers, discovering the truth, and making great decisions.”

 
5.     Practice!

Maybe the hardest lesson of professionalism is that it can never be done perfectly. People mess up. They make jokes that don’t go over well. They step out of line. They hurt people’s feelings. Be confident in what you do, strive to get better, but don’t take your journey too seriously. Unfortunately, professionalism can’t be taught, it simply takes practice! There are also great places to practice professionalism outside of the workplace. Professional societies are a great place to start. Groups like the Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers, and Engineers Without Borders all have interest in bridging communication between professionals in the engineering industry. An advantage of this bridge is engaging with other professionals who may be out of your everyday view.

Author: Brandon Tanksley, 2017 Civil Engineering