what does it mean to be professional?
what does it mean to be professional?
A few weeks ago I was updating my liability insurance for my consulting and coaching business, and I found myself sifting through the dropdown menu of “what type of service do you offer?”
“Professional Services” is what I chose. Vague, but it was the best fit. And then my mind started wondering, “wait… what does it actually mean to be professional?”
What immediately came to mind? That basic stock image photo of a middle-aged, sophisticated, done-up white woman in a bland, non-form fitting suit and a very “appropriate” look to her. Then, I went ahead and googled the word “professional” and I lost count of how many of those women (and men) I found in the images. Let’s lovingly call this image of professionalism, Susan.
Here’s the thing--I consider myself to be a damn good and hard-working professional, however, Susan’s image of professionalism in no way describes me. I’m quite the opposite, actually. I’m a 20-something-year-old black woman with blue hair, an arm and back full of tattoos, and two different nose piercings. I don’t own a suit and never have. I don’t wear makeup, and if you schedule a meeting with me on a perfect San Diego day, then I’ll likely take the meeting outside while wearing my favorite casual spaghetti strap dress (pictured above) with my Rainbow sandals kicked off.
So once again, I found myself asking, what does it actually mean to be professional?
The issue with Susan’s image is that it sends a non-inclusive message about professionalism: professionals are formally educated, healthy, able-bodied, predominantly white individuals who often work in office settings. True professionals must conform to and reflect societal norms including dressing nice (and being able to afford to dress nice) and keeping the self-expression of their persons to an appropriate minimum (aka no tattoos or piercings). So, what does that mean for the rest of us that don’t quite fit in those boxes?
This is what it means: Susan is just one of many types of professionals. You can have tattoos and be professional. You can be overweight and be professional. If your work attire requires you to sport a thong bikini, then hey, you can be a professional. Never working in an office does not mean you’ve never been professional. Most importantly, the Susan-type image of professionalism is often equated to having authority. Authority does not equal professionalism. being someone’s boss doesn’t immediately make you professional, and being someone’s subordinate doesn’t make you a non-professional. earning the title of professional isn’t about the role you’re in or how you look. it’s about how you act. THIS is what it actually means to be professional:
You do your job well. Ah, yes. This is the most obvious indicator of professionalism: do your job, and do it well. This checks off a few boxes that go without saying, like showing up to work on time and knowing what your job entails. But this also speaks to much more than that. Doing your job well also means knowing yourself well--or at least well enough that you can understand how your strengths, growth edges, habits, and skills show up in your job. Doing your job well means knowing how to capitalize on the tasks that come easy to you while improving your skills around the things that don’t come that easy. Doing your job well also means balancing your energy, and to do this you must...
Know your boundaries. If you’ve lost sight of that work/life balance, then you don’t know your boundaries. Do yourself a favor now and drop the narrative that working overtime for no pay will make you more professional. It won’t. It will drain your energy and fuel a platform for resentment, which is not helpful in any profession. Being professional is knowing how to say no when a task or demand crosses your non-negotiable boundaries. Being professional means learning when and how to say yes to the opportunities that will stretch you in the right direction, while also knowing how to mindfully rebound and practice self-care when you’ve stretched yourself too thin. And most importantly, being professional means that you can do all of the above, all the while…
Communicating clearly. If Susan approached me in all of her Banana Republic glory, but then spoke to me in a condescending tone or reacted aggressively to a mistake I made--then her professionalism loses all credibility. What makes Susan professional is her ability to know and understand her own emotional intelligence so she can navigate and express her emotions with grace and clarity. Communicating clearly as a professional also means listening clearly--truly hearing what the other person has to say, no matter what role they’re in. This is especially important when tough topics come up in professional settings. True professionals don’t perpetuate “nice culture” and avoid conflict. Instead, they learn how to speak up on uncomfortable issues in an honest, inviting, and respectful manner.
if you’re doing all of the above, then you’re a professional in my book… no matter what you do for a living. So, the next time you look in the mirror before that job interview and you start to second guess yourself because your ink is showing or your heels are scuffed or because you don’t look good on paper--know that professionalism is more than that. Nowadays, being professional isn’t looking the part. It's about becoming a hardworking, self-aware, well-rounded, and communicative individual… and there's no one good look for that.
and hey! Know that you don’t have to figure this all out on your own. If you’re ready to take a deeper dive into personal development and learning what professionalism means to you, then know that I’m ready to hear your story and help guide you. Take the next step and book your free coaching consultation.
