Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

College of Engineering
Electronics Engineering Department

Name: Kyle N. Eligoyo

Section: BSECE-1B
Instructor: Engr. Mark B. Buena
Course Code/Description: MS 111 – Mechatronics Servicing NCII (Basic & Common Competency)

PRACTICE CAREER PROFESSIONALISM

A. Profession, Professional, and Professionalism

Profession can be different for every people but put simply, it is a job or what you do for a living.
However, profession comprises a specific knowledge and expertise in a particular field, subject or
science and requires the application of such knowledge and skills. For example, working as a teacher
means that education is your profession. Although at bare minimum, it is required that you have
experience through practice teaching and a bachelor’s degree in order to teach.

Professional, according to FCI Education Inc., is anyone who performs an activity for a living that
requires a certain level of education, skill, or training (profession). There is typically a required
standard of competency, knowledge, or education that must be demonstrated (often in a form of
exam or credential), as well as adhering to codes of conduct and ethical standards.

Professionalism is the conduct, behavior, and attitude of someone who work in a business
environment. It is the entirety of qualities that are expected in a person who is considered a
professional. As the saying goes, “It is not the job that you do, it is how you do the job”.

B. Practicing Professionalism

One does not have to work in order to demonstrate professionalism. Qualities like competence,
conscientiousness, respect, integrity, emotional intelligence, appropriateness, and confidence
are essential characteristics of professionalism that can be practiced or enhanced even in early
stages of our life. Doing so will not only help you learn to behave as a professional, but also earn
a strong professional reputation, workplace success, and a high level of work ethic and
excellence.

How to practice professionalism? Here are some ways to improve and exhibit professionalism
from MindTools.com:

1. Improve Your Competence

Identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Then set SMART goals to
plan your improvement. SMART is an acronym that characterizes goals that are Specific
(simple, sensible, and significant), Measurable (meaningful and motivating), Achievable (or

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 attainable), Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, and results-based), and Time-
bound (time-based, time-sensitive, or can be achieved on time).

2. Increase Your Knowledge

Don't let your knowledge and skills get outdated. Make a commitment to build expertise and
to stay up-to-date with your industry.

In addition to doing your own research, consider on-the-job training to maintain and
develop detailed and relevant knowledge.

3. Be Conscientious
Conscientiousness requires being organized, so make regular use of To-Do Lists and Action
Programs. You can also learn to be more conscientious by improving your concentration to
complete work more efficiently and accurately.

Resolve to honor your commitments and to learn from your mistakes in order to develop
strong personal accountability.

4. Role-Model Integrity
Start by defining your own values, then spot any gaps between them and the way you
actually behave.

Ensure that you're clear about the laws that apply to your work, as well as any policies that
your organization has in place to support ethical practices. These might include guidelines
for fair procurement processes, or rules about accepting gifts from clients.

Whenever possible, explain your decisions and choices carefully. And do everything you can
to make it easy for others to act with integrity too.

5. Promote Mutual Respect

Make it a habit to be polite and kind to everyone you come into contact with. Notice what
respectful behavior looks like in any given situation.

Sometimes you might need to develop your cultural understanding – and perhaps do some
specific research before an overseas trip or an international meeting online.

You should also learn about any differences among your own people, so that you know how
to help everyone feel safe, included and respected. A professional approach like this can help
to create a culture of mutual respect.

6. Develop Your Emotional Intelligence

Start by increasing your awareness of your own emotions. Then work on your ability to
sense other people's emotions and needs. Active Listening is crucial here. You can also

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 practice seeing things from other people's point of view, so that you empathize with them,
and see how best to support them.

7. Always Behave Appropriately

This takes "Cultural Intelligence", driven by a commitment to respect cultural norms and
thrive within different settings – which might be countries, organizations, or even different
teams within one company.

It also requires understanding. Avoid making assumptions, do your research, be observant,

and ask for advice if necessary. After that, it's about consistently making the effort to get
your appearance, communication and behavior spot-on.

Remember that professionalism extends to social media, where inappropriate behavior is

likely to be indelible (permanent or cannot be removed/forgotten).

8. Boost Your Confidence

If you put the advice from this article into action, you can be confident that your
professionalism will shine through.

However, if confidence is one of your weaknesses, use techniques for boosting self-
confidence. Many professionals also have to manage Impostor Syndrome, so you may need
to keep reminding yourself that you really are worthy of your role.

C. Integrate personal objectives with organizational goals

A goal is an important element for measuring success. A success cannot be established without first
referring to what goals were set. In this context, a goal refers to what you and the company strives
for and therefore it is important that yours and the company’s goals are aligned, otherwise it would
be more challenging to accomplish anything significant.

It is important to consider different possibilities when aligning yours and the company’s goals:

1. What you’re doing might actually be important to the company

If, for whatever reason, your goal is not included on the list of company’s goals. Have a
conversation with your manager to make sure that your goal is added to the list. If leadership
has missed the importance of what you're working on, you need to raise your hand and voice
that issue.

2. Your goal might not be the company’s priority

If this happens, have a conversation with your manager about how your time is being spent.
What is the importance of this project? How does it tie back to the company's larger goals? Is
there something else you could be doing that may be a better fit for the company's strategy?
If you discover that one of your goals is not a priority for the company, you need to regroup with
your manager and figure out which path will get you back on track.

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D. Set and Meet priorities

Prioritization is the process of determining the level of importance and urgency of a task, thing or
event. It’s a key skill for any working professional and is absolutely essential for project managers to
master. Knowing how to prioritize work affects the success of a project, the engagement of a team,
and the overall work of a leader. All projects (especially large, complex projects) need clear
priorities. It is easier said than done especially when every task appears to be priority number #1
and screaming for your attention. You can count on technical projects, no matter how well-planned,
to involve change orders, re-prioritization and the regular appearance of surprises.

To help you manage your team’s workload and hit deadlines on time, here are 6 steps to prioritizing
projects that have a lot of moving parts.

1. Collect a list of all your tasks.

Pull together everything you could possibly consider getting done in a day. Don’t worry about
the order or the number of items upfront. This will help you frame up how and when to allocate
your time wisely.

2. Identify urgent vs. important.

Look for tasks that need immediate attention that when not completed, will have serious
negative consequences.

3. Assess the value of your tasks.

Identify what carries the highest value to your business and organization.

4. Order tasks by estimated effort.

Productivity experts suggest the tactic of starting the lengthier task first but if do not feel like
doing so, do otherwise.

5. Be flexible and adaptable.

Know that your priorities will change, and often when you least expect them to

6. Know when to cut.

Focus on the main things that will bring you feelings of accomplishment for the day.

E. Maintain professional growth and development

I. Professional Growth vs Professional Development

Professional Growth is the continuous acquisition of knowledge and skills through study,
instruction, investigation, and practice. It is an on-going process.

Professional Development is about avoiding stagnation in your career and future-proofing

yourself.

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II. Maintaining Professional Growth and Development

Always look for and take the right opportunities to use your knowledge and skills. An
opportunity either enhances your brand or takes your career where you want to go. However,
not all opportunities will be right for you so you have to choose carefully. Opportunities include:

1. Managing bigger budgets, more people or larger projects.

2. Attending professional training or gaining sought-after qualifications.
3. Volunteering as a buddy or taking on corporate charity work.
4. Taking on a role to gain specific experience, knowledge or skills.
5. Raising your profile by public speaking or leading a sales presentation.

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 References

Berry, S. (2018, March 16). 5 ways to manage your personal and professional development. Retrieved
September 10, 2021, from https://www.cv-library.co.uk/career-advice/development/5-ways-
manage-professional-development/

CFI Education Inc. (2020, June 11). Professional - Definition, Example, Types of Professionals. Retrieved
September 10, 2021, from
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/professional/

Glassdoor, Inc. (n.d.). A Guide to Professionalism in the Workplace. Retrieved September 10, 2021, from
https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/a-guide-to-professionalism-in-the-workplace/

Liquid Planner, Inc. (2021, June 18). How to Prioritize Work When Everything Is #1. Retrieved September
10, 2021, from https://www.liquidplanner.com/blog/how-to-prioritize-work-when-everythings-
1/

Mind Tools Content Team. (n.d.). Professionalism - Meeting the Standards That Matter. Retrieved
September 10, 2021, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/professionalism.htm

Mind Tools Content Team. (n.d.). SMART Goals: – How to Make Your Goals Achievable. Retrieved
September 10, 2021, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm

TESDA. (2015, June 12). Lesson 03: Maintain Professional Growth and Development. Retrieved
September 10, 2021, from https://gselodelmsapp.wordpress.com/online-courses-page/career-
professionalism/course-3-it-matters/lesson-03-maintain-professional-growth-and-
development/

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. (2015, August 03). Professionalism | Career and
Professional Development. Retrieved September 10, 2021, from
https://career.vt.edu/develop/professionalism.html

What is a Profession?: Definition and Meaning. (2021, March 04). Retrieved September 10, 2021, from
https://askanydifference.com/what-is-a-profession/

Zak, H. (2019, June 12). How to Align Your Personal Goals With Organizational Goals and Excel at Work.
Retrieved September 10, 2021, from https://www.inc.com/heidi-zak/how-to-align-your-
personal-goals-with-organizational-goals-excel-at-work.html

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