Be A Professional

Even from your bedroom, work rules should apply.

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There are many reasons to feel for our kids who are entering the work world these days. They should be waking up each day excited to make that commute, meet new people, and chat around the water cooler about the upcoming NCCA tournament. Instead, they are likely home and alone and have little idea of what it’s like to be a professional.

It starts in college. Few schools ever teach you what it means to actually be a professional: to be a dependable and respected member of a team. Right now, they do not have the important small talk and moments that help build character and experience in the office. They are on zoom calls and have little understanding of the dynamics of office culture.

And looking through the media, you’ll find countless articles celebrating the rule-breakers.

So I thought I would help. Below are some quick rules on being a professional whether you are in the office or in the living room.

Be on time. You know who was reportedly never late to meetings? Anthony Bourdain. He was the rock star of the food world and he was 20 minutes early to everything. It is the simplest sign of respect. If you are late, you don’t get brownie points for being busy or complaining or admiration for having too much on your plate. You think it’s not a big deal that people have to wait five minutes for you. It is and it sucks. When you are late, you are inconsiderate and you show a complete lack of respect for those around you. It’s the easiest way to annoy your boss and push you further down the promotion pole.

Follow through. Being a professional means that people can rely on you, and the way that they come to rely on you is if you have a proven track record of doing what you say you’re gonna do. Whether this is a big project or simply following up on with a text, if you do not follow through, you are no use to anyone. If I can’t rely on you now for anything big or small, why would I want to give you more responsibility?

Never burn a bridge. We all work with people that we don’t like on occasion. I can tell you from experience, eventually you’ll cross paths with them in the future. There is no upside to burning bridges and the person you abhor today could very well be the key to that job you want down the line. Be kind. It’s good karma anyway.

Dress for the job you want. Sure, you live on zoom calls right now and think it’s perfectly acceptable to show up in sweats. It’s not. If you are looking to move ahead in the world, how you present yourself goes a long way - whether in person or staring at a screen. If you care more about how you present yourself, you come off as someone who cares more about their job. That’s just the way it is. And I’m not alone.

Keep your pandemic work area clean. Similar to dressing well, a clean workplace shows me that you are organized and can be counted on. I’m not going to give an important project to the person who has his laundry piled up behind the zoom screen.

Shower regularly. See above. If you smell good, you feel good, and therefore you work good.

Have a positive attitude. Work is hard enough these days and who wants a debbie downer in the meeting? This also applies when you are having a bad day, or given tasks that you don’t necessarily want to do. Those people who keep a positive attitude regardless of the task, and are the kind of people you want on your team.

Send thank-you notes. This is not hard in the internet age. Thank you notes are not just for finishing projects or after reviews. A thank you is for anything that you feel slightly grateful for at work and if you are looking to impress. Writing that thank you note within twenty-four hours is mandatory if you want to be a professional and show you care. If you really want to impress the people you work for, I suggest you send a handwritten note. You have no idea the lasting impression this will make.

Go above and beyond. Sure you can do what is asked of you exactly, but so is everyone. Take each task, whether big or small is an opportunity and look for opportunities to do more than what is required. Pretty soon you’ll find that you are getting more of the tasks and responsibilities and that distance to the next promotion has become a lot shorter.

Bonus: Work sober. I think this goes without saying. Someone who is hungover or stares into a screen with bloodshot eyes is not getting promoted anytime soon.

Work Is work. The situation may have changed but being professional has not. Take pride in whatever you do, be a pro, and set yourself up for long-term success.