Alcantara, Julius Eric T.

August 13, 2015

JD 1 - 2

Atty. Paul Luis Braga

What is Profession

What do you want to be when you grow up, and why?

This is a question that everyone, at some point in his or her childhood life, had been asked. And
as children who were taught to aim high at such an early age, answers vary from I want to be a
doctor because doctors heal the sick. to I want to be a teacher so I can teach kids. or I want
to be a lawyer so I can be like Daddy.
Doctors, teachers, lawyers these are just a few examples of professions. But what goes on
behind the term profession? What does it convey that when people say they are professionals,
society looks up to them with utmost respect? What differentiates a profession from a job?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a profession is any type of work that needs special
training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of
education. A professional, therefore, committed a lot of his or her time into becoming one. In
the Philippines, these members of the society are highly regarded as a salient part of our
countrys progression. The government has existing laws on the professionalization of different
professions, such as the Presidential Decree No. 1006 or the Decree Professionalizing Teaching
and Professionalizing Librarianship as mandated in R.A. No. 9246. The Professional Regulation
Commission, created through the Presidential Decree No. 223, is the governing body for
supervising and regulating the standards set for professionals in the country except for lawyers
who have the Integrated Bar of the Philippines as their official organization. The PRC
administers valid licensure examinations and then issues a Certificate of Registration for the
passers.
Entering these professions is therefore not a trivial matter. Years of studying and specialization
training, a licensure exam to pass, a set of professional and ethical standards to follow, and a
tremendous amount of responsibility and accountability. These things associated with being a
professional gives out a terrifying vibe, and is not really appealing. It makes you want to just
take on a job and get a salary and then pay your bills and do the same routine over again. But
these arduous matters are what separates professions from jobs. A profession is a vocation a
calling, a walk of life. It is more than just something that helps one earn money for a living. A
profession has to be something you want to do. Otherwise, one would not be willing to take the
risk of everything in relation to his or her profession.
The kids who answered that they want to be doctors and teachers and lawyers have grown up and
turned into mature adults with, hopefully, a wider perspective on life. The world grew too, and
now presents an even wider number of paths waiting to be taken on. Weve come from choosing
to be doctors, lawyers, and teachers to choosing to be accountants, architects, journalists,
pharmacists, pilots, psychologists, engineers, veterinarians, and many more. In this day and time,
all you need is the will to listen to your calling, and the right amount of urge to continue. The
kids have grown up, and now they have to answer the next question: Do you want it enough?

1. Introduction
a. Introductory Statement: A question we are all asked as a child, What do you
want to be when you grow up, and why?
b. Thesis Statement: What goes on behind the term profession?
2. Body
a. Definition of profession
i. Cambridge Dictionary definition
b. Professionalization in Philippine Setting
i. Laws professionalizing different vocations
ii. The Professional Regulation Commission
c. Profession in contrast to job
i. Characteristics of a Profession
3. Conclusion
a. Different kinds of profession in this day and time
b. A profession is not a walk in the park it requires a lot of guts, and you should
want it enough to have it.