UNIVERSITY OF MAKATI

J. P. Rizal Ext., West Rembo, Makati City

HIGHER SCHOOL NG UMAK
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Course Title Title
Module 3 4.5
Professionalism
Career Advocacy

At the end of the module, the learner will be able to:

Learning Objectives 1. To be able to exhibit professionalism regardless of the situation
2. To understand how to become a professional
3. To be able to know how to compose their own resume
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U Being a Professional doesn’t mean you have to wear
decent and expensive clothes. There’s more to that. In fact, being a professional comes with your
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attitude. It means you should how to react properly in every situation. You should also know how
T to control your emotions. This module is all about being a professional. This module will helped
I the learners how to become young professionals. This is what is expected from the learner’s also.
O That they will be able to understand the true meaning of professional and professionalism and be
N able to exhibit such attitude.

A professional is a member of a profession or any person who

earns their living from a specified professional activity or a person engaged in a specified activity, especially a
sport or branch of the performing arts, as a main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.

Peter Johnson, HR partner at accountancy firm Cassons, says: 'A professional is someone who displays high
levels of expertise and efficiency. ' ... To most people, acting like a professional means working and behaving in
such a way that others think of them as competent, reliable and respectful.

Genuine professionals practice good self regulation. This means they stay professional under pressure. They
are polite and respectful to the people around them. They show a high degree of emotional intelligence, and
are careful to consider the emotions and needs of others.

A good professional can do the job and he can do it well. Nevertheless, technical expertise is not enough.
Qualities like honesty, punctuality, a spirit of service, the ability to meet deadlines and many others are also
essential.

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN

 Professional attitude: a professional is punctual (to class and
laboratory meetings) because he/she respects the valuable time of
others; a professional follows the supervisor's instructions;
a professional in the field respects private and public property;
a professional arrives ready to work, appropriately dressed.

Essential elements of professional behavior include knowledge and

skills about a field, communication and relationship skills, work
ethic, and professional ethics.

Personal qualities are the characteristics, attributes or personality

traits of an individual. Examples of personal attributes include being
honest, having a good sense of humour or being dependable.

Professional skills are career competencies that often are not taught (or acquired) as part of the coursework
required to earn your masters or PhD. Professional skills such as leadership, mentoring, project management,
and conflict resolution are value-added skills essential to any career.

5 Qualities of Professional People

 Knowing your stuff. Please notice I didn't

say “know everything”. ...
 Standing for something. This is
about ethics and having a moral compass.
...
 Keeping your word. This is a big one. ...
 Being honest. I know this should go without
saying but we all know that there are
people who struggle with honesty. ...
 Supporting others.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines professionalism as "the conduct, aims, or qualities

that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person"; and it defines a profession as "a calling
requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation.

One reason professionalism is so important is because it's an outward display of your attitude toward your job
and your company. “A lack of professionalism suggests a lack of respect towards an employer, which can
impact your ability to land a job.”

What are the 6 traits of professionalism?

 Be the best
 Be dependable
 Be a teamplayer
 Be respectful
 Be ethical
 be positive

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN

The 10 Characteristics of Professionalism

Being professional is about having strong

skills and competence in your chosen field.
There is a certain obvious expectation that
you would have the experience and
qualification to deliver your product or
service. But this alone is not enough to earn
the respect of your customers.

Professionalism is also about the qualities and

behaviours you exhibit, and the manner in
which you conduct yourself during your
business affairs.

True professionals possess a number of

important characteristics that can apply to
virtually any type of business or profession.

Appearance

A professional is neat in appearance. Be sure

to meet or even exceed the requirements of
your company's dress code, and pay special
attention to your appearance when meeting
with prospects or clients, and take your cue
from the way they dress.

Demeanour

Your demeanour should reflect confidence but not

cockiness. Be polite and well-spoken whether
you're interacting with customers, superiors or co-
workers. Just because you are the expert in a field,
does not earn you the right to treat your customers
like ignorant idiots. On the other end of the
spectrum, just because you are a warm and friendly
person does not mean you can call your new
customer “sweetie”.

Reliability

As a professional, you will be counted on to find a

way to get the job done. Responding to people
promptly and following through on promises in a
timely manner is also important, as this
demonstrates reliability. It’s about meeting
expectations, which requires effective
communication skills. Never assume. Clarify
everything, especially when things change, to make
sure you are always on the same page as your
customer, and to eliminate nasty surprises.

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN

 Competence

Professionals strive to become experts in

their field, which sets them apart from
the rest of the pack. This can mean
continuing your education by taking
courses, attending seminars and
attaining any related professional
designations.

Ethics

Professionals such as doctors, lawyers and public

accountants must adhere to a strict code of ethics.
Even if your company or industry doesn't have a
written code, you should display ethical behaviour
at all times.

Maintaining Your Poise

A professional must maintain his poise even when facing

a difficult situation. When you are challenged or
questioned you need to be able to state your case in a
calm and structured manner and keep it factual, clean
and to the point. This is where people with a high
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) gain the most respect. There
is nothing like losing your cool or airing personal
emotional baggage in a tense situation to destroy your
integrity, credibility and reputation.

Phone Etiquette

Your phone etiquette is also an important

component of professional behaviour.
This means identifying yourself by your
full name, company and title when you
place a call. Be sure not to dominate the
conversation and listen intently to the
other party.

Written Correspondence

During written or email correspondence, keep your

letters brief and to the point. Your tone should be
polite and formal without being "stuffy." Remember
that your written correspondence is a paper trail and
record of your transactions with your clients, so take
care of what you say and how you say it. Use your
spell checker! And remember email etiquette 101 -
never, ever write in capital letters in an email, no
matter how frustrated you are. This only effect this
has is on your character.

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN

 Organizational Skills

A professional can quickly and easily find

what is needed. Your work area should be
neat and organised, and your briefcase
should contain only what is needed for your
appointment or presentation.

Accountability

Professionals are accountable for their actions at all times.

If you make a mistake, own up to it and try to fix it if
possible. Don't try to place the blame on a colleague. If
your company made the mistake, take responsibility and
work to resolve the issue. Sometimes a compromise is
necessary; you take it on the chin, learn from it and move
on.

Step-by-Step Résumé Breakdown

1. Decide Which Type of Résumé You Want.

2. Create a Header.
3. Write a Summary.
4. List Your Experiences or Skills.
5. List Your Activities.
6. List Your Education.
7. List Any Awards You've Won and When You
Won Them.
8. List Your Personal Interests.

How to Dress Properly During the Interview

How to Dress for a Corporate Interview

If you’re going on a job interview at a company in a traditional industry, such as finance, banking, or insurance,
you should opt for more formal corporate attire. In general, this means a suit and tie for men and a pantsuit or
skirt and blouse for women.

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN

Men's Interview Attire

The best interview outfits for men in the corporate world tend to be conservative. Men should always default
to wearing a suit. All clothes should fit well and be free of stains.

Here are a few guidelines for men who are interviewing in corporate roles:

 Suit in a solid color such as navy, black, or dark gray

 Long-sleeved shirt that is white or color coordinated with the suit
 Leather belt
 Tie
 Dark socks and conservative leather shoes
 Little or no jewelry
 Neat, professional hairstyle
 Limited amount of aftershave
 Neatly trimmed nails
 Portfolio or briefcase

Women's Interview Attire

In general, interview fashion for women in corporate jobs is more complicated and varied than it is for men.
The increased options make assembling an interview outfit a bit more challenging for women than for men.
For instance, if you're wearing a dress or skirt, you need to decide if you should wear pantyhose or if bare legs
are acceptable.

Women also need to consider interview accessories and choose an appropriate purse. The best interview
bags are ones that are professional and large enough to fit a resume but aren't flashy.

Here are the fundamental building blocks of what women should wear to a professional interview:

 Suit in navy, black, or dark gray

 Suit skirt just below or above the knee
 Coordinated blouse
 Conservative shoes
 Limited jewelry
 No very large dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets
 No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry
 Professional hairstyle
 Neutral-colored pantyhose
 Light makeup and a limited amount of perfume
 Clean, neatly manicured nails
 Portfolio or briefcase

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN

Tips for Making the Best Interview Impression

Take some time to prepare your interview outfit to be sure you're ready to make the best impression.

 Well in advance of your interview, make sure you have appropriate interview attire, and everything fits
correctly.
 Get your clothes ready the night before, so you don't have to spend time getting them ready the day of
the interview.
 If your clothes are dry clean only, take them to the cleaners right after an interview, so you're prepared
for the next interview.
 Be sure to polish your shoes the night before.

What to Bring to the Interview

In addition to getting your interview attire ready the night before, also gather what you need to bring with you:

 Interview location/directions
 Contact name and number for the person you're meeting with
 Identification
 Notepad and pen
 Extra copies of your resume
 List of three references
 Work samples (depending on the job)
 Laptop or tablet to showcase your work (depending on the job)
 Breath mints with you to use before entering the building

Generally, a job interview calls for you to wear professional, or business, attire. For men, this might mean
a suit jacket and slacks with a shirt and tie or a sweater and button-down. For women, a blouse
and dress pants or a statement dress is appropriate.

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN

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By Group

A Resume Making Contest: As part of our Culminating Activity in Philippine Politics and Governance, You will
S preparing a 2 Pages Resume of a former President based on our discussion on how to create a Simple but
S Unique resume.

E The Rubrics for Grading System will be as follow:

S Creativity (how you composed the resume)– 30%
S Content – 40%
Designs (art) - 20%
M Following Instructions (dealine, components, etc.,) – 10%
E Total: 100%
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By Group
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G Collect a photo of different dress/dresses for men and women that they should wear during the interview
N (traditional, casual, formal, semi-formal, etc). Cut and paste in a short bond paper with description about the
attire.
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https://www.wikipedia.com
R https://www.accaglobal.com
E
F https://www.mindtools.com
E http://graduate.auburn.edu
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E https://www.rasmussen.edu
N https://www.kaplansolutions.com
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E https://www.linkedin.com
S https://www.cvplaza.com

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN

https://www.monster.ca

http://myfuture.com › career

https://www.thebalancecareers.com

PREPARED BY: KAREN VILLAMARTIN