Professionalism is ones’ attitude, work ethics, integrity, and productivity in her/his workplace. Virtue of professionalism is not something earned. It is a skill through which anyone can earn any professional target. To keep harmony in the workplace, to be a productive professional, and to be in the leadership charge, professionalism is irreplaceable. Unprofessional behavior can make you toxic to other people. It can even be the cause of losing a job. So, before joining the professional field, learn to be professional first. Here’s what you should work on to achieve professional virtue:

Professional Attitude:

• Greet your colleagues. A greeting with a beautiful smile on your face can be the cure of your colleagues’ frustration for whole day. As a return gift, vice versa can happen to you as well.
• Show respect to your colleagues either senior or junior. Be humble as much as possible. You should always talk in a manner so that no negativity can arise. Negativity increases toxicity in the work environment. It causes discouragement, which is unwanted in a workplace.
• Do not get involved into office politics. Never gossip about someone’s personal life among colleagues. Place a strong demarcation between your professional and personal life. You are here to be the best at your work. Prove that you are the best. Bad mouthing about someone only gives others’ bad idea about you. If someone is undeserving, it will be proven by her/his work. You do not have to be bothered to show someone down to overstep success.
• Address harassment. If it is a verbal harassment, talk to the harasser about how you feel and take strong stand that it is inconvenient to you. If it is a physical harassment, do not refrain yourself from discussing about it to the authority with proper evidence. Otherwise, that harasser may keep bothering you and that can lead to a massive harm to your mental and physical health.
• Refrain from using mobile phone for personal use at the office. Unnecessary use of mobile phone can be very distracting to you and your colleagues. It hampers your focus. Give your family members the instruction to call you only when it is an emergency.
• Maintain professional dress code. Do not wear something sparkly, uncomfortable or too casual in a workplace. You may have to run here and there for your office work in single outfit all day long. So, keep your accessories in your purse to touch-up and to prevent the body odor. Do not forget to stay hydrated and well-fed to avoid health hazards.

Professional productivity:

• Be on time. Be your own time manager. Note down your to-do list for at least one month. Re-check it every day. You must meet your deadline within time. Be present at your official meetings at least 5 minutes prior. Remember, your time management shows your commitment towards work.
• Believe in teamwork. You cannot walk solo in a warzone. Going with a team lessens your workload. You can have innovative, productive and rational solution from a team discussion. 
• Work on the constructive criticisms. Do not take criticisms on your work in a bad way. Find out the problem and work on rectifying it. Discuss with your supervisors and clear out the fact what they are expecting from you. You never know, you may come up with a better idea.
• Always express your curiosity. Do not forget to question. Having curiosity is not something to be ashamed of. Not knowing is not shameful, not wanting to know is shameful. Questioning at the right moment on the right topic is always appreciable. It gives the impression that you have thirst for knowledge.
• Show your integrity. Be loyal to your employer except in any case of criminal act. You can ruin your whole life by being a whistle blower. 
• Focus on your work. Be the solution maker by noticing every single point of your project. Show your rationality by researching and studying prior to achieve a target. Revise again and again before submitting a paper. Let the team members check your papers and have constructive criticism. Be confident that you can. 
• Do responsible learning. Look for professional trainings. Be always open to Skill development. In this lockdown, many renowned organizations are providing online training opportunities. Look into those and grab the opportunities. You will learn to deal with different challenges in different situations. It will add value to your professional growth.
• Be always open to networking. Networking helps you to learn more from others in the same field as you. It gives you the idea of job market. It helps you building up relationships in both corporate and government sectors. Most importantly, you can find the people in need within your network.

“You will be defined not just by what you achieved, but by how you survive.”

– Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook

Dr. Irin Binte Azad
Parent Educator and Counselor
Women Support Initiative Forum (WSIF)
General Physician
Trained in NDD and Inclusive Education, IER, DU
Trainee in NDD, IPNA, BSMMU