The Reward of Professionalism’s Demands, Essay Example

It is strange to me to reflect that professionalism seems to mean a certain attitude to people, and not one necessarily attractive.  That is, the word brings to mind a kind of control or authority based on skill and experience.  Courtesy is built into it, but the word is cold, I think.  It implies strictness and discipline to most people, and this is far from my idea of what the meaning actually is.  It is also far from what my own experience has taught me, which is that real professionalism, while making demands, brings out in a person their very best, and most humane, qualities.  It is for me a kind of understanding of how to work, behave, and communicate based on confidence and pride.  It is then the way of being that enables anyone to be the best person they can be; it creates the better human being because it demands that the person draw upon all that they have to offer.  The process is not easy, but the rewards are extraordinary.

All of this is confirmed by my experience.  Five years ago, I took a waitress job with no ambition beyond making money.  I was new to the U.S. from Romania and my fears, I think, ruled my actions and my performance at the job.  It was not that I did not wish to do well; it was more that I saw no reason to try.  My only concern was generating income, and I failed to make the connection between my somewhat sloppy work and the poor tips – and management disapproval – coming my way.  It simply did not occur to me that professionalism applied in any way to such work.  I grew more fearful, and with reason; I was in real danger of being fired.  This became a turning point for me, however, and one I cannot properly express.  I did not determine to become “professional,” but I did make up my mind to improve my English skills and learn more about the restaurant’s offerings and systems.  Within a few years, I was one of the best servers, and I have since been entrusted to train new staff.

Without my actually knowing it, then, I achieved professionalism, and this goes to my feeling that it is no more, and no less, than the process of creating positive change on every level.  I worked hard, but I gained my best self in that process, and this state of being was literally known to me as such through a single incident.  A customer loudly called me over to complain about his drink, and I knew at that moment that I was being “tested.”  His behavior was so extreme, it seemed obvious that he wanted to anger me, or create a scene.  Some years earlier, I would have complied, probably crying as well.  In that moment of approaching his table, however, a realization was certain in me.  I was better than what he expected of me.  With my sense of professionalism came confidence and pride, and the customer retreated before my polite and quiet response.  It should not in fact seem odd that it was through waitressing that I learned what professionalism is, because it is not what we do, but how we do it.  As my own experience has given me the confidence to pursue my education and career in finance, I have come to understand that professionalism is as much a state of mind as it is a behavior, and it is the reward when we bring out the very best of ourselves.