By: Vickie Hicks
Having worked professionally with students and young professionals for over 25 years, I am often asked to share my best tips on professionalism.
Investing time in the small details can reap big rewards in building a professional reputation and helping you climb the career ladder to success.
Below is my top 10 list of professionalism tips for those new to the workplace.
- Wear your name tag to events. It makes it easier for the people you don’t see often to talk to you and helps those you just met remember your name. By the way, you should place your name tag on your right side.
- Write thank you notes/emails. I guarantee that extra step will get you noticed. Or take it a step further and write a note congratulating or complimenting someone. I once commented, in the food line at Rotary, about losing my father. Later that week, I received a thoughtful handwritten note from someone who heard me mention it. I will always remember that note and the person who wrote it. It is important to watch your grammar, and remember not to depend exclusively on spell check. A few years ago we had a student thank Caterpillar for the free CAT shirt they gave him, but he mistakenly left the letter “r” out of the word shirt.
- Appearance truly matters. Always dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Read the company dress code and follow it. I have heard of people not getting promoted, based on appearance alone. Appearance reflects your desire to get ahead.
- Own up to your mistakes — but one genuine apology is enough. My father used to say there is no need to fall all over yourself apologizing, as it makes the apology seem less sincere.
- Don’t send an angry email. Email lives forever. Instead, carefully consider what you want to say, then have a face-to-face conversation about it the following day.
- RSVP means respond please. Respond with a yes or a no. Many people only respond with a yes, but it is equally important and professional to respond with a no.
- Be early to work and to meetings. People will notice who is late. I had a co-worker who would always show up late for a weekly Monday morning meeting. She kept everyone waiting and, worse yet, when she did show up she always had a Starbucks coffee cup in her hand. If she hadn’t stopped at Starbucks, she wouldn’t have been late. The signal she sent was that her coffee, and therefore her personal needs, were more important to her than the people in the meeting.
- When leaving a message, always leave your phone number and be sure to repeat it. Not everyone you call is on a cellphone. It frustrates people when they don’t have a return number and have to stop to find it.
- Don’t ever stop reading and learning. I’m a huge fan of news radio. I also suggest students read the newspaper so they can talk about current events. Be prepared to make small talk, especially in networking situations. For years, I worked with Chiefs fans, so every Monday morning I would check to see if the Chiefs had won or lost so I could mention it during my conversation with the boss.
- Smile, be friendly and treat everyone with respect. Some of the most powerful people in an organization may not be the people you would expect. Everyone is a part of the team, so be friendly and helpful to everyone. That’s the reputation you want to have.
Vickie Hicks is the corporate relations specialist for the College of Business at Missouri State University. Hicks has over 25 years’ experience in marketing, communications and college recruiting and she can be reached at vickiehicks@missouristate.edu.
This article appeared in the March 26th, 2016 edition of the News-Leader and can be accessed online here.