Professionalism is something everyone wants to achieve, and it can be a simple thing to achieve as long as you have the right focus and the right advice. Below are a few tips on how to become more professional in yourself and your workplace.

Work More Than The Bare Minimum

A typical day starts at 9am and finishes at 5pm. However if you are eager to show your professional side, try staying on later or coming in earlier. No ones saying you must work 12 hour days, but staying on an extra 30-60 minutes to finish a task proves you are keen to do the job to the best of your ability, rather than keen to clock watch.

Arrive On time For Meetings

Meetings are a common occurrence in the work place and often take place to help you. They are very helpful for team discussions, queries and feedback. Therefore when someone has taken the time to organise the meeting, turning up late is not very professional. No one likes their time to be wasted, and a big time waster is waiting for people to arrive for your meeting to start.

Act Professionally

Dressing the part and being punctual is one thing, but how you behave in front of your colleagues and managers is something else. This means avoid crude/disrespectful jokes discussing your crazy weekend of partying and drinking. Things you say, however they are intended can sway peoples view on your behaviour. Try to keep your focus on work whilst you’re there and you should still be viewed as a professional colleague.

Keep Work and Personal Life Separate

Sometimes it is hard to leave personal problems at the door, but it is important to try and limit the effect it has on your work ethic. Using works time to handle your own things isn’t very professional, try to save it until your break or until you get home if possible. If this is not the case step away from your desk/area to make the personal phone call. Your bosses will rather you take the quick phone call, and be able to have a clearer head space for the rest of the day.

Put Your Phone On Silent

In the majority of workplaces our mobiles are on silent, in our bags, desk drawers ect. They are not ringing away with an irritating ringtone disrupting everyone else. You can still keep it on your desk just have the volume off, on silent or vibrate. (Unless your phone is a key part of your business, e.g business phone)

Dress Professionally

Wherever you work your company will have a dress code, whether this be formal or casual. It is there for a reason, don’t show up in a business suit if you’re going to be building structures. Keep yourself well groomed and pay a lot of attention to your personal hygiene.

Carry a Notepad

“You pass your boss in the corridor who asks you to complete a task after your break, after your break you return to your desk and forget what was asked of you.” Situations like this could mean someone else then has to work extra hours to complete a task you forgot. It doesn’t have to be a notepad, you could jot it down in your phone/ipad ect. As long as you make a note and it gets done.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Professionals are keen and eager to learn, which sometimes means asking questions. Asking a questions doesn’t mean ” you’re not as clever or you can’t work alone” It simply means you would like more information about the task you are completing.