It’s fair to say that “professionalism” is a skill you can work at, almost like a muscle you can train. You might think of a previous boss who still had the clarity of mind to think through issues. Or, when you made a big mistake, they were still calm and magnanimous enough about it to help you feel supported and not derided, despite the added stress they were dealing with. It’s hard not to admire someone like that, especially because our emotions can sometimes tell us to do the opposite.
Becoming a better professional might seem like a pursuit solely limited to the career space, but that doesn’t have to be so. Investing in yourself as a professional can also inspire how you carry yourself in daily life. For example, if you notice someone experiencing an emergency, you may feel inclined to step up and help out, rather than retreating into the background. It’s nice to gather this form of maturity, and it comes from professional confidence.
So, how do you build that? Let’s explore this below:
Take Courses That Stretch Your Thinking & Skills
You don’t always need a formal qualification to sharpen yourself and try to expand your capabilities with a skill that interests you, because now and again, the act of committing to a course, or putting your name down and showing up regularly, gives you more than just what’s written in the lesson plan.
Try to do something outside of your comfort zone that challenges your thinking. For instance, if you’re a good coder, think about how to express yourself through creative writing or negotiation or even design, if that’s where your interest lies, but also to inform your interest. It’s rewarding to go beyond what’s expected of you and give your time to something that might change the way you think or introduce you to new people who challenge how you work. If you can code, but also write copy material to present your work, that’s pretty helpful, for example.
It builds confidence, too, not because you suddenly feel more qualified, but because you remember that you’re still capable of growing into something more useful than you were yesterday.
Curate A Personal Brand That Reflects Your Values
You already have a reputation, no matter if you’ve crafted it or not. It’s shaped by how you carry yourself, how you respond to setbacks, how you speak to people who don’t benefit you directly, or how you respond to stress and difficulty. So instead of leaving it all to interpretation, it makes sense to connect the impression you give off with the kind of professional you’re actually trying to be.
Of course, you shouldn’t begin adopting a personality or plastering platitudes all over your online presence; it just means taking some time to make sure the things you share, say, and support actually represent you, and not in a contrived way, just in a steady and reliable one.
When you do get more intentional about your image, booking a hair transplant or tailoring your wardrobe a little better starts to feel less like a vanity project and more of an effort to show up as the version of you that feels most accurate.
Seek Out Mentors & Meaningful Feedback
People often assume that mentorship is something handed to you, but most of the time it’s about reaching out, asking questions, and following the quiet guidance someone gives you without needing it to be framed as advice. For example, if you notice someone handles a situation well, you could ask how they thought through it. You may see someone with a path you respect, and so ask minor questions or if they could help you with an issue.
The right people will respond to that, just remember it might not always be with big answers or dramatic insights, but with thoughts that help you think differently about your direction. Feedback comes in the same way, not always easy to hear, but worth collecting if you’re trying to improve rather than impress.
Attend Events That Expand Your Network & Confidence
Being in the room does matter, especially when you’d usually rather stay home and stick to what you know. It’s easy to stagnate that way though, and so putting yourself into new spaces, shaking hands, asking what someone does, even if it’s awkward at first, it does build a kind of ease over time, which also means you become more confident in situations where you have to put yourself out there. Even people who have enjoyed success over the years may not have put themselves in that situation for a while.
With this advice, we hope you can continue to invest in yourself for your professional standing.
