Professionalism - What it is and Why it’s Important:
Professionalism in the simplest form of the word means
showing integrity in business, to take it a bit deeper it means treating others
with the same courtesy and respect that you would want to receive.
In the part of the candidate, as you are interviewing for a
new role or position, it means being on time for interviews, treating others
with kindness and respect and following through on your commitments. Unfortunately not all people show
professionalism as they move through the recruitment and hiring process. It seems like some people have a blatant
disregard for what effect their actions have on others. Recently I’ve witnessed consultants quit with
no notice, be repeatedly late for interviews and go as far as to accept an
engagement and then completely disappear from the radar without so much as an
email or phone call to politely explain why they decided to change their
mind. Not only do these actions have
direct and negative results on the company and recruiter that represents the
candidate/consultant but it could also have immediate and lasting effects on
the career of the individual that displays such lack of professionalism.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the Healthcare IT
industry is large, but also a very tight knit community, news travels fast in
the industry and it doesn’t take many unprofessional acts to become
black-listed. Recruiters talk to each
other, managers talk to each other and consultants talk to each other. It can only take one instance of
unprofessional behavior to ruin a promising career.
Remember to take the following steps and your career should
always be on an upward path:
1.
Always
treat others with respect, even if they don’t return the favor. Kill them with kindness. This doesn’t mean you have to tolerate
disrespect, it just means to take the high road.
2.
Be on time for all your interviews, meetings,
phone calls etc. If you’re going to be
late or need to cancel – alert the appropriate parties.
3.
NEVER quit a job with no notice. Always try to provide a minimum of a 2 week
notice.
4.
NEVER accept a job / contract / engagement /
commitment unless you are absolutely sure you can follow through and if for
some reason you accept and then must decline – by all means call the appropriate
people and give an honest explanation.
Hearing “Unfortunately I’ve decided this position isn’t going to work
out for me” is always better than no communication at all. Also, If you need time to make a decision,
ask for it.
5.
Remember that it isn’t about other people’s
actions. You can only control your own
behavior so hold yourself to high level of integrity and your career will
always be on the right path.
