You’re at a party and someone walks up to you. “Hi, I’m Dan and I work in marketing.” Immediately you have a pre-judgment about what this person should be. What skills they should possess, how they should act and even what they should look like.
For better or worse, our jobs help define who we are. They show our role in society, what we have to offer the world and where we rank on the socio-economic hierarchy level. Each one of us possess, or strive to possess, a specific set of skills to make us the top of our profession.
No matter what profession you are in and what level you’re at, there are four characteristics every professional should possess.
Time Management. Being able to get all your work done in a timely manner is vital to any job. Juggling last minute meetings, project deadlines and the everyday mundane can be a formidable task at any level. Studies show, those who really emulate efficient time management plan each day, prioritize tasks, delegate and know when to say no to nonessential task. Learning to better manage your workload isn’t an inherent quality, but something that is developed. Even the most unorganized, inefficient worker can learn to manage time through practice. For more information on courses in time management go to www.TampaTraining.com.
Professionalism. A polished professional can do anything they set their mind to. Confidence, control and care are qualities that come together to create this vital characteristic. Believing in your ideas is just as important as knowing when to collaborate and listen to others. Above all, having control over your emotions and impulses can create a more stable environment not just for you, but for those around you. On the flipside, a professional shows care for their co-workers and their work environment. A tough, bully demeanor does not always equate to dominance and certainly not to work efficiency. Working through employee/customer relations issues through leadership and management can be learned. For information on this and other professional development courses, go to www.TampaTraining.com.
Effective Writing. The ability to take ideas, instructions and commentary from your head to paper (Microsoft Word, Outlook email) is an important trait in any job. A well written email, a to-the-point instructional doc, even a witty comment show fellow employees, clients, and friends that you know what you’re doing and are well qualified to do it. Effective writing means getting to the point in as few words as possible while still creating a polished piece. Knowing your audience and the intended purpose are great writing preps for any developing professional. For more information on polishing your writing technique, go to www.TampaTraining.com.
Technology Knowledge. There’s nothing worse than meeting an executive who cannot send an email or pull data from an excel sheet. Having these basic skills are important, not just for appearances but also for time management and effective business practices. And it’s not just software. A working knowledge of what tools are available, e.g. social media, mobile technology is important to the aspiring professional. Staying up-to-date with advances will ultimately translate to your bottom line and workload. Courses are available to keep you up to date on the basics like Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint as well as new technologies. To find a course today, go to www.TampaTraining.com.
Time management, professionalism, effective writing and technology knowledge are all characteristics shared by every professional. And if you’re like most of us who were not born with these traits, help is available! The Institute for Corporate and Continuing Education offers coursework in all of these and more. Just go to www.TampaTraining.com today.
