2. Topic covered
What is Professionalism
Characteristics of professionalism
Traits of a professional
Moral laws and Ethics
IEEE code of Ethics
Some scenarios to contemplate
3. Professionalism takes more than
knowledge
“Professionalism is a way of thinking and
living rather than an accumulation
(Buildup) of learning.”
Think: What does it take to be a
doctor?
• it’s not just by going to medical school
4. A profession
isn’t just what
you do, it’s who
you are
We say that somebody “is” a
doctor.
• Here, “doctor” is a noun
• (“Doctoring the books” is something
different!)
Likewise, we don’t just “engineer”
(verb)
We also are engineers (noun).
5. A profession is
who you are,
not a contract.
“Shame on the engineer who regards
their professional function as a
business transaction to be judged by
the question: ‘Just what do I get out
of it?’”
What “professions” have a reputation
for being self-centered and selfish?
6. Life as a
professional:
activities
You perform “professional activity of a type
carrying high individual responsibility,
requiring application of special skills to
activities that are predominantly intellectual
and varied rather than routine and normal.”
How are an engineer’s activities “varied”?
7. Life as a professional:
motivation
•“Motivation for service takes first place over consideration
of reward.”
8. Life as a
professional: joy
and pride
•“Motivation … implies joy and pride in the work to be done, and
self-imposed standards.”
•If you don’t take joy and pride in computer science, then you
should look for another line of work.
•Companies and customers are also entitled to impose
(secondary) standards of excellence.
9. Life as a
professional:
social duty
You have a “social duty, fulfilled through
guarding the ideals and standards of the
profession, by advancing it …, by sharing
advances …, by rendering unnecessary public
service, all as a return to society.”
“Giving back” to society
10. Four traits(qualities) of a professional
Varied activities requiring special skills
Society-centric motivation
Personal standards of excellence
Giving back to society
11. When you put
many
professionals
together, what
do you have?
•A profession isn’t just defined by who you are
•A profession is also something you are part of
•“Most professional software engineers adopt an institutional
view of the organizations of the profession: they perceive
them as bodies representing the profession and therefore
deserving, even requiring, the loyalty of each software
engineer as an expression of his identity as a professional
software engineer.”
12. Part of being a professional is behaving
ethically
•“Ethics means something more than ‘law’ and ‘morals’; it
carries an additional suggestion of ‘rightness’.”
•Breaking the law: can earn a fine or jail time
•Breaking a moral: can destroy your reputation
•Breaking an ethic: can destroy your conscience
•It’s possible to break all three, simultaneously!
13. Fundamental
characteristics
of a profession
Great responsibility
◦ Professionals deal in matters of vital importance to their clients
and are therefore entrusted with grave responsibilities and
obligations.
◦ Given these essential obligations, professional work typically
involves circumstances where carelessness, inadequate skill, or
breach of ethics would be significantly damaging to the client
and/or his fortunes.
14. Fundamental
characteristics
of a profession
Accountability
◦ Professionals hold themselves ultimately accountable for the
quality of their work with the client.
◦ The profession may or may not have mechanisms in place to
reinforce and ensure adherence to this principle among its
members.
15. Fundamental
characteristics
of a profession
Based on specialized, theoretical knowledge
◦ Professionals render specialized services based on theory,
knowledge, and skills that are characteristic to their profession
and generally beyond the understanding or capability of those
outside of the profession.
◦ Sometimes, this specialization will extend to access to the tools
and technologies used in the profession (e.g. medical
equipment).
16. Fundamental
characteristics
of a profession
Institutional preparation
◦ Professions typically require a significant period of hands-on,
practical experience in the protected company of senior
members before candidates are recognized as professionals.
◦ After this provisional period, ongoing education toward
professional development is compulsory.
17. Fundamental
characteristics
of a profession
Ethical constraints
◦ Due to the other characteristics on this list, there is a clear
requirement for ethical constraints in the professions.
◦ Professionals are bound to a code of conduct or ethics specific to
the distinct profession.
◦ Professionals also aim toward a general body of core values,
which are centered upon the client's benefit and best interests.
18. Fundamental
characteristics
of a profession
Merit-based
◦ In a profession, members achieve employment and success
based on merit rather than on corrupted ideas such as social
principle, mandated support, or extortion.
◦ Therefore, a professional is one who must attract clients and
profits due to the merits of his work.
◦ In the absence of this characteristic, issues of responsibility,
accountability, and ethical constraints become irrelevant,
negating any otherwise-professional characteristics.
19. 10 things that define a true professional
1
Put customer
satisfaction
first
2
Make
expertise
your
specialty
3
Do more
than
expected
4
Do what you
say and say
what you can
do
5
Communicat
e effectively
6
Follow
exceptional
guiding
principles
7
Praise your
peers not
yourself
8
Share your
knowledge
9
Say thank
you
10
Keep a smile
on your face
and the right
attitude in
your heart
