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Now that we have agreed Professionalism is a Habit and a continuous process (our article on 360o the Key to Professionalism), where exactly does the journey to Professionalism begin? While there are several aspects and facets to Professionalism, there are a few behaviors considered core the bedrock, so to speak. People who work are so used to these that often the First timers at work stick out because they are lacking.
Lets take a closer look at these behaviors
1. Team Work At work, it is vital to work in constant harmony with others towards a common goal. Students work solo, their goal is to maximize their own rank or score. Very few colleges have created curriculum that encourages team-work on an everyday basis, fewer still have cracked the code to consistently evaluating Team Behavior.
2. Adaptability and Dependability When a Student does not match up to the requirements due to pressure or other reasons; most of the time, only he pays for it with marks/grades. At work, however, the costs are higher - the Team and the Organization pay too. A Professional has to be able to be able to adapt to any situation and produce good results.
3. Communication Skills What one says and How one says it has a huge weightage in how one is perceived. Communication has a scope that goes beyond just the Language skills. A Professional must be able to communicate with clarity, be brief, polite and assertive. The transition from writing answers to structuring effective e-mails is often tricky for the un-initiated.
4. Emotional Stability: Students have the luxury of choosing to communicate and often even work with people who fall in their comfort zones, once they enter the Corporate, this vanishes. A professional is expected to work with everyone in the team. It is crucial that he is able to manage his emotions and separate feelings from work. The era of the world pampering him comes to an end and he has to be able to balance his actions and deliver results.
5. The Learning Attitude: It seems logical that a Professional, who was a student not long back, would find it the easiest to Learn. However, for most of us, end of college also means end of learning and a job is associated purely work. A student must be able to develop and maintain a Learning approach to stay up to date and relevant.
6. Self-Leadership: A new professional must demonstrate self-reliance, confidence and enthusiasm to be considered an independent employee with a potential to grow. Ability to handle stress and manage oneself well is crucial to contribute to team goals and cohesiveness.
7. Ability to Analyze: The ability to look at a problem with the objective of understanding it and finding a solution is priced highly among professional.

The Colleges must evaluate and train Students on these basic behaviors to prepare them for their first years as Professionals.