Professionalism is Dead?

Sometimes I think the whole idea of working a job you love or having a career in something you’re passionate about, is overrated.

Yes, Confucius did say that if you do what you love, then you never work a day in your life. I get that, and I obviously want to be in a career that I love doing, that I am passionate about and that I believe in.

But not everyone has that privilege, and a privilege it certainly is. They say our generation is so entitled, that we think we deserve so much but don’t want to put in the effort that our forefathers did. And to a certain extent, I perfectly agree. My parents’ generation did not have the luxury of picking and choosing whatever careers they wanted; they got a job that was stable and paid them enough to make ends meet and bring up a family. It didn’t matter whether they liked the job or not, they just did it, because it was expected of them, it was their duty.

Back then, I doubt people went through gazillions of career personality quizzes or career counseling to find “the perfect job”, all they wanted was to be gainfully employed and to put food on the table. It was a much simpler and harsher time. And many young people around the world still very much face that reality, of trying to find whatever job possible to survive, who don’t have the luxury that I and many of my friends have of cherry-picking our degree, then sifting through company profiles and job-hopping to find the “right fit” for us.

Honestly speaking, I completely understand why the older generation calls us spoiled brats. We don’t know how good we’ve got it. We constantly complain about how the job we’re doing isn’t our calling, how our colleagues or bosses just don’t get how we work, how we want to just chase our dreams and this job is just a stopgap to tide us over, how our other friend in that other company is earning so much more, how we can’t wait to quit and move on. 

The reality is, at the age of 17-18, you don’t really know what degree or career you want to do. You don’t even know who you are yet.  

In your twenties, you may find your calling, but you may not. Even if you know exactly what you want to do, chances are, you’ll have to slog along doing things you don’t really want to do, and slowly climb to the top to get where you want to go. If you’re like me, then you still have no idea what’s the “perfect job” for you, and you’re just going with the flow till you (hopefully) find it.

A survey in 2016 in Asia found up to 60% of millennials, especially those aged 25-34, are constantly seeking another job even if they’re employed.  Job hoppers also tend to have the lowest job satisfaction too. And so, we are constantly dissatisfied with our working life. To make matters worse, we also make it a point to make everyone else aware how dissatisfied we are, from our colleagues, our superiors, to the random stranger who had the misfortune of having to conduct business with us. 

Since we hate our jobs, we’re going to put minimal effort into it, and honestly we don’t care how well we do, as long as we don’ get scolded by the boss and we get our pay at the end of the month.  In a lot of government offices, the 10 or 11am migration to the coffee shop for teh tarik and kopi ping is a common sight. Chatting and gossiping in office during work hours to the point of causing work to slide is also part of the norm. Who cares, we still get paid right?

This is a huge problem with our mindset.

Remember what I said earlier about the older generation? They had something I think we have lost as a generation, which is pride in their work, regardless of whether they loved their job or not. The two key characteristics that make a good employee, at least in my eye, is professionalism and pride in their work. From the humblest of jobs to the most high powered ones, having these two characteristics would distinguish a crappy worker from a valuable employee.

Let’s say, you’re a waiter/waitress at a fast food restaurant. You do not want this job, nor is it a long term career plan for you. You hate the hours, your colleagues are okay but not that great, and the customers get on your nerves too. So you take it out on them. You don’t make eye contact, you can’t even be bothered to say thank you or smile at anyone. You’re rude and moody because, hey, it’s making you miserable so let’s make everyone else miserable too! 

At the end of the day, you still get your pay, whether you were nice or not. We’ve all had crappy service from staff like that, and we all hate them for it, yet we probably do the same thing. Contrast that with someone who is professional and has pride in their work. You’d smile and say welcome to each customer, say “have a nice day” at the end of each encounter, and even the rudest customer would not budge your professional demeanor. 

Still polite with their "Sir and Ma'am" even when they want to kill you. That's a true professional.

All simply because it is your job, you are getting paid to do it. So you’re going to do it to the best of your ability, even if you don’t like the actual job. By signing up as an employee, this is what you agreed to do, whether you realize it or not.  This is what you SHOULD be doing, as part of your job description. 

Does it have anything to do with job satisfaction, or your wages, or how crappy your boss is? Nope. If you do subpar work, do you think the customer/client sees all the background stuff that’s supposedly contributing to your poor work performance? Nope.  All they see is a person who is not good at their job, and at the end of the day that is your reputation going down the drain. And this pride in your work, and the awareness that your ability is best judged by your actions and the results you produce, is what makes an excellent worker. Actually, it’s what makes an excellent person, whether at work or in personal life. So do it not for the praises or the money, but for the satisfaction of a job well done. (Like Saitama in One Punch Man :P)