Professionalism

Professional behaviour is gradually developed and refined over the years as more experience is acquired. It comprises a complex set of skills and constitutes a crucial transferable asset, difficult to display in a CV, but widely sought on the job market and central to assessment during appointment procedures.

It is demonstrated in different contexts, often interrelated, in the form of choices made, ways of interacting, crisis management, etc.

 In academic circles, for example, we can distinguish four large domains and the skills relating to them :

The workplace
This involves the development of social abilities in an inclusive and hierarchical environment, such as an institute or a laboratory :

Knowing how to interact, be pleasant, understand one’s place in a complex organisation, collaborate on joint tasks, listen and respect the positions of others, knowing how to express your own in a constructive way, etc.

The institution
Universities and faculties form complex entities that include numerous sub-units (departments, institutes, laboratories, services, etc.) and respond to their encompassing social environment, which involves political and civil relations, etc.

As employer, they are entitled to expect : honesty (work schedule, accounting, etc.), implementation of rules established by decision-making bodies,  participation in democratic processes likely to modify them, wider participation in different committees or commissions, capacity to act as spokesperson  for the institution in various contexts, etc.

Collegiality
Considered in terms that go beyond the walls of an institution, collegial relationships express participation in the life, development and image of a discipline, for example :

• Within the discipline, by guaranteeing the integrity of research (ethics, originality of data, methodological integrity, absence of plagiarism, etc.), participating in editorial committees and scientific societies, participating in partnerships between institutions, etc. ;
• Beyond the discipline, by participating in public debates, non-scientific partnerships, collaborating with the media or secondary education, identifying societal issues and illustrating the contribution made by your discipline with regard to the latter, etc.

Yourself
Departure and arrival point of the process, the individual in their relationship with their activity, which implies reliability, adaptability, proactivity, organisational and planning abilities, respect of deadlines, systemic way of thinking including others, ability to fulfil one’s commitments, etc.