What is Professionalism?

Our Year 10 work experience student reflects on her 2 weeks working with Rebel Led and the lessons she has learnt about the world of work, professionalism and inclusion.

Before starting work experience, I knew next to nothing about the working world, and had no actual expectations. Even though my school taught lessons about work, and the skills needed to work, my knowledge was still limited, as their idea of work was outdated, and did not account for the way companies work and function in the modern world. Needless to say, this was new territory for me, and there were a lot of things I had to learn whilst working there.

‘this was new territory for me, and there were a lot of things I had to learn’

During my two weeks, I had to do research on the company, and find out about its services and core values. Rebel Led is a training and consulting company, specialising in equity and diversity training, teaching other organisations how to be more inclusive, and create a sense of belonging in their work spaces. They provide multiple services to reach this goal, such as management consultancy and equity workshops. This is important for work places to learn, as with an increased emphasis on equality and acceptance in modern times, old companies have to adapt and change their ways in order to become more inclusive spaces. This company helps with that, by providing said companies with tools and information to help them adjust.

‘with an increased emphasis on equality and acceptance in modern times, old companies have to adapt and change their ways in order to become more inclusive spaces’

At my time at Rebel Led, I wrote numerous reports on multiple topics, such as belonging, loneliness, and even some of my personal experiences. This was an enjoyable experience, as I personally thrive when it comes to things such as writing and research. This experience improved my researching skills, as I had to look up numerous statistics and personal reports to help me with my writing. It also made me think about and reflect on the things I was writing about, as I had to make a conscious effort to think about said things whilst writing about them.

These reports I wrote were then published onto the Rebel Led's social media sites. This helped to improve my confidence, as I felt that my reports were deemed important enough to publish publicly, which boosted my morale.

As well as writing reports, I also attended a networking event at the town hall, where I was responsible for talking to members of the public about Rebel Led, and explaining what the company does. At first, I was extremely nervous, as I've never done anything like this before, and I was still somewhat unsure of some details regarding the organisation. However, once I was there, it was not as bad as I expected. The other staff members at Rebel Led were understanding and accommodating regarding my anxiety, and the experience overall helped my confidence with speaking to the public.

‘the experience overall helped my confidence with speaking to the public’

Since COVID-19, there has been a considerable change in the workplace. Lots of companies have made a switch from the workplace to online, and a lot of old rules and practices have been thrown out in exchange for workplace efficiency. Old ideals, such as strict dress codes and schedules, have been given less priority in modern times, and despite this, companies are still functioning, and even thriving, post 2020.

‘why we have concepts of professional behaviour and who these concepts benefit and help belong and who they exclude’

My work at Rebel Led made me question why we have concepts of professional behaviour and who these concepts benefit and help belong and who they exclude, They helped me break out of this box of what it means to be "professional", and showed me the realities of work, and how companies can thrive without being elitist and exclusive towards other groups. Companies expect everyone to fit into this one mould, but not everyone does. Some people might not have the right clothes or can't work traditional hours because of their family or other commitments, as if the system is set up to favour some people and leave others struggling to fit in.

“companies can thrive without being elitist and exclusive towards other groups. Companies expect everyone to fit into this one mould, but not everyone does. Some people might not have the right clothes or can’t work traditional hours because of their family or other commitments, as if the system is set up to favour some people and leave others struggling to fit in.”

They showed me that a lot of these "professional" rules we learn in school can be oppressive and unrealistic, showing that schools not only have little to no idea about how workplaces function in modern times, but also hold up these exclusive and discriminatory practices on a high pedestal, telling students that this is what it means to be "professional". As a student who is a victim of this kind of teaching, this sends off the message that there is only one way to be accepted in a workplace, and that anything that breaks this mould is "unprofessional". This negatively impacts students on a large scale, as it makes them feel less validated in the workplace, building animosity towards work, and if we have a generation of youth not willing to work because of these expectations, what will happen to our future?

‘a lot of these "professional" rules we learn in school can be oppressive and unrealistic schools not only have little to no idea about how workplaces function in modern times, but also hold up these exclusive and discriminatory practices on a high pedestal’

By challenging these old ideas, Rebel Led is making work better for everyone. For the workplace, that means happier employees who are more likely to stick around and do their best work. For individuals like me, it means feeling valued and having a real chance to grow and succeed without having to change my core values to fit a mould of "professionalism".

It means feeling valued and having a real chance to grow and succeed without having to change my core values to fit a mould of ‘professionalism’

It's about time we rethink what it means to be professional and start making work a place where everyone can thrive, not just those who fit the old mould.