Definition of a profession

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a profession as “a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification” and in its definition of a professional, the dictionary uses the words “competent, skilful, or assured”.

Professional competence and skills are learnt through specialised training, maintained through continuing professional development (CPD), and embedded in the notion of behaving ethically, in the interest of the client or patient, the public or society.

Professions play a role in every part of human society, and we all rely on professionals at multiple points in our daily lives – from dentists to teachers, from pension managers to careers advisors, from town planners to paramedics. We rely on professionals to be experts, to know what to do when we need them to, and to act in our best interests.

Back in the nineteenth century, the professions were seen to be law, religion, and medicine. Nowadays, the number of professions is ever-increasing, as occupations become more specialised in nature and more ‘professionalised’ in terms of requiring certain standards of initial and ongoing education – so that anything from automotive technicians to web designers can be defined as professionals.

Profession Finder will let you see just how many professions there are. In Sector summaries we provide information on what it is like to be anything from an archaeologist to a veterinary surgeon plus many professional careers you may never have heard of. We also provide information on routes into these professions and the qualifications required. Check out the professional bodies who represent these professions for further information.

What is a Profession?