Being a professional

Being professional means being an expert. It means being competent and skilful, but it also means behaving in an ethical way. It means putting your client or patient first, and acting in the best interests of the public or society.

Being professional means being dedicated to your professional development both for yourself and for those people who are affected by your work. It is about being trustworthy, reliable and committed. Professionals are not just doctors and lawyers – there many professional jobs which you may never have heard of – take a look at Profession Finder to see the full range of professional careers available. Interested? You will also find further information in the sector summaries about what each entails and how you can qualify.

Our career videos and the case studies provided in the sector summaries illustrate what being a professional means for individuals.

Is it worth it? Professionalism pays - independent economic impact analysis reveals that individuals with professional qualifications and membership stand to gain £152,000 in additional earnings, over the course of their career.

What it Means to Be Professional