3 Ways You Can Start Building Your Professional Skills for Success

By Jody Bell

At the age of 16, I knew plenty about the world around me. I knew that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, I could explain convection, and I knew the quadratic equation like the back of my hand.

Yet, at the same time I couldn’t hold a professional conversation, and probably couldn’t even define what characteristics and skills were needed for a professional environment. It wasn’t until my very first internship that I learned just how important professionalism is ‒ and trust me it wasn’t a pretty lesson to learn. It was a lesson chock-full of overthinking every interaction I had with a co-worker simply because I was in such a new environment and was so naive. I was literally floundering. 

Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who has felt this way ‒ according to statistics from the National Association of Colleges and Employers 42.5% of surveyed employers believe young students lack professionalism. 

There are a few factors that contribute to this, most notably, a lack of formal education surrounding professionalism. Once students understand what skills are needed to hone in on their professional persona, it is incredibly easy to develop these skills through mindful actions. Unfortunately, a lack of in-person activities/schooling over the past year and a half will only further hinder the development of these highly interpersonal and experience-oriented skills.

That’s exactly why we are offering a 90-minute live, online workshop focused around public speaking, time management, and emotional intelligence ‒ some of the key pillars in developing professionalism. Scroll down or click here for more information or to register!

During this workshop we’re going to be taking a really deep dive into emotional tendencies and understand how our professionalism is truly correlated to how we are feeling and existing in the world around us. Of course we will also be covering the granular skills needed in a professional environment ‒ from managing multiple projects and dividing time, to understanding what specific movements and tips to follow when speaking publicly. 

We’ve put together a bit of a trailer for this workshop ‒ highlighting the crucial skills you need to develop to thrive in the professional world. 

1. Time management is your new BFF

People once believed that the minute you started your professional career was the minute your social life died. If you’ve got time management on your side that’s just not the case. 

One of the major reasons for this shift in work isn’t actually increased work ‒ it’s the size of the project you’re working on. In high school/college you may have had daily homework assignments or the occasional week long project ‒ but rarely was there a project with a deadline over 3 weeks away. In your professional life, you’re going to have long-term projects, tasks, or goals, and while you may not have daily or even weekly deadlines, it’s your responsibility to ensure you are putting in the work and setting up a strategy to break down the project into manageable monthly, weekly, and even daily tasks. 

Within your day-to-day, it can also be helpful to reflect this strategic mentality and section off your work hours with assigned tasks. This way, you can’t spend hours on one task and experience burnout ‒ you have the accountability and structure to work on multiple assignments in one day. 

2. If you’re comfortable with public speaking, you’re comfortable speaking to anyone 

Does the thought of having a sit-down conversation with your supervisor scare you? Trust me, you’re not alone.

I remember standing in front of my 9th grade class presenting on a history project and feeling so incredibly scared that I couldn’t get my words out. This resulted in a poor grade and a conversation with my teacher who shared a story with me ‒ she was once afraid of heights, and so she and some friends decided to skydive. To say the least, she is no longer afraid of heights. 

I decided to follow in her footsteps and launch a company with Girls With Impact ‒ forcing me to learn how to pitch, present, and ultimately, practice public speaking in front of a massive audience and live cameras. It was most definitely not a comfortable experience, but it has turned me into someone who is more than capable of speaking about anything, in front of anyone, while remaining articulate and confident. 

If you know you struggle with this, try to join and engage in activities that force you out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s a public speaking course, debate club, or even poetry readings ‒ learning how to speak when all eyes are on you, means you are an indestructible force of interpersonal confidence. 

3. Emotional intelligence

Are you left with question marks during work-conversations? Are you failing to understand the entire message your supervisors and colleagues are leaving you? Well it might be because you need to hone in on your emotional intelligence. 

Emotional intelligence is a bit different than the other two pillars of professionalism in that it is hard to practice actively. Emotional intelligence is defined as your ability to regulate and express your emotions in a stable, fair, and empathetic way. Essentially, it’s less of a skill and more of a mentality that you continuously work on.  Simply being aware of your actions and emotions, and putting a conscious effort into picking up on the interpersonal characteristics of those around you is a great way to start. If you struggle with conscious observation, we recommend looking into mindfulness as a means to do this. 

This advice is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want a more in-depth understanding of professionalism, sign up for our free Professional Skills Workshop with sessions on July 21st, 27th, or 31st. Plus, we’re giving away a $1,000 cash prize! Click here for more information and to register. 

Jody Bell, 19, is Girls With Impact’s Chief Editor and a program graduate from Greenwich High School. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, business and leadership program for girls 12-21, turning them into tomorrow’s business leaders and innovators.