7 Tips on How to Be More Professional in the Office ...

One of the most important tips I could give you on how to be more professional in the office is to tell you to always consider the dress code. Dress codes can be different for each company, so pay attention to this aspect if you want to be more professional. This way, you will also show respect to the company you work for and to their values, since you are one of their representatives. If the dress code requires you to wear a suit or clothes that are more office appropriate then just do it, even if you don’t like it at first. You could wear jeans or miniskirts for as long as you like in your free time but during work hours try to stick to your company’s dress code.

Pay attention to the way you act around the office and try to maintain a professional attitude. Being professional means more than arriving on time and dressing in an appropriate manner, it’s also about the way you behave. Sometimes your actions can say more about you than your words, so always keep a professional attitude, especially while you’re at work. Restrain yourself from making offensive jokes, from telling people how many cocktails you had last weekend at that wild party you went and focus on your work if you want to seem more professional.

Nothing says professional more than an organized desk or an organized work space. Just get rid of all the clutter from your work area, so you won’t give people the wrong impression. Sort your files and throw out what you don’t use and what you don’t need anymore. Just shred old documents and always keep your desk neat and organized, because your desk can be a reflection of your professionalism.

If you want to seem more professional, then pay attention to the emails you are sending from that email address you only use for work. Make sure you don’t write something you wouldn’t say to other people in person. Also, end all your emails with a professional closing salutation (such as “best regards,” “all the best” or even “thank you”) and with your signature.

If you’re trying to be more professional while you’re at work, then make sure you always arrive on time, especially to all those different meetings you have to attend. Don’t waste your colleagues’ time by being late, because even if you don’t like these meetings, they can be extremely helpful for team discussions. So make an effort to arrive on time and this way, you will show your colleagues that you respect them and that you have a professional attitude.

Remember: you should try to act professionally at all times, not only during work hours because you are not only representing yourself but your company as well. Pay attention to what you are posting on all kinds of social media networks and be extremely careful if you are posting to the accounts of your company. Read each post a couple of times before you put it online to make sure that it’s appropriate, because I’m sure you wouldn’t want to jeopardize your job by posting something that is offensive or that could get you in trouble.

Always separate personal time and work time in order to keep a healthy work/life balance. For example, if you’re expecting a personal phone call, make sure you take it in private or during your break, because you shouldn’t let your personal matters interfere with your work. Also, you will seem more professional if you’re not wasting your company’s time or resources to take care of your own problems during work hours.

These are, in my opinion, a few things you should pay attention to if you want to be more professional in the office and in your spare time. I’m sure my list isn’t complete, so can you give me a hand and tell me what other things someone should do in order to act more professionally? Please let us know what you think in the comments section!

Sources: lifehack.org, allthingsadmin.com