How To: Develop Your Professional Image

Emeka Balakumar
Jan 12, 2020
1 min read

Updated: Jan 13, 2020

As a first-year student, I always hear that the image you proceed to hold in and out of school is very important. I have talked a bit about branding on this blog (Link to it below for those who want to read on it) but how do you take the image you have in school and transfer it to the workplace. Like the transition from high school to post-secondary, it is a lot to take in at first. There are so many social and practical aspects to grasp within the first week or so, and adjusting to it all is a lot to take in.

Thankfully, Gemma Roberts explains these transitions and coping methods a lot better than I ever could. Her course on developing a professional image is for graduates who are moving into the world of work and talks about the differences that you can expect during the change. This ONE hour course gave me a lot to think about, especially with how I want to be perceived as during school.

What I learned:

- The transition curve (applies to not only the workplace but when adjusting to any new environment)

- Resilience

- How to adjust to the new environment (workplace culture, level of professionalism)

- Ask questions - it's better to ask than make a mistake

- Know the unwritten rules

- Have a plan and a goal (transition plan)

- Strategy Planner (How to approach the first 3 months)