Blue-collar workers are required to have excellent knowledge and expertise in their field. However, those aren’t the only traits that are important. Just like with almost any other career path, it’s also essential to retain a level of professionalism, particularly if you want to stand out as the best in the biz.
Professionalism can really help you to land and maintain jobs and clients and will make you the go-to choice when those who have used your services need help again in the future. Being professional can also help you land recommendations and keep good jobs. But more goes into professionalism than what you might think on the surface level. If you want to make sure you come across as the best of the best to your clients and employer, here are some top tips on how to stand out as a blue-collar professional.
MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Nobody likes a grumpy, negative employee. This tip might seem obvious, but it’s also notoriously easier said than done. Sure, you may do a pretty good job of maintaining positivity on a day to day basis, but what about when the going gets rough or you start to feel irritated? Unfortunately, the one time you’re in a bad mood all day will be the time that everyone remembers. It’s all too easy to get labeled as negative. No matter how hard we might try to remain positive at all times, the truth is, it’s impossible to know what unfortunate circumstances might occur and make you lose your temper or act irrationally.
Maintaining a positive attitude is more than just being friendly to your superiors and coworkers when you feel like it, it also involves keeping your cool in stressful situations. And remember, try never to bring your personal problems with you to work and let a bad mood ruin everyone’s spirits.
DON’T BE LATE
Consistently being late is one of the easiest and most common ways to be regarded as unprofessional. Regular tardiness makes it seem like you really don’t care about your job or coworkers. When you’re running behind schedule all the time, you’re disrespecting the valuable time of your coworkers and supervisors.
Always being on time shows that you’re reliable. Of course, everyone understands that occasionally we may run into unforeseen circumstances that make us late, but that should be a rare occurrence. If something like that does happen, make sure to contact your manager or supervisor right away and let them know what’s going on.
ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL
If you want to be respected, you need to respect others. And if you want to appear professional, avoid gossip or being rude, even if you have to work with people you don’t always get along with. Disrespect won’t be tolerated in the workplace, you’re only going to make yourself look bad.
RULES ARE NOT MADE TO BE BROKEN
In many blue-collar professions, sticking to the rules isn’t just an expectation, it’s a matter of safety. Not adhering to rules and regulations doesn’t just make you look bad, it can also be very dangerous.
It’s not uncommon for workers to become relaxed and let the rules slide the longer they’re working on a job, but try to avoid this at all costs. Always follow the rules and don’t slack off, even if you see others doing so. Set a good example at all times.
DRESS APPROPRIATELY
You might not be expected to show up to work in a suit every day, but that’s not an excuse to dress unprofessionally. No matter what you’re expected to wear, always make sure it’s the right attire for the job and that you show up looking clean and neat. Manual labor isn’t an excuse to turn up to work looking dirty or unkempt. Your clothing should be functional, fit well, and be clean when you get to work (even if you know you’ll look a little worse for wear by the end of the day).
BE UPFRONT WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE
Everyone messes up sometimes, and you’re no different. But the absolute worst thing you can do if you make a mistake is to try to cover it up, downplay it, or worst of all… lie about it or blame someone else.
Being upfront about errors is a sign of professionalism, no one expects you to be perfect! It’s guaranteed that your manager or supervisor would much rather you were honest about a problem so it can be fixed than being untruthful or shifting blame and causing more trouble. Recognizing your shortcoming will also help you to learn and improve.
It’s a very common misconception that blue-collar workers are held to lower standards when it comes to professionalism. This simply isn’t true. In fact, being unprofessional in the blue-collar job world can actually be dangerous and land you or someone else in a seriously bad spot. Professionalism is for anyone who is a professional, no matter what their career path. If you want to be highly regarded and land the best jobs and the best clients, you need to maintain a consistent level of professionalism at all times.