Professional Development
Great discussion: Professional Development elicited a lot of comments. For example, “Maintain appropriate personal appearance (PD:002)” was generally viewed as being critical for the workplace, but the comments for this performance indicator ranged broadly. See those comments below along with a snapshot of the high-/low-ranked skills.
Maintain appropriate personal appearance (PD:002)
- Critical: A non-company visitor should be able to pick the boss out of a crowd.
- Recommended: Although appearance should not be a factor for employment, the reality is that it does have an impact. Personal hygiene is necessary—if you do not respect yourself, how can you expect others to respect you?
- Recommended: I get it, but workplaces have grown a lot more casual, especially with more options for working remote. And some limitations on what is considered professional are also now seen as discriminatory against women and people of color. So, I’d tread a fine line here, or avoid this altogether.
The skill statements viewed as most critical:
- Demonstrate problem-solving skills (PD:077)
- Follow rules of conduct (PD:251)
- Use time management skills (PD:019)
- Interview for a job (PD:028)
- Prepare a resume (PD:031)
The lower-ranked skills included:
- Explore career opportunities in entrepreneurship (PD:066)
- Identify tentative occupational interest (PD:023)
