What do I need to be successful?
Key Learnings
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Prepare for living in a new country by researching language, climate, living accommodations, social norms, etc.
Minimise culture shock by investing time to experience your new cultural surroundings and understand local customs.
Know how to present yourself in any situation in order to make positive impressions that help you stand out and build stronger professional relationships.
To give an effective presentation, there are three elements that you need to keep in mind: have a presentation plan, know your audience, and engage your audience.
Effective visual aids can help the audience remember your messages.
Visuals should be an aid to the presentation – not the focal point.
Improving your professional skills in different areas (attitude, behaviour and presentation) will strengthen your level of professionalism and make more positive impressions.
Professionalism takes effort, commitment, and application.
Left unresolved, personal conflict can seriously affect your performance on the field.
Once you know your own natural response and understand the style of the other person with whom you are in conflict, you can adjust your response in such a way that leads to resolution more quickly and effectively.

Key professional do’s and don’ts

By keeping in mind these do’s and don’ts, you can enhance your level of professionalism.

Professional Do’s

  • Offering help to colleagues if they need it - making others’ jobs easier will go a long way in the workplace
  • Respecting others
  • Making yourself approachable
  • Communicating professionally at all times – through conversation, telephone, written report, memo, or email – never deviate from your professional approach
  • Establishing a high level of competence and understanding in your profession – perceptions of your level of professionalism depend on your ability to convey a deep understanding of your job – in other words, learn everything you possibly can and stay current about professional trends
  • Staying positive and enthusiastic – and smile!

Professional Dont’s

  • Communicating informally – especially in less formal forms of communication (email, text messages, etc.)
  • Emailing while angry
  • Engaging in office gossip about other colleagues
  • Trying to court favour with your boss or supervisors
  • Procrastinating
  • Being off-task during work hours

Everyone can develop professionalism, but not everyone does – and that is what separates successful professionals from everyone else. The real work comes from taking a professional attitude and turning it into practice. Professionalism takes effort, commitment, and application, but when you adopt and maintain professional standards, you feel better about your overall abilities, which can translate into greater professional opportunities.