7 Easy Catholic Professional Skills
7 Easy Catholic Professional Skills
Do you know what every job requires, but is rarely included in a job listing? Professional skills.
These skills are often called “soft skills” – interpersonal qualities you need to succeed in the workplace. These skills help you get along well with others and can relate to people.
Workers in all kinds of job fields require personal qualities that go beyond specialized knowledge: teachers, sales reps, lawyers, freelancers, software developers, writers, doctors, administrative assistants, plumbers, and more.
Professional behavior in the workplace comes naturally to Catholics, simply because of what is asked of us as Christians. Let’s explore 7 easy Catholic professional skills that you can put into practice at your job right now.
1. Dress with dignity
Did you know that the way you dress affects what you think of yourself, and what others think of you? It may seem old-school, but dressing like a professional still matters.
What you wear to work can also depend on your job or work environment. If you work an office job that requires Business Professional attire every day, maybe put away the sweater and throw on a blazer. If the norm is casual dress, go with jeans instead of sweatpants. Even if there isn’t a dress code for your job, pick attire that is appropriate to the job you’re doing.
Regardless of whether you have to dress up or down for work, your appearance should always be neat and clean. You should always show up to work having put some effort into your outfit.
2. Say you’ll follow up and do it
Employers appreciate employees who communicate effectively and consistently. Written, verbal, and non-verbal communication are all important in creating a fruitful work environment. And if you say you’ll follow up, make sure you are true to your word and do it.
Be sure to brush up on your email communication skills. Most companies communicate primarily via email. The ability to write clear, concise emails will help you communicate effectively and stand out as an employee.
Pro Tip: Hand-written notes are especially memorable. It shows that you thought through what you wanted to say and took the time to write it out.
3. Be honest about your abilities and needs
In the workplace, do all tasks to the best of your abilities. However, don’t be afraid to be humble and ask for help when you need it. And if you feel that your job should challenge you more, offer suggestions to your boss for how to make this happen.
As a Catholic, you might have very specific needs. For example, you may have to let your boss know if you need a Holy Day of Obligation off to make it to Mass. When asking for specific exceptions, remember to be courteous and clear. Your boss is much more likely to approve your request for a morning off if you have a good attitude.
4. Watch your mouth
Applying this Catholic professional skill is pretty straightforward. Cursing and gossiping are two bad habits that have no place in a professional setting.
Avoid foul language when at work. Your co-workers might get offended, and it makes you look like immature. If you wouldn’t say it to your grandmother, don’t say it at work.
Avoid saying things that might harm a person’s character. Sharing information that isn’t yours to share can damage people’s trust in you.
How you respond to gossip can also affect your work-place environment. For this reason, it’s important to know how to handle workplace gossip.
5. Offer to help others out
People always appreciate an offer of extra help when they are facing a challenge. Even if it’s not your department, and even if they don’t ask, offering to assist a co-worker can be one of the best ways to stand out in the workplace.
Offering help in charity is one of the easiest ways to live out your Catholic faith. You lose nothing in offering assistance – the worst they can say is “no.”
6. Perfect your online presence
First impressions are very important. Nowadays, the one thing people do when they meet you is search your name on the internet.
To be sure that others have the best first impression of you possible, make sure your online presence is superb. Screen your social media accounts for anything inappropriate or unprofessional. If you have LinkedIn, make sure it is updated with a clear professional headshot, and your most recent resume.
Taking 10 minutes to clean up your online profiles really pays off. If the interview panel for a potential job searches your name, you want them to see your most authentic self, not those grainy selfies you took in high school.
7. Choose joy
Negative emotions in the workplace spread quickly. But guess what? So do positive emotions!
Joy, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, is the mark of the Christian. That doesn’t mean you can’t speak up if something is wrong. If you see something that should be fixed, give your boss feedback along with suggestions for improvement. You can talk about problems effectively if you offer solutions. In fact, one of the best ways to live a life of joy is learning how to turn mistakes into success.
The fact is that people enjoy working with positive, humble co-workers. They will always remember you for your joy. Remember, an upbeat attitude can only affect the workplace in a good way.
A Final Word
You might wonder if anyone will even notice these professional habits. Actually, your boss, customers, and co-workers do. By practicing these easy Catholic professional skills, you will make a great impression on those around you, contribute true catholic business values to your workplace, and become more confident in your own talents and abilities.
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