Professionalism
Nov. 20th, 2012 03:54 pmMany years ago, ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ancientsong and grimclown hosted a party that was an "amateur skills talent show". Everyone who attended was encouraged to stand up and show off one awesome skill they had...with the caveat that they had to be an amateur at it, it had to be something for which they'd never been paid.
Ever since, I've used that definition of professional. You are a professional at something when you have been paid to do it. And oh sure, that can be a bit of a stretch sometimes --I've been paid to help people move, but I wouldn't call me a professional mover for instance-- but in general, it makes a nice rule of thumb. A fun little parlour trick, to pull out and compare lists of things that one has done professionally versus not.
By this definition, I've been a professional at lots of things. For more than a decade, I've been getting paid to do babysitting and mother's helpering. In 2006, I spent a season working at the renfaire as a candlemaker, as a soapmaker, and as a busker. The summer of 2007, I got a job working at Target, making me a professional floor clerk/cashier (I upgraded to working at my thrift store for the two summers after that).
Between 2008 and 2010, I attended a handful of anime cons where I was paid to be a booth babe. Far more importantly, at those cons, I was given my first opportunity to sell earrings I had made, making me a professional jewelrymaker. After the thrift store folded, I spent more time babysitting, but also started picking up odd jobs, including a reoccuring gig as a housecleaner. For two years in a row, I was roped in by a local small press to help them get out their biggest yearly shipment of books --a professional at packaging and mailing books.
After I graduated college in 2011, I utterly failed to find myself something in my career field. So I applied to Dunk*n D*nuts instead, and became a professional member of food service. That went pretty well for all of six weeks, and then I got a new manager, and let's just say I'm astounded I lasted as long as I did. For a few months after, I supplemented my meager savings by taking surveys and participating in psychiatric studies.
The summer of 2012, my predilection for odd jobs exploded. I've done any number of things for money since-- packed houses, moved people, unpacked houses, organized bookshelves, weeded gardens, mowed lawns. Despite my claims, I never quite stooped to dancing on tables --or maybe it's just that no one offered me the job!
For more than a year, I've been working as a paid intern for a friend of mine who owns a small company. I've learned bits of graphic design and database software, prepped and mailed an astounding amount of product, helped make videos and promotional materials, and on one memorable occasion, was encouraged to toss a package out a window. That's right. I am a professional defenestrator.
The first time I was ever paid to do something by someone other than my parents (parents don't count, or I could add any amount of organization and leaf raking and professional tourism and putting together Dad's computer stuff to the list) was probably in 2001 or 2002. So in twelve or thirteen years, I've done a lot of different stuff for money.
I'm a professional at a lot of things.
And about ninety minutes ago, I received an itty bitty insignificant slip of paper, which I took, and put into my bank account.
As of today, I am a professional teacher.
~Sorcyress
MOOP!
ancientsong and grimclown hosted a party that was an "amateur skills talent show". Everyone who attended was encouraged to stand up and show off one awesome skill they had...with the caveat that they had to be an amateur at it, it had to be something for which they'd never been paid. Ever since, I've used that definition of professional. You are a professional at something when you have been paid to do it. And oh sure, that can be a bit of a stretch sometimes --I've been paid to help people move, but I wouldn't call me a professional mover for instance-- but in general, it makes a nice rule of thumb. A fun little parlour trick, to pull out and compare lists of things that one has done professionally versus not.
By this definition, I've been a professional at lots of things. For more than a decade, I've been getting paid to do babysitting and mother's helpering. In 2006, I spent a season working at the renfaire as a candlemaker, as a soapmaker, and as a busker. The summer of 2007, I got a job working at Target, making me a professional floor clerk/cashier (I upgraded to working at my thrift store for the two summers after that).
Between 2008 and 2010, I attended a handful of anime cons where I was paid to be a booth babe. Far more importantly, at those cons, I was given my first opportunity to sell earrings I had made, making me a professional jewelrymaker. After the thrift store folded, I spent more time babysitting, but also started picking up odd jobs, including a reoccuring gig as a housecleaner. For two years in a row, I was roped in by a local small press to help them get out their biggest yearly shipment of books --a professional at packaging and mailing books.
After I graduated college in 2011, I utterly failed to find myself something in my career field. So I applied to Dunk*n D*nuts instead, and became a professional member of food service. That went pretty well for all of six weeks, and then I got a new manager, and let's just say I'm astounded I lasted as long as I did. For a few months after, I supplemented my meager savings by taking surveys and participating in psychiatric studies.
The summer of 2012, my predilection for odd jobs exploded. I've done any number of things for money since-- packed houses, moved people, unpacked houses, organized bookshelves, weeded gardens, mowed lawns. Despite my claims, I never quite stooped to dancing on tables --or maybe it's just that no one offered me the job!
For more than a year, I've been working as a paid intern for a friend of mine who owns a small company. I've learned bits of graphic design and database software, prepped and mailed an astounding amount of product, helped make videos and promotional materials, and on one memorable occasion, was encouraged to toss a package out a window. That's right. I am a professional defenestrator.
The first time I was ever paid to do something by someone other than my parents (parents don't count, or I could add any amount of organization and leaf raking and professional tourism and putting together Dad's computer stuff to the list) was probably in 2001 or 2002. So in twelve or thirteen years, I've done a lot of different stuff for money.
I'm a professional at a lot of things.
And about ninety minutes ago, I received an itty bitty insignificant slip of paper, which I took, and put into my bank account.
As of today, I am a professional teacher.
~Sorcyress
MOOP!
