Lecture # 2
Professionalism
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Course Outline
• What is Professionalism
• Characteristics of perfoessionalism
• Traits of a professional
• Moral laws and Ethics
• IEEE code of Ethics
• Some scenarios to contemplate
Professionalism takes more than knowledge
• “Professionalism is a way of thinking and living rather than an
accumulation of learning.”
• Think: What does it take to be a doctor?
it’s not just by going to medical school
A profession isn’t just what you do, it’s who you are
• We say that somebody “is” a doctor.
– Here, “doctor” is a noun
– (“Doctoring the books” is something different!)
• Likewise, we don’t just “engineer” (verb)
• We also are engineers (noun).
A profession is who you are, not a contract.
• “Shame on the engineer who regards their professional
function as a business transaction to be judged by the
question: ‘Just what do I get out of it?’”
• What “professions” have a reputation for being self-centered
and selfish?
Life as a professional: activities
• You perform “professional activity of a type carrying high
individual responsibility, requiring application of special skills
to activities that are predominantly intellectual and varied
rather than routine and normal.”
• How are an engineer’s activities “varied”?
Life as a professional: motivation
• “Motivation for service takes first place over consideration of
reward.”
Life as a professional: joy and pride
• “Motivation … implies joy and pride in the work to be done,
and self-imposed standards.”
• If you don’t take joy and pride in computer science, then you
should look for another line of work.
• Companies and customers are also entitled to impose
(secondary) standards of excellence.
Four traits of a professional
• Varied activities requiring special skills
• Society-centric motivation
• Personal standards of excellence
• Giving back to society
When you put many professionals together, what do you have?
• A profession isn’t just defined by who you are
• A profession is also something you are part of
• “Most professional software engineers adopt an
institutional view of the organizations of the
profession: they perceive them as bodies
representing the profession and therefore deserving,
even requiring, the loyalty of each software engineer
as an expression of his identity as a professional
software engineer.”
Part of being a professional is behaving ethically
• “Ethics means something more than ‘law’ and ‘morals’; it
carries an additional meaning of ‘rightness’.”
• Breaking the law: can earn a fine or jail time
• Breaking a moral: can ruin your reputation
• Breaking an ethic: can ruin your conscience
• It’s possible to break all three, simultaneously!
Trait # 1 of a professional: Seriousness
• Serious about job.
• The job is only a job. A means to an end
Trait # 2 of a professional: Wanting to do Better
• Constantly striving to get better in every aspect of life.
• whether it's a task you're working on, a project, a relationship,
or any small detail.
• It's about always trying to improve and be the best you can be
in everything you do.
Trait # 3 of a professional: Dealing with the Unexpected
Stuff happens, things change, and the true professional rises to
the occasion.
•Unexpected events and changes are a normal part of life.
•When these things happen, a true professional remains calm
and adapts to the situation.
•They handle challenges and changes effectively, showing their
skills and professionalism.
•It's a reminder to stay resilient and resourceful, no matter what
comes your way.
Trait # 4 of a professional: Communication Skills
• Clear
• Concise
• Confident
Trait # 5 of a professional: Enthusiasm
• Attitude is everything. Those who exhibit enthusiasm for
what they do and greet each day with a positive attitude
inevitably become a leader
Trait # 6 of a professional: Helpfulness
• Understand that real success in the workplace requires
teamwork
• Always ready to lend a hand
• make a suggestion
• offer a compliment when it’s deserved
Trait # 7 of a professional: Taking the Initiative
Take the initiative to get things done
Trait # 8 of a professional: Cool Under Pressure
• Level headed and calm
• Cheerful demeanor-even under stressful times
Trait # 9 of a professional: Remains Focused
• Stay focused on the task at hand and the goal ahead
• Navigate through obstacles or setbacks but never lose sight of
where they headed
Trait # 10 of a professional: Don’t Follow, Lead
• True Professionals aren’t faint of heart
• True professionals are strong, courageous, and resilient. They are not
easily scared or discouraged by challenges. Instead, they face difficult
situations head-on with bravery and determination.
• Analyze the situation and willing to take new paths and try
new solutions
• That’s why they call it LEADERSHIP!
Laws vs morals vs ethics
• Speeding on Motorway
– legal, moral (“everyone” does it), maybe ethical
• Speeding within city
– Illegal, immoral, unethical
8 Principles of IEEE Code of Ethics
• Act in public interest
• Act in interest of clients and employers
• Produce quality products
• Maintain independent judgment
• Manage ethically
• Protect integrity of profession
• Support colleagues
• Pursue lifelong learning
Scenario #1
• You are the owner of a software engineering company. Your
employees (engineers) want you to pay for them to attend
training.
• How would you respond in a way that is
legal, moral, and ethical?
Scenario #2
• You are the owner of a software engineering company. Your
employees (engineers) want you to let them do pro bono
work for a local non-profit organization on company time.
• How would you respond in a way that is
legal, moral, and ethical?
Scenario #3
• You are the head of a computer science department at a
university. Your boss
(a “dean”) wants you to find a way to tweak your curriculum
so undergrads are more likely to choose your department for
their major.
• How would you respond in a way that is
legal, moral, and ethical?
Scenario #4
• You are a software engineer working at a large publicly-traded
corporation, where a colleague invents a new kind of
compiler. Your managers see it as a huge potential cash cow.
• How would you respond in a way that is
legal, moral, and ethical?
Scenario #5
• You are a software engineer at a company where
management routinely encourages you and your colleagues to
use pirated software.
• How would you respond in a way that is
legal, moral, and ethical?
Summary
• Professionalism
• Activities and Tasks carried out by a professional
• Traits of a good professional
• IEEE code of Ethics
• Scenarios to think about
