Professionalism
can be a very loosely based term that is casually thrown around in
conversation, but carries a great deal of merit when one is attempting to
acquire a job in any industry. Aviation is no different, when only two pilots
carry the lives of hundreds of people on one flight alone, they have to act in
a professional manner. A passenger does not want to see their captain speaking
profanity or carrying about in an immature way. I believe professionalism is
achieved when one acts, dresses, and speaks cordially, politely, and
respectfully. A professional does not boast or make fun, but rather helps
others to achieve their goal, especially in aviation. In the aviation industry,
professionals can usually be spotted instantly by their traits, some of these
traits are proper attire, respectful discussion, and punctuality.
Examples
of people in the aviation industry acting or not acting in a professional
manner can be found across the internet. For example, a JetBlue flight
attendant freaked out on August 9th 2010 by getting on the plane's public
address system and cursing out the passengers just before grabbing two beers
and exiting the plane through the blow up emergency slide (Tatnell, 2010). This
is a very extreme case of unprofessionalism, as a flight attendant, he was
representing the company whilst in uniform. This complete lack of downright
common courtesy is outrageous and he rightfully lost his job. On the other
hand, there are cases when an employee in the aviation industry acted mature
and cordial, in my experience working line for over four years, most pilots were
very pleasant and mindful of others.
I
myself strive to show professionalism every day because I never know who may
hire me in the future. Some of the things I do include dress attire, being
polite, and avoid foul language when talking. I do this now and plan to in the
future as well, this is key to advancing in the aviation community because it
is a small world and you never know who may be your boss someday. I plan on
observing how other professionals carry themselves throughout the work day,
utilize professional resources such as Professional Resource Press and NationalProfessional Resources Inc., and always remember that the customer comes first.
In the end, the people who get the jobs fastest are the go getters that also
know how to act professionally.
Tatnell, P. (2010, August 10). Raging flight attendant makes
his own emergency exit. The
Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/raging-flight-attendant-makes-his-own-emergency-exit-20100810-11ul9.html
Smith, S. (2011, December 21). Professionalism: A ‘Must Have’
For All Aviation Workers. AviationPros.
Retrieved from http://www.aviationpros.com/article/10456996/ramp-workers-must-be-professionals-to-ensure-safety
Epstein, C. (2012, August 08). Sumwalt Keeps Pressure on
Pilot Professionalism. Aviation International News. Retrieved from
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2012-09-01/sumwalt-keeps-pressure-pilot-professionalism
Very true Scott, the JetBlue flight attendant did not show much professionalism on that day. If I remember the situation, I think two passengers were making fun of the employee for being a male flight attendant. Still, the professional thing to do would have been to maintain composure and try to deescalate the situation, instead of blowing the chute and sliding down with two Budweiser’s in-hand like a madman.
ReplyDeleteThe JetBlue flight attendant was indeed lacking professionalism, but I am quite sure he had other issues that needed fixing before his workplace composure. Great point, you never know who may hire you in the future; it is a very small industry that makes the world smaller. Acting professional to everyone may leave the right person with a great impression of you.
ReplyDeleteObserving other professionals is a huge part of learning to be professional, I do this myself and I feel like I have learned a lot about attitude and conduct just from watching those individuals that I look up to.
ReplyDeleteThe pilot does hold a great deal of responsibility. As you stated, a passenger does not want to see or hear of a pilot acting in an unprofessional manner. The goal for an airline is to gain as many repeat passengers as possible. If the passengers are unable to put their trust in your pilots, then perhaps they will never fly your airline again. Acting professional will help individual employees as well as the company in general.
ReplyDelete