Professional Demeanor - My Hippie Past and How I Got to Where I am Today

Oh, professional demeanor, how you have been my arch nemesis for so long. Don't you think it's time to bury the hatchet? Reluctantly, I do think it's time. Because you can't move onto the future without letting go of the past. So, here's a look at where I came from and the road I traveled to get where I am today.

Things you can get away with when you're a server at an organic foods restaurant:

• Calling your boss "man"
• Calling your co-workers "man"
• Calling your customers "man"
• OK, really calling anyone "man" ... moving on
• Scribbling orders down on a tiny sheet of paper and then improvising later when you can't read them
• Referring to the chalkboard as the main menu
• Opting out of the uniform entirely and just wearing your tie-dye skirt with flip-flops
• Bringing your freelance work to the restaurant to work on during your break

You get the idea, there was a time when I wasn't much of a professional.  Of course this is what many people might call "the college years" or "the good old days", but for me, I was happy to keep this trend going for a little while longer after college since I graduated during one of the most difficult times for new graduates to get a job. I couldn't find full-time work in my field, so I waited tables at a few different restaurants while I picked-up freelance jobs around town.

I had a very laid-back approach with my freelance work and clients. We'd meet up for lunch, sometimes even during a break in my shift at the restaurant, and we'd sketch out a design for a logo or talk about ideas for website content.  I'd do the work on my couch at home while throwing toys for my dog to retrieve, and things just seemed to work out pretty well.

Needless to say, when I did finally land a full time position as a web marketing specialist with an accounting firm, I was in for a rude awakening. I remember being introduced at my first department meeting and being asked to talk about my professional experience. I said something along the lines of: "Well, before this job I was waiting tables ... so this is definitely an upgrade for me!" I spent the next few months trying to live down that statement and prove to them that I did in fact have the technical skills and knowledge they thought they hired me for.

Things you CAN'T get away with when you're a professional at a corporate accounting firm:

• Calling your boss "man"
• Calling absolutely anyone "man" ... I learned that one very quickly
• Pairing a band t-shirt with any kind professional attire, including a blazer (because you can't hide it, no matter if you button it up or not.)
• Jamming out to your music while working (I was caught in the act of "cubicle karaoke" by my superiors several times)
• Giving your emails humorous subject lines
• Getting caught joking around with your co-workers (including any kind of impersonation or acting out of humorous anecdotes)

Again, I think you get the idea. I had trouble with professional demeanor. And it was difficult for me to get over that because I was in the mentality that as long as my work was of professional quality, that that's all that mattered. I was sadly mistaken. It took me a good year to put most of my bad habits to rest. However, I slowly learned that my communications skills in the workplace, both verbal and non-verbal, spoke as loud as my work did, if not louder. I also learned that the way you communicate and present yourself affects your productivity and ability to work with your co-workers and superiors in a way that they will take you seriously as a professional.

I think the pivotal point for me was excelling in my work, winning professional awards, and then not having anyone believe me when I referenced them. Maybe a part of me thought it was a fluke as well, but I realized that  I did have the talent and the experience to make it in the corporate realm, I just needed to live up to the standards of my position in the company, and that meant embracing professional demeanor as one of them.

Maybe all these things seemed like common sense to some, but it was certainly a transition for me. I learned a lot about verbal and non-verbal communication in the corporate environment from my work at the accounting firm, and I am still learning. I may still a hippie at heart, but I have become a young professional that can represent my work and myself in a way that gets me the right recognition from my co-workers, superiors, and other professionals in the industry. I just try to wait until after five o'clock to return to my more eccentric roots.