Maintaining Professionalism with Technology
Twenty years ago – a lifetime and yet almost yesterday.
But twenty years ago, we took introduction to computers and keyboarding 101 in high school.
We were navigating our life around qwerty and DOS.
If we needed to look something up? The first place we thought to look was the library.
Cell phones weren’t such a seeming necessity, and texting was just gaining ground.
If you wanted to talk to your friends, you stretched the cord as long as you could and tucked yourself away to talk on the phone… attached to the wall.
If you wanted to apply for a job, you typed up a resume and most likely emailed it in, or very often, walked it in personally – seeing your prospective employer face to face.
Flash forward to today.
Most of us could probably text in our sleep we’re so programmed to respond.
We don’t even think twice about where our hands land on the keyboard as they spend so much time there its now second nature.
Thankfully we’ve grown well past DOS and now embrace such comforts as iOS and other modern conveniences.
Our children will never know a c prompt or that dreaded dial up tone.
We probably rarely talk to our friends on the phone, tucked away around corners and in closets, and instead text everything.
If we want to know something, we ask Siri or Google. Books have been replaced by web browsers, tablets, and e-readers.
That cosy smell of a well aged book is becoming something that is appreciated less and less.
Technology has moved us forward in ways we could never have imagined twenty years ago.
It has both provided jobs, and taken jobs.
And everyday, its evolving.
But is technology impeding on our ability to remain professional?
Where older generations are used to handing in resumes personally – with a well thought out cover letter and references attached, younger generations will sometimes be more apt to take a different approach.
Obtaining jobs on social media – and even expressly for the purpose of posting on social meeting – is becoming more and more of a reality.
We apply for jobs on websites that have us fill in the blanks on our lives.
Asking us well prompted questions so that everything is there with nothing missed – providing we don’t skip a step.
We don’t have to worry so much about formatting a resume because everything is done for us.
Failing using such a website, we’ll email companies directly to apply.
We don’t walk in unprompted hardly as there is less and less of a need for it.
Speaking from a recruiting standpoint, people still do call for jobs and sometimes, even ask for the information to be sent to them through text message.
Its almost as if its gotten to the point where we should be taking the approach that we should be making it as easy as possible or people to apply. To the extent that even prior to getting a foot in the door, we’re already bending our rules and making things even easier for this unknown individual.
Perhaps this is the new way of the future, or maybe technology really is changing some individuals.
If it isn’t easy and doesn’t fall automatically in their laps, then whats the use in trying?
Professionalism is something that should never be out dated.
While the means to be professional are changing, there are some unwritten laws that should always apply.
If you are applying for a job, you should never act like you’re doing someone a favour by applying. It should always be assumed that the person interviewing you is setting time aside from their day, solely for the purpose of hearing your life story as it pertains to the job.
Employers don’t want a text message to say you’d like to schedule an interview, any more than they’d want a text message to provide important work related information.
Technology has a time and a place. And while the time and place is for here and now and seemingly always, it should never brush aside professionalism, common courtesy, and etiquette.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and 
experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.
