Professions and Professionals

[spen666]

I saw a coach this morning with a slogan on side of it boasting about its professional drivers.
It set me thinking what is a Professional? Is it someone who works in a profession? What is a professions?

We talk about professional footballers as meaning a player who gets played. does this make football a profession?

If someone who gets paid is a professional, does that make every job a profession?

 

[AndyRM]

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

 

[Beebo]

View: http://youtu.be/R4tShh8vkfw

 

[pplpilot]

There is absolutely NOTHING professional about Wendyballers.

 

[MichaelW2]

Ahh, the oldest profession

 

[ayceejay]

I think what it means when applied to something like a bus driver is someone who takes his/her job seriously.

 

[marinyork]

It's an overused word in my opinion and others will disagree with that. I think the adjective is better used than the noun (just).

When Tescos just announced they were getting rid of their night shift premium (any premium at all before midnight) for night shift workers I heard a worker from another company remark that it was bad for the 'profession' - meaning their pay would go down, recruitment would be harder etc. It's a bloody hard job but they had clearly just repeated it without even noticing.

Similarly I dislike my job and similar ones being described as 'healthcare professional' or 'other healthcare professional' or 'allied ...' by various bodies. I think it is ridiculously pretentious.

'Bad for the profession' as it happens is a very stock phrase where I work. I don't particularly mind them using the word in their case but they are actually meaning it to mean they take lots of grief in their job for less moolah and respect than they should and don't complain about it except to colleagues. Or they mean they went to university and think most people are still 'school leavers'. Someone else said I didn't go to university to be treated like this instead.

For other uses of the word I don't think professional is any less abused than 'expert'.

To mean particular job activities it isn't like people say they are a general labourer or handyman or maidservant any more. They don't write 'uneducated' either. So why at the other end should we still have overemphasis on a profession?

I suspect I know why you didn't post this in SCP.

 

[ayceejay]

A comedian (Eddie Izzard ?) did a skit on a laser eye surgery TV ad that boasted that your eyes would be zapped by an expert and the comedian cranked up a scenario where the opposite might be true - you know - first day on the job has practiced on a balloon kind of thing.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I have what could be considered a professional job, I tend to refer to myself as a prostitute as I do the job for money not for the prestige of being considered a professional. If I didn't need to work I wouldn't.

 

[Markymark]

I'm a professional awesomator.

 

[stephec]

I'm a professional awesomator.

Have you got one of those special London keyboards where the R and the W are the wrong way round?

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Like the OP I was recently puzzled by a driving school car boasting of its 'fully qualified instructors'. Should we be worried that some driving schools aren't fully qualified ? Come to think of it, other than a driving licence, what is the qualification required ?

 

[vernon]

Like the OP I was recently puzzled by a driving school car boasting of its 'fully qualified instructors'. Should we be worried that some driving schools aren't fully qualified ? Come to think of it, other than a driving licence, what is the qualification required ?

It is possible to offer driving lessons without being fully qualified.

How can I tell if a driving instructor is DSA approved?
It is important to check the badge in the driving instructor’s windscreen. A green octagonal badge shows the instructor is fully qualified and an ADI.

A pink triangular badge shows the instructor is not yet fully qualified, but undertaking practical training. But they are allowed to charge you for driving instruction.

The DSA is working on improving the standard of driving instructors and have introducedgrades for ADIs. Grade 4 is competent, and Grade 6 indicates a very high standard.

ADIs and DSA licensed driving instructors under training are also now checked to see if they have a criminal record with the CRB.

 

[vernon]

Rather than mull over a series of conjectures and misconceptions in attempt to define/redefine the term, why not look up some definitions - or is that too sensible?