Like a pro

» Why there is only one real measurement for professionalism

é Elliot Chan a Opinions Editor d sy», Mopinions@theotherpress.ca

hat makes someone

professional? That is a question all up-and-coming employees want to know. They spend hours fine-tuning their resume, they buy a new wardrobe, they practice their handshake over and over, and they even show up 15 minutes early for meetings and interviews, but, in the end, none of that matters except consistency.

Being professional is not a switch you turn on and off when you are working. Being professional is an attitude towards all things, regardless if there is a paycheque at the end or not. The ability to treat every task—whether it’s finishing a report, communicating a business plan, or meeting a friend for lunch—with equal importance is what makes someone valued, and therefore professional.

There is nothing more prized in the workplace than an employee who is consistently accountable. If you say you'll do something, it’s your job to

: make sure it is done. If you

: can’t accomplish the task on

: your own or in time, don’t

: feel bad. Being professional

: does not mean that you have

: perfect foresight. And being

: accountable does not mean

: doing everything yourself. A

: professional needs to meet

: hurdles with competency, not : expertise. When employers are : hiring, they are rarely looking : for specialists; rather, they

: are looking for those with the : capability of asking for help

: when they need it.

If you think being a

professional is being a

: perfectionist, working

: overtime, and straining over

: every little detail—like what

: to wear and what to say—then

: you will never operate at your

: fullest potential. The pros know : that, given time, opportunities, : and experience, skills will

: undoubtedly form and gaps will : fill in. There is raw talent, sure, : but in a workplace, repetition

: and routines rule, and learning : a task and accomplishing it with : consistency is often what makes : yOu a pro.

Yes, you hate your job

: and you are finding it harder : and harder to apply the same

: amount of enthusiasm you

: had the first few weeks after

: you were hired. I have one

: suggestion for you: quit. If you : can’t apply consistency to your : craft—and you should live in

: a world where every job is a

: craft, where improvement is as : important as completion—you : are harming yourself. If work

: ethic were a tangible object,

: you'd be smashing it into a

: thousand pieces.

You hear it every day: the

: job market is a scary, volatile

: place. Only the best get hired. : That is not true, or in a way,

: only semi-true. When we think : of the best athletes, we think : of those who are consistently : showing up to every game or

: tournament. They might be

: scoring goals, stopping shots, : or just making par every time, : regardless, you can always bet : on them. When people look

: at you will they bet on you to

: succeed? Where’s your track

: record to show it?

Being professional does not

: start after you graduate or get

: your job or receive your first

: paycheque. Being professional

: starts the moment you wake up : every day.

Image via Thinkstock

HBO's unexpected year at the Emmy Awards

» Netflix unable to usurp HBO as television king

Jerrison Oracion fi Senior Columnist

his was supposed to be

the year of Netflix for the Emmy Awards because of their shows and the trendy way they were released. However, when the winners were announced at the Emmy Awards—which Andy Samberg did a great job

hosting—HBO swept up most of :

the awards. The channel got the top honours for Best Drama and Best Comedy for their highest rated show, Game of Thrones, and one of my favourite shows, Veep, respectively. Also, the mini-series Olive Kitteridge took home all but one award in the miniseries category. Netflix

received only one award, for Uzo :

Aduba’s performance in Orange is the New Black.

HBO set the standard for premium cable TV, which is the reason why HBO got the most Emmy Award nominations in the past few decades. HBO makes shows that are high quality, exciting, and relevant to today’s news. Currently, HBO’s competitors are Showtime, Netflix, and Amazon Instant Video.

Game of Thrones is the show

: that a lot of people are talking : about right now, because of its : interesting story, its cinematic : look, and the various locations : that it is filmed in to create

: Westeros. After four seasons— : despite the fact that this season : was very controversial—the

: show received the most Emmy : Awards this year with 12, the

: most a series has ever won ina

a3

: single year.

Veep is about fictional Vice

: President Selina Meyer and her : team’s experience in politics.

: The show received a lot of praise : : and the US Vice President’s

: office approved it, because it

: shows what happens in their

: office. This can be compared to : House of Cards, another political : : show that hasn't received the : same nods from congress.

I thought that either Modern : : Family or Transparent would get : Best Comedy, but, surprisingly,

: the award went to Veep. Amazon :

Instant Video’s only great show

: Transparent still received three : Emmy Awards, including Best

: Actor in a Comedy for Jeffrey

: Tambor. Hopefully the show will : : be available on DVD, so that I : can see how great it is.

Today, many of the great

Image via HBO

shows are shown on cable

: channels, and there are fewer : quality shows on the four major

US networks. However, the

: major networks are still great : for crime shows, sitcoms, and : reality shows. Now that the

: winners of the Emmy Awards

this year are announced, you

can watch the big winners by : getting HBO with Movie Central : through your cable provider.