By Anna Tassou
Rutgers iJOBS program recently hosted a "Professionalism Skills to Succeed in Industry and Academic Environments" workshop led by Senior Program Coordinator for Graduate Student Services at the Rutgers Learning Centers, Dr. Wilson Ng. The workshop focused on key professional behaviors necessary for success in both academic settings and industry roles. Participants engaged in interactive discussions and examined real-world scenarios covering effective communication, workplace etiquette, accountability, and ethical research conduct. The session highlighted that professionalism is reflected in how individuals conduct themselves in every interaction with colleagues, supervisors, and collaborators. This iJOBS blog summarizes some key takeaways from the event.
What does professionalism look like?
Professionalism starts with being punctual, communicating respectfully, dressing appropriately, and meeting expectations for deadlines and responsibilities. Presenting oneself professionally begins with making a strong first impression and taking the time to research an organization's policies and expectations. Strive to arrive 5-10 minutes early, especially for interviews or meetings, and be mindful of how to communicate verbally and in writing on a day-to-day basis. Equally important is showing respect for colleagues and supervisors and finding a balance between being too formal and too casual. Finally, professionalism requires handling conflicts with others effectively. It is important to address a personal issue with a colleague by speaking to them directly and treating everyone with respect.
Attendance, punctuality, conflict resolution, and communication skills are important factors for success in a professional environment. While these basic concepts may seem like common sense, a lack of professionalism is where many challenges stem in both industry and academic environments. As part of a collaborative discussion during the workshop, attendees shared their biggest challenges with professionalism in their workplace. In academic settings, participants primarily reflected on how flexibility in working hours, dress codes, and mentor-mentee relationships might blur the boundaries of a typical workplace environment. It is easy to take advantage of this flexible schedule and structure; however, it is still important to maintain the same level of accountability for academic work as in other professional environments. Practicing professional conduct now can make the transition to an industry role even smoother for PhD students and postdocs. Dr. Ng highlighted that professionalism is not just about following the rules, but about building trust and credibility within a team over time. To demonstrate how these principles apply in real workplace situations, Dr. Ng introduced a case study focused on conflict resolution and communication.
Navigating Challenges: The case of "Impulsive Ian."
The real-life workplace conflict example developed by Dr. Ng, titled “Impulsive Ian,” highlighted the importance of addressing conflicts directly and respectfully while maintaining professionalism even in difficult situations. In this example, a clinical operations manager at a pharmaceutical company sent a brief email late in the day stating, “Need finalized trial enrollment data on my desk by 9:00 am tomorrow.” Ian, who had been managing the datasets for some time, felt the tone was dismissive of his work and the time required for regulatory review. In response, he replied, “I've been managing these datasets long before you joined the program, and I don’t appreciate being spoken to like this. Regulatory review takes time, and emails like this ignore the realities of clinical research.” He also copied the program director, the regulatory affairs lead, and two senior executives to signal the seriousness of the issue. While the original request from his supervisor did not address Ian's efforts and time, it is important not to make an important decision while in the grip of strong emotions. Even though Ian might have felt unacknowledged, his email reply was offensive. When dealing with personal conflict, it is better to first reach out to the person directly, without copying other senior executives who are not involved, because this can reflect poorly on both sides.
A focus of the session was learning how to respond as an emotionally intelligent professional by maintaining awareness of one’s emotions and developing strategies to manage them. An emotionally intelligent professional is also good at perceiving others' emotions, which helps to communicate effectively and build alliances. Therefore, an emotionally intelligent Ian would request a brief meeting in response to the supervisor's email. During the conversation, Ian could clarify the expectations of the request and find a practical solution. This would reduce tension, preserve regulatory integrity, and strengthen trust and credibility. This case also reinforces the importance of handling workplace conversations in person or via a quick Zoom/phone call, where tone and intent are clearer than in an email.
Communicating effectively in the workplace
The workshop shared practical strategies, such as knowing when to use To, CC, and BCC to avoid unnecessary "reply all" emails and being aware of tone in written communication. Participants shared experiences with common misunderstandings that arise from how messages and emails are perceived. It is important to pause and consider tone and how a message might be interpreted before responding. This can help avoid unnecessary conflict. Careful thought should go into who is included in the email.
In another interactive discussion, Dr. Ng asked participants to consider a common workplace scenario: following up via email about a missed deadline. In this scenario, careful consideration should be given to who is included in the email, the email should be sent only to the immediate supervisor, and individuals directly involved in the project should be CC’d for transparency. In some cases, it may be appropriate to copy a senior team member to keep them informed, but each situation is unique and requires careful judgment. BCC can also be valuable, especially when emailing large groups of recipients who may not know each other, to protect their privacy or prevent other people's inboxes from getting cluttered with "reply all" emails. Overall, be intentional about email etiquette, including who should receive emails, how to send them, and when to involve senior members to maintain professionalism and strengthen collaborative relationships.
The digital age of professionalism
In today's digital world, professionalism extends beyond in-person interactions. A single reckless email, text message, or social media post can destroy a professional reputation. As communication extends online, it is important to be intentional and thoughtful about presentations across different digital platforms. It is well established that written communication requires careful attention because tone can easily be misinterpreted. Taking a moment to review wording, remaining respectful, and ensuring clarity can make a big difference in how another person perceives a message.
Today, social media and even workplace platforms such as LinkedIn are playing an increasingly important role in professional interactions. These online platforms make it easier to network and connect with professionals from other fields. However, employers and colleagues are likely to review employees' profiles and associate them with their professional identity, so it is important to ensure that anything posted on personal accounts maintains the same level of professionalism one hopes to achieve in the workplace. Sharing content responsibly and mindfully is essential to protecting professional reputation.
Building long-term skills as a graduate student
Graduate training is not only about developing technical expertise but also about building professional skills that support long-term career success and facilitate transition into industry roles or advancement in academia. The expectations outlined in the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies (SGS) handbook emphasize core values essential to both academic and industry environments. Graduate students are encouraged to demonstrate honesty and integrity in their work while fostering respect and tolerance in their interactions with others. Being mindful and sensitive to individual differences helps create an inclusive and collaborative environment. Additionally, maintaining professionalism, as discussed in this workshop, is essential by keeping communication respectful, being punctual, and being accountable. Equally important is staying focused on goals and responsibilities, as well as organization and time management. Feedback also plays a critical role in professional development. Providing timely, constructive feedback and being receptive to constructive criticism help students grow, improve, and carry themselves confidently in a work environment while building trust and strong working relationships. By developing these skills early, PhD students and postdocs can better prepare for the expectations of the various workplaces and positions they might encounter, enabling them to succeed in a diverse range of career paths.
Ultimately, professionalism is not a single skill; it comprises a set of behaviors that, together, shape how others perceive and trust someone, such as being punctual, communicating respectfully, dressing appropriately, and meeting deadlines and expectations for responsibilities. I believe the workshop was very helpful for PhD students like me as well as postdocs, because it provided some food for thought and the opportunity to begin developing the skills required to be professional, including how to present oneself in the workplace, communicate effectively in both academic and industry environments, and navigate workplace conflicts. Overall, the discussion reinforced the importance of being thoughtful in professional interactions and acting on logic rather than emotions. I think the event was particularly helpful for early-stage scientists because investing in these skills early can contribute to long-term success and career growth.
This article was edited by Editor Alcina Rodrigues and Senior Editors Janaina Cruz Pereira and Antonia Kaz.