Engineering is a great profession which helps to realize anything and everything in the world. Engineering gives jobs and homes to people and also it improves the standard of living.

The important and great liability of engineers when compared to other professions is that the work of an engineer is open to all and all can see the works done by an engineer.

He can not hide his mistakes as doctors do. He cannot argue like a lawyer. He can not blame others for his mistakes like the politicians. If his work is wrong; only he will be condemned by others.

In the modern world today, with the help of the mass communication and other facilities, the products of engineering are much “out in the open”, than the ancient period. There are also more number of engineers.

But, in spite of their large numbers, they are less visible to the public today. The invisibility of engineers makes it difficult for them to keep a sense of accountability and mutual understanding with the public.

So the engineers must have some responsibility to do good to the public by their profession or as a professional.

Definition

1. The word ‘Professional’ gets different meanings based on the context. In general ‘Professional’ relates to any work that a person does for an occupation, especially work which requires a special skill or training.
2. “Profession” means a type of job that requires special training and that brings a fairly high status, for example – work connected with medicine, law and education.

Whatever may be one’s profession one should show one’s professionalism, i.e., qualities that are typical or expected of a person in that profession.

Professionalism can be achieved through the following criteria:

Knowledge : The job/work must include complicated skills, theoretical knowledge a clear judgment and caution. Preparation of a person to do a job requires some formal education, like technical studies as well as humanistic studies, etc.

Organization : Some special societies or organizations must be formed for the profession .These societies and organizations must be accepted by the public to set the standards for that profession, writing code of ethics of that profession and also these organizations have to represent that profession to the public. For example societies like ISTE, IEEE etc.

Public Good : The Job/work must help the public by doing a favour to them quoted in its code of ethics. For example, medicine is for promoting health, law is for protecting the legal rights of the public and engineering towards improving the public’s health, safety and welfare with the help of technological advancements.

To conclude, a job or a work or an occupation can be said to be a profession only when professionals have got all the above said criteria. Of late, only engineering, medicine, law, and business administration can be called professions.

The sanitation work, driving, sports can not be called professions as they are lack the above said criteria.