Profession and Professional

Talha Saleem
Is freelancing on Fiverr or
driving Uber a profession
or just an occupation?
Photo by @hsntiwanaa
 Imagine your neighborhood cricket ground.
Anyone can pick up a bat and play cricket.

That’s like an occupation — you’re doing

work, you’re getting paid, but there are no
strict rules or certifications.
 Imagine playing for the Pakistan National Team.
To get there, you need training, fitness tests,
selection trials, coaching, and discipline.

That’s like a profession — Same basic activity

(playing cricket), but a totally different level
of accountability and standards.
Stock image from Alamy
 Imagine driving a car for Uber or Careem.
Anyone with a basic license can do it.

That’s like an occupation — you’re doing

work, you’re getting paid, but there are no
strict rules beyond basic traffic laws.
Image from Disciples of Flight
 Imagine flying a passenger airplane as a pilot.
To get there, you need years of specialized training, licenses, medical
tests, ongoing certifications, and strict accountability because people’s
lives depend on you.

That’s like a profession — Same basic idea

(transporting people), but a completely different
level of knowledge, responsibility, and standards.
If you broke your ankle, would you rather
go to a Karakay nikalne wala (occupation)
or
to a qualified doctor with years of training
and a medical license (profession)?
Is Computing a Profession?
Origins of Professions
Hunters and Gatherers
Agrarian Revolution
Industrial Revolution
ICT Revolution
What Makes Something a Profession?
What Makes Something a Profession?
1. Specialized Knowledge

▪ Without deep knowledge, you can’t call it a profession.

Formal Education (Accreditation by a third party)

What Makes Something a Profession?
1. Specialized Knowledge
What Makes Something a Profession?
2. Skill Development

▪ Education gives you theory, but skills are refined in practice.

Skills are about applying knowledge like internships,

hackathons, or real-world projects.
What Makes Something a Profession?
3. Licensing

▪ Professions usually require an official license to practice.

It’s society’s way of saying: we trust you because you passed

strict tests.
What Makes Something a Profession?
3. Licensing

Should software engineers be licensed?

What Makes Something a Profession?
3. Licensing

Should software engineers be licensed?

▪ Some argue: If code can injure people, require a license like
medicine.
▪ Others warn: Licensing will slow innovation and lock people
out.
What Makes Something a Profession?
3. Licensing (Certifications)
What Makes Something a Profession?
4. Professional Society (Code of Ethics)

▪ A profession serves society, not just individual gain.

▪ Professions have communities and associations that set
standards and ethics.

These groups define ethics codes, share knowledge, and

represent the profession.
What Makes Something a Profession?
4. Professional Society (Code of Ethics)
What Makes Something a Profession?
5. Professional Development

▪ A true profession is not a one-time degree.

▪ Professionals keep learning, updating, and adapting.

This means lifelong learning, upgrading skills in AI,

cybersecurity, cloud, etc., and keeping pace with technology.
Who is a Professional?
Who is a Professional?
1. Expert Knowledge
▪ Set of highly developed skills and Deep knowledge of the domain
▪ Skills developed through experience
▪ Skills must be backed-up by well-developed knowledge base
▪ Shallow knowledge could be damaging
▪ Decisions require understanding, analysis, and adoption of concepts to suit the
environment
▪ Technicians vs. Engineers / Scientists
Who is a Professional?
2. Autonomy
▪ Professionals provide either products or services
▪ Power Balance – Provider vs. Receiver
▪ Professional: ▪ Non-Professional:
▪ The Power Play is in favor of the Professional ▪ The Power Play is in favor of the Customer
▪ Lawyer and a Client ▪ Auto-Mechanic and a Client
▪ Physician and a Patient
▪ Engineer and a Customer

▪ Varying the way – Professional vs. Non-Professional

▪ Marked differences in the way the service is provided
Who is a Professional?
3. Internal Governance

4. Service to Society

CODE OF CONDUCT
1. Developed over a period of
time

2. Based on either the Religion Community

or the Culture Code

3. May be imposed by the Civil

Law
1. Imposed by the Institution / tutional Co
Organization
sti d

In

e
Community
2. Meant to build and maintain
Code
the public’s confidence in
the Institution and its
Employees
 r so nal Code
1. Individual Moral Pe
Guidelines t utional Co
sti d

In

e
2. Mostly acquired from
Community
the Cultural Environment
Code

3. Supplements the
Professional Code
Significantly
 e s si onal Cod
1. Set of Guidelines –
rof e
P
What a Professional r so nal Code
Pe
ought to do and
t ut ional Co
not to do sti d

In

e
2. Protects – Image of Community
the Profession and Code
that of Professional

3. Professionals are
required to adhere
the Code
Kunien ka maindak
Conflicting Codes
Company asks you to develop a system that
facilitates interest-based loans.
Client asks you to implement a system that
violates income tax and labor laws.
 Client asks you to
implement a system
that violates income
tax and labor laws.
4 Pillars of Professionalism
4 Pillars of Professionalism
1. Commitment

Doing what you promise, even if it’s hard. Being

reliable and dependable.

Mesbah Case Study

4 Pillars of Professionalism
1. Commitment
▪ The person making the commitment must do so willingly without duress
▪ The person responsible must try to meet the commitment, even if help is needed
▪ There must be agreement on what is to be done, by whom, and when
▪ The commitment must be openly and publicly stated
▪ The commitment must not be made easily
▪ Prior to the committed date, if it is clear it cannot be met, advance notice must be given and a new
commitment negotiated
4 Pillars of Professionalism
2. Integrity

Honesty, incorruptibility, and acting in line with your

values.

Not lying about your skills, not plagiarizing code, and

not misusing client data.
4 Pillars of Professionalism
2. Integrity
▪ Three Maxims of Integrity:
1. Vision
Capacity to anticipate and make a plan of action
Sign of Good Leadership
Initiative, Autonomy, Authority
2. Love of what is doing
People do better if they love what they do
3. Commitment
Bonds until it is done
4 Pillars of Professionalism
2. Integrity
4 Pillars of Professionalism
3. Responsibility

Owning the outcomes of your actions - good or bad.

If a bug causes downtime, you don’t shift blame; you

work to fix it and learn from it.
4 Pillars of Professionalism
3. Responsibility
▪ Deals with Roles, Tasks, Actions, and Consequences
▪ Various Types: Professional, Personal, Communal, Parental etc.
▪ Responsibilities vary depending on age/role
▪ Professional Responsibilities as a Provider:
▪ Product Responsibilities
▪ Service Responsibilities
▪ Consequential Responsibilities
4 Pillars of Professionalism
4. Accountability

Being answerable for your commitments and

responsibilities, with transparency.

Tracking progress, reporting honestly, and accepting

consequences if targets aren’t met.
4 Pillars of Professionalism
4. Accountability
Process:
▪ Setting Measurable Goals, Planning what needs to be done to meet those Goals, Reporting Progress
towards Goals, Evaluating the Reports, and Using that feedback to make Improvements
Three Key Elements:
1. A set of outcome measures that reliably and objectively evaluate performance
2. A set of performance standards defined in terms of these outcome measures
3. A set of incentives for meeting the standards and/or penalties for failing to meet them
4 Pillars of Professionalism
4. Accountability
4 Pillars of Professionalism
4. Accountability
4 Pillars of Professionalism
1. Commitment
2. Integrity
3. Responsibility
4. Accountability
Thank You