Lesson 2:

Professional standards and

expectations

LESSON 2:
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS
1
 By the end of this unit a student will be able
to:
Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit students will be able to:

1. Explore the importance of ongoing professional development and self-directed learning to

enhance professional identity and career opportunities

2. Assess own skills, competences and the different learning and development approaches

3. Design a professional development plan, within a specific work context

4. Demonstrate a range of service industry and transferable skills for a job application.

LESSON 2:
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS
2
Pass , Merit and Distinction criteria For this
section

LESSON 2:
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS
3
NEED FOR SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING TO ENHANCE
PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
AND ITS ROLE WITHIN THE WORK PLACE AND FOR
HIGHER LEVEL LEARNING

LESSON 2:
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS
4
Importance of professional standards and expectations:

Personal presentation and appearance, appropriateness of appearance in specific

contexts e.g. events versus Michelin-starred restaurant, role-appropriate dress
code and appearances, and Chef versus Front of House receptionist

Importance of projecting the brand image

Maintaining professional standards – conduct in the workplace, representation out

of work

Working responsibly and ethically

LESSON 2:
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS
5
What is Personal presentation
appearance?
Personal presentation and appearance is all about marketing YOU, the brand
that is you. What others see you do and hear you say will influence their
opinion of you – so personal presentation is about painting yourself in as
positive a light as possible – always.

Personal presentation always involves at least two people, the person

presenting themselves (you) and the person receiving the presentation. It
can therefore be described as an interaction.

LESSON 2:
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS
6
Personal presentation and appearance is concerned with conveying appropriate signals for the
situation and for the other individuals involved. People who lack self-esteem and confidence
may fail to convey their message effectively or fully utilize their skills and abilities because of the
way they present themselves. By improving your personal presentation you improve your
communication skills and reduce barriers to understanding. Everybody presents themselves
differently and most can improve their personal presentation.

In an organizational context, personal presentation and appearance become essential in

situations where individuals face interviews, in meetings and events.

Lesson 2 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS 7

Appropriateness of appearance in
specific contexts
1. Wear business suits in basic colors.
2. Always be neat and clean including your teeth, fingernails, face, hair and even your shoes.
3. Keep your pockets empty and as much as possible avoid tinkling coins or keys and bulges.
4. Avoid eating candies, smoking cigarettes and chewing gum when you are inside the office.
5. Use portfolio case or light briefcase when carrying important documents with you instead of
compiling these documents in folders and carrying these between your armpits.
6. As much as possible get rid of tattoos and body piercings for these will just make you look
untidy and unprofessional.
7. Wear light perfume and cologne and minimize using lots of jewelries.

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Some general tips for a hospitality job…
When you work at a job in the hospitality industry, you will most likely be given some sort of
uniform or specific guidelines about what to wear to work. Be sure to follow whatever
instructions you are given. If you are not told anything about the dress code, check with your
manager or the human resources department.

However, there are also some general rules you should keep in mind when dressing for work in
the hospitality industry. By dressing appropriately from day one, you will impress your manager
as well as the customers you serve.

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Some general tips for a hospitality job…
(Cont.)
❑Be professional
If you are given little direction on what to wear, dress in professional business attire.
This is particularly the case if you are working the front of house at a particularly conservative
restaurant or hotel, or if you are in a management position. If the atmosphere is more casual, or
if you are part of the back of house staff, such as a cook or housekeeper, you can dress in
business casual attire.
For men, this might mean chinos and a dress shirt, with or without a tie. For women, this can
mean pants and a blouse or a sheath dress.

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Some general tips for a hospitality job…
(Cont.)
❑Make the customer stand out, not your clothes
In hospitality, your job is to serve the customer. Therefore, you don’t want your clothing to stand
out so much that it distracts from the customers. Avoid flashy jewelry or lots of makeup. Also,
keep your colors neutral—blacks, grays, browns, and dark blues are best. You can always add a
pop of color with a scarf, simple necklace, or colored blouse under a neutral blazer or cardigan.

Lesson 2 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS 11

Some general tips for a hospitality job…
(Cont.)
❑Wear comfortable shoes
Almost anyone in the hospitality industry will tell you this is a lesson you will learn quickly after
being on your feet all day. Wear shoes that you can walk in for long periods of time. Comfortable
black loafers or, if the environment is casual, black sneakers are good choices. Try to find shoes
with nonslip soles; you don’t want to slip while holding a plate of food.

❑Take care of your clothes

Whatever you end up wearing to work, be sure it is tailored (not too tight or loose), washed, and
ironed. Shoes should be clear of scuffs or stains. Customers will be distracted if you look messy,
so be sure your look is clean and polished.

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Some general tips for a hospitality job…
(Cont.)
❑Develop good grooming habits
Your clothes matter, but so does the way you present the rest of yourself. Like your clothing and
makeup, your hairstyle should not be too distracting. If you work in the food industry, you want
your hair out of your face—and away from the food. Put your hair up, cover it up, or wear it
short. Pay special attention to the cleanliness of your hands too and make sure that your nails
are clipped short and free of any dirt.

Lesson 2 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS 13

Role-appropriate dress code and
appearances
❑For a Restaurant Job
•Front of house staff
In a restaurant hosts, servers, and bartenders (the front of house staff) will typically be asked to
wear solid colored slacks or a skirt, a solid colored button down, or a collared or logo shirt.
Sometimes there will be an apron or hat to pull the look together.
•Back of house staff
Chefs, cooks, and their assistants typically wear a chef coat with slacks and comfortable closed-
toe shoes. Women can wear button-down shorts and dress pants, a skirt and blouse, or a dress.

Lesson 2 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS 14

Role-appropriate dress code and
appearances (Cont.)
❑For a hotel job
Hotels often require uniforms or offer very specific guidelines for what to wear to work. As an
employee, you are a representative of the hotel, and you need to dress appropriately.

If you have little guidance on what to wear, dress in business professional attire, avoiding
anything too flashy. Keep jewelry to a minimum; piercings and tattoos should be covered when
possible; hair and makeup should be conservative.

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Role-appropriate dress code and
appearances (Cont.)
❑For resort or spa job
Resorts, spas, and clubs vary in their dress codes according to your position and their location.
For example, a tropical resort is going to have more casual standards than a spa in a
metropolitan city.

There may well be a uniform required, or a jacket or coat to wear with your own conservative
clothing. Again, remember to wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes.

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Role-appropriate dress code and
appearances (Cont.)
•Comfortable shoes are particularly important in the hospitality industry. Make sure you are
wearing shoes that you can walk around in for a long shift. Also be sure to keep long hair away
from your face, perhaps in a bun, ponytail, or braid, or wrap it in a headscarf.

•You also want to be well groomed, particularly your nails. If you are touching food in any way,
you will need to have clean hands.

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Role-appropriate dress code and
appearances (Cont.)
❑What to Wear to a Hospitality Interview
•Dress a bit more formal than the staff
Before the interview, check out what the employees are wearing. If you aren’t sure what they
wear, call the manager and ask. Dress a bit more formal than the employees. For example, if
everyone is wearing shorts and a T-shirt, wear something business casual, like chinos and a polo
shirt. If everyone wears a suit and tie, wear your best suit.
Generally, you will also dress a bit more formally if you are applying for a job in a manager or
supervisor role, like a hotel manager or restaurant manager. For women, this might mean a suit,
dress pants, and a blouse, or a dress and cardigan. For men, this might mean slacks and a
button-down and tie, or a suit.

Lesson 2 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS 18

Role-appropriate dress code and
appearances (Cont.)
•Look polished
Make sure that not only is your outfit appropriate, but also that your entire look is polished.
Wash and iron (or dry clean) your outfit right before wearing it. Complete the look with
professional, polished shoes. Make sure your hair is well groomed as well. All of these little
things will help complete your professional look.

Lesson 2 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS 19

Role-appropriate dress code and
appearances (Cont.)
•Fit in with the culture
While you want to look polished, be sure to fit in with the company culture. For example, you
don’t want to wear a suit and tie if everyone that works at the organization wears shorts and a
tank top. If you’re working for a trendy new hotel, you might get away with wearing a more
fashionable or stylish top or dress. However, when in doubt, it is better to dress conservatively.

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Importance of projecting the brand
image
Brand image is important for any business. When consumers buy a product or service, they
aren't just buying a product or service; they're buying what your brand stands for. That's why it's
so important to design your brand image to convey exactly what you want it to say.
One of the first and most direct points of contact a company has with its customers is through
its employees. At each level of an organization, employees have an opportunity to influence the
perception of a company’s brand during these critical points of contact.
A company’s dedicated and able workforce is an important asset in developing customer loyalty.
Long-term relationships and customer loyalty are directly related to the level of service and
brand image created through daily contact between the company’s customers and its
employees.

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Maintaining professional standards
❑Conduct in the workplace
Maintaining professionalism and good conduct in the workplace is very important to all types of
jobs. This quality is particularly important for Hospitality, Travel and Tourism employees since
they interact with customers on a regular basis. Following aspects count as good conduct in the
workplace.
•Be punctual
•Dress appropriately
•Offer assistance to collogues
•Do not hide from your mistakes
•Try to stay positive always

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❑Representation out of work
Representing your workplace does not limit to work situations. Hospitality employees have to
maintain professional standards out of work as well. Always remember that you are brand
ambassadors of your organization.

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Working responsibly and ethically
What is responsibility?
Responsibility is the fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over
someone. It is very important to be accountable for the tasks that you are supposed to fulfill in
your job role.
E.g.: 1. It is the responsibility of a hotel manager to decide on the roaster for the hotel
employees
2. Human resource manager has the responsibility to ensure that salaries and wages are
accurately calculated for all staff based on the number of hours they have worked

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What are ethics?
Ethics refers to the moral principles relating to the perception of what is good and bad.
Non- compliance with ethics/ behaving in an unethical way does not count for being illegal; as ethics are
not covered by the legal system. Following are some common examples of ethical violation in the work
place.
E.g.: 1. Misusing company time
2. Employee theft
3. Abusive behavior
4. Non adherence to quality standards (sourcing ingredients that are not up to the expected quality
level)

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Corporations and non-profits have codes of ethics to assist workers in determining if certain
behaviors are appropriate and acceptable in their dealings with clients and outside agencies.
Examples of governed behaviors include:
▪Giving or accepting of gifts or services between an employee and a client or official
▪Making promises regarding company performance and responsibilities
▪Profiting from, or enabling others to profit from, inside information regarding company
performance, financial stability or internal problems

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