There have always been professionals in our industry, sprinkled about like gold flakes in the mud. And other IT people have often meant well but been ill-equipped for the task.

And yes there have been those who exploited the immaturity of the system: the ethically and motivationally challenged who went for a ride. They blew their school years and they don’t like to work hard, but they were blessed with brains. So they are smart enough to bluff their way in to the high-paying positions of our industry.

However a sea change is underway in the IT industry. Leading the way are the project managers, who have had formal bodies of knowledge and accreditation for some time. Now it is the ITSM practitioners with emerging ITIL and ISO20000 accreditation and the first baby steps of professional organisations.

We still have a long way to go to meet the levels of best practice set by other industries. A professional is measured by three attributes: their attitude, development and ability.

Attitude

Why do dentists promote oral hygiene? A doctor wants to keep you alive as long as possible to maximise revenue, but why should a dentist care how you look after your teeth, other than to create a more pleasant work environment?

Because they are professionals. First and foremost a professional acts in the best interests of their customer, not themselves.

And why are dentists expensive? Cheap dentists are rare and don’t stay around long, because customers want a quality job when someone is working inside their skull. The second attitude of professionals is a commitment to a quality result.

Actually, that is the third. The second attitude is commitment to a result. Professionals want to build something, want to see their work completed, want to deliver an outcome to their customer/employer.

Finally professionals tend to be tidy. They cover all the details, tie up loose ends, seek completeness.

Development

The term “engineer” is bandied about the IT industry at times, but almost nobody in our industry is an engineer.

A real engineer has a tertiary qualification. They studied physics, chemistry, advanced mathematics, programming, CAD/drafting, first aid. They studied other branches of engineering as well as their own so that they understand the basics of electronics, mechanics, optics, hydrology, and so on. They spent three or four years or more learning their trade, including practical experience. Many failed.

A real engineer doesn’t come straight out of university and design a hydroelectric dam. They serve apprenticeship, working with senior engineers to prove their mettle. Once they have enough experience and some good referees, engineers seek accreditation by their professional body.

Only then are they a real engineer.

And if they screw up, or bring the profession into disrepute, they will lose that accreditation.

The engineering profession sets the benchmark for professional development. Engineers are entrusted with millions of dollars of other people’s money in order to build complex systems. Many of these systems impact the well-being and safety of the public. Most of them are critical in some way to an organisation, and they either work or they don’t.