Your bosses, coworkers, and clients all have certain expectations for you. They expect you to perform the duties of your job, but they also expect that you’ll perform those duties in a certain way–in a word, they expect you to exhibit professionalism. While being professional can mean different things in different fields, below is a list of ten items that can help you be more professional in any occupation.

  1. Be punctual: Lateness is a sign of disrespect, so be sure to always come to work and meetings on time. Don’t be afraid to be early, either!
  2. Be prepared: If you don’t have the tools and materials to do your job, it looks like you don’t care about your job. Organize yourself and come to work ready to overcome any challenge.
  3. Body language: The smallest details of how we interact with others can have the most impact on their impression of us. Look people in the eye, stand up straight, and always maintain good posture.
  4. Dress appropriately: Just like with body language, how you present yourself makes a tremendous difference with how others perceive you. Wear clothes that show you take your job and yourself seriously.
  5. Have a good attitude: Staying positive and treating others with respect shows that you can handle challenges and setbacks responsibly and that you value your peers.
  6. Communicate well: Be sure to respond to messages in a timely fashion. If you ignore phone calls and emails and take days or weeks to apply, you look like you don’t care about the person who sent it or what they have to say.
  7. Criticize constructively: When you want to point out something that a coworker or client has done incorrectly or could improve upon, do so in such a way that doesn’t insult them, but empowers them to do better next time.
  8. Follow up: After meetings or completing a task, for example, be sure to check-in and go over what you discussed or did so that everyone involved is on the same page and that expectations are clear.
  9. Celebrate success: When you achieve a certain milestone or a coworker does a good job, acknowledge the moment! It demonstrates that you are proud of both your work and your coworkers.
  10. Go above and beyond: When you do only the minimum required of you, you show that you don’t really care about what you’re doing. Exceeding the call of duty can inspire others to do the same and shows that you’re committed to doing exemplary work.