The difference between a worker and a professional – and why it matters

I was asked recently what LinkedIn means when we use the term ‘professional’ to describe our members. It’s an interesting question. Being a professional used to mean that you had a very specialised set of skills or qualifications, or that you had to meet particular ethical standards (such as those of doctors or lawyers, for example). More recently, it’s been used to mean upwardly mobile, white-collar office workers. I’d argue though, that being a professional means something broader than this – and much more empowering. It’s less about how you earn a living and more about the way you think and feel about earning a living.

When I think about our professional audience, I don’t just think in terms of people who have particular jobs or particular skills; I think of people who have a particular approach to growing and applying their skills in order to fulfill their aspirations; who see their working life as a journey where they are constantly learning and developing. This distinction matters to marketers, in particular, because it means the professional mindset is often very different to the state of mind associated with just ‘being at work’. Here are three of those differences that help to explain why, when it comes to influencing people’s choices and behaviour, it’s the professional mindset that you want to engage: