Do you consider people who do portrait work at Walmart, Sears etc to be professionals

[Kerbouchard]

The word professional is overused. For what it's worth, so is the word 'Engineer'. A McDonald's Fry cook is not a chef. He is a McDonald's Fry cook. Nothing wrong with that. Heck, I like fries from McDonald's, but he doesn't produce the quality a chef does and he does not get compensated the same.

IMO, the only 'professionals' that work at Walmart would be in the Pharmaceutical section or perhaps the Vision section. Everybody else is just a worker, and trust me, that's how Walmart treat's them, too.

As far as Sears or JC Pennies, I would say there aren't any Professionals, at all, that work at their retail stores. I'm sure they employ engineers, attorneys, and accountants, but they aren't ringing you up or working at the Portrait Center.

The word professional has become perverted. It used to mean somebody with a unique skill set, and it usually comes with some initials before or after the name. I refuse to extend that title to an equipment operator at a chain store.

 

[Ron Evers]

The best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen, health or strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever.

Oh how I wish that were true, since my heart surgery I cannot remember squat. I cannot even remember the names of people i worked beside for years.

 

[Patrice]

Patrice, you forgot architects.

Correct. Nunavut and the Yukon are the only two jurisdictions in Canada that do not have professional legislation for architecture. Geologists and geophysicists are also practitioners in professions and in Alberta, for example, are grouped in with engineers: The Association of Professional Engineers Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta.

 

[Ron Evers]

Patrice, next time we are down your way we will have to meet up. We go to the other side of the river in Broaadlands where my wife is from, only 7 miles from Campbellton.

 

[Patrice]

Patrice, next time we are down your way we will have to meet up. We go to the other side of the river in Broaadlands where my wife is from, only 7 miles from Campbellton.

That would be great. Must warn you though, I'm an old fart with old fart ways. My jeans are at my waist and my hat is on the right way round.

 

[naptime]

Patrice, next time we are down your way we will have to meet up. We go to the other side of the river in Broaadlands where my wife is from, only 7 miles from Campbellton.

That would be great. Must warn you though, I'm an old fart with old fart ways. My jeans are at my waist and my hat is on the right way round.

 

[Kerbouchard]

The best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen, health or strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever.

Oh how I wish that were true, since my heart surgery I cannot remember squat. I cannot even remember the names of people i worked beside for years.

Well, for what it's worth, that line was written in simpler times and spoken by a character from the 12th century.

As far as your memory, I hope it comes back, but even if the names are forgotten, those people probably helped shape you into what you are, today, so the quote is not entirely false.

 

[xnoirox]

The definition goes both ways.
Paid = Professional
Skilled&Paid = Professional.

 

[rgregory1965]

Paid = professional. That's all there is to it.

+1

 

[Ron Evers]

Patrice, next time we are down your way we will have to meet up. We go to the other side of the river in Broaadlands where my wife is from, only 7 miles from Campbellton.

That would be great. Must warn you though, I'm an old fart with old fart ways. My jeans are at my waist and my hat is on the right way round.

Laf, just like me.

 

[rokvi]

Blackrose89 A professional is also someone who is trained in their "profession". Paid does not always equal professional imo. jwbryson1 a tradesman is "trained" in an area of expertise making him a "professional"....Thats only my opinion.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/members/92527.html

 

[skieur]

I'm going to be a pedant for bit just because I want to.

In a strict legal sense of the word, in Canada anyway, a 'profession' exist through a specific act of the legislative assembly of a province. A person becomes a professional in a chosen field after passing a set of qualifying exams and completing a specified period of specialized and professional education and supervised work. Only other members of a profession are empowered to admit new members and the professional governing committee has the power to sanction members. The professions are self governing with a set of self imposed rules and methods of practice and are guided by a strict and well defined code of ethics. The classical professions in Canada are medicine, engineering, law and land surveying.

By this definition no photographer of any sort is a 'professional' since anybody at all can set up a shingle and start taking pictures, whereas there are real and severe legal repercussions to someone starting a legal, medical, engineering or land surveying practice without the proper accreditation from the governing body of those professions.

In order to teach(elementary or secondary school) in the publicly funded schools in Canada, you are required to be a member of the teachers' association and to have your teacher's degree/certificate etc. That would seem to make them professionals too.

skieur

 

[vtf]

My opinion is alittle different than some. I believe if you have chosen it as a career field and your superiors and peers feel your work is within the quality necessary to be successful doing what you're doing, then you're professional. I never considered myself a professional in my field until years after my superiors had been calling me one.

 

[tirediron]

Patrice, you forgot architects.

And the profession of arms. Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen, are also professionals in the strict, legal sense.

 

[Patrice]

Is the education and apprenticeship curriculum for teachers set by their association and is the certification issued by their association?

In a professional association every member is an equal to every other member of the association, all members have the exact same rights and privileges. Is private equal to a general? Does the private have a say in who becomes a general?