what does "unprofessional" mean?

there's a secondary meaning--used more and more prevalently, i think-- which is something like "introducing personal elements into what is supposed to be an impersonal relationship." to be unprofessional is to make things personal, hold grudges, to make any kind of value judgment not in accordance with professional standards (ie, profit, etc).

yeah was going to just say "letting your personal shit become a problem at work"

I'd say that there's this new kind of anti-professionalism or post-professionalism or maybe professionalism on steroids in the tech world where it's not just about inhabiting an expected and understood role during work hours, but rather there is pressure to give a sense that *this is who you are*.

where i work is p techy, agile etc, tho weirdly also it's civil service, and i would say post-professionalism describes it well. it's okay to be a person, have feelings, have individuality, say what you think, etc. but i still think there are lines of professionalism. it would be unprofessional to insult someone i guess. it might be unprofessional to start wearing a suit and talking about timekeeping.

Class side of that "business never personal" view is that if you're underpaid or overworked that shouldn't impact your work performance. keep wage concerns separate from work concerns, don't talk about your work conditions with other workers : it precludes organization.

Going back to the first example, maybe that nurse didn't think Jesus is the answer, but by giving that confused patient some higher thing to cling to, maybe she was being professional?

Maybe.

I've worked in IT for 20 years and in the late 90s, professionalism wasn't a thing at all - they were cool with goths and punks and nerds as long as everyone was pro on the phone to customers. things changed after the dot com crash tho. it became all about KPIs and stats. never mind being nice to customers just get em off the phone as fast as possible. I'd say my industry warped professionalism into something bean county. not sure my point here.

I've worked in IT for well never mind years, and unprof can be everything between having every line break with the comma at the beginning of the line rather than the end, or not having f and c words in yr comments sections.

I'm a bit sketchy on historic detail but I'm aware that the idea of 'profession' was something that was consciously developed between the late 17th and mid 19th century. It had a code of conduct that helped legitimise it, it also tended to have a lingo of its own that helped keep out those who hadn't undergone the correct education process.
So unprofessional is to go against those guidelines for behaviour, dress and language that are perceived to be part of that package of being professional. Not sure how narrowly defined what being professional is these days so wonder what leeway there is before one becomes 'unprofessional'.
But as has been said it has got to do with sloppiness, ignorance and other negative attributes that mean one is falling far below expected standards.

"they were cool with goths and punks and nerds"

dont think we've endorsed any idea of professionalism itt that makes these attributes relevant tho trayce?

I mean no doubt theres a view out there that professionalism is something to do with yr personal style or appearance but id be surprised if anyone on ilx (or under 50) still thought that

On a basic level, professionalism as it applies to my job is governed by numerous rigidly defined codes of practice like an ISO quality management system, scientific convention, any number of H&S laws, EU directives &c. Beyond that, it's a relaxed enough workplace that I never really find myself thinking ito professionalism vs unprofessionalism

Also when I typed unprofessionalism just then my phone wanted to correct to "unprofessional momism"

In a service economy, the expectation of "professionalism" creeps into jobs that are not "professions." Speaking of an "unprofessional" longshoreman seems ridiculous, but someone in a far less skilled job such as a walmart cashier might (absurdly) be called "unprofessional" if he excessively discussed his personal life with customers.

Part of the bitterness of shit jobs expecting 'professionalism' lies in the way a real traditional profession (doctor, lawyer, teacher) has (perhaps imaginary these days) career progression lined up eventually resulting in a nice house and big family who surround you on your deathbed, and this is invoked every time a miserable authority figure reads out the professional standards expected of you.

That's the bitterness - the threat comes from the way certain shark-like people are able to get away with being total bullies and stay on in their position by keeping to the letter of the law (dress-code, what words to use, etc).

Another really interesting thing about professionalism is how if you turn up at a shit job suited and booted, keep your conversation strictly to work-related matters, show yourself as eager to fit in with the expected standards, etc, you will become a figure of hate/ridicule for everyone else who works there. Including the managerial caste who are pushing professionalism - so in a sense, it's not about the standards themselves exactly, so much as about having to have a super-keen sense of when and when not to fit those standards

Which personally I find nearly impossible - oh for it to be so simple as turn up looking smart and focus on the job