What does it Mean to be a Professional - Public Sector Aces

Remigijus Šimašius
President of Lithuanian Free Market Institute

Work in the Institute is a continuous project, full of important achievements. I am personally very happy about the fact, that the knowledge me and my colleagues spread to the others help people to increase their economic freedom and to prevent the government from a major interference – force the government to collect less taxes and to regulate less. It is a paradox, but I am personally most happy about the things because of which I usually receive most of the public critics. I could mention a few latest examples: public argumentation about the changes of the bread and milk prices (which is totally different from the one declared by nearly all of the politicians) or about the reasons why education is a service, which has its own price.

Šarūnas Birutis
Member of European Parliament
 
The main thing is to strive for a set goal and to stay an optimist, even if at some point your aspiration might look absolutely hopeless. Nobody is born a professional businessman; you have to become a professional businessman thanks to your efforts and positive persistence.

I recall my work at the Ministry of Economy as a period of the most professional activities. During this period I dealt with the issues of small and medium business, participated in creating a strategy for business incubators. I took different actions that small business in Lithuania would receive more attention. That is essential.
    

Daiva Jakaitė
Head of European Parliament information office in Lithuania

It is essential to have a goal and to put all the efforts to achieve it. In addition, it is crucial to be curious, to desire as much as possible, to learn as much as possible, to take an active interest in everything, what goes on around. There are always new things that I would be eager to get acquainted with, to learn, to understand – starting with learning new languages and getting to know new cultures and finishing with very specific professional knowledge or learning to draw or even understanding what a fixer does while fixing something in my apartment…

Let’s look at the babies – many times during the same day they firmly declare “I myself!”. This firm declaration and persistence help them to learn the simplest things – to dress themselves, to eat, to ride a bike, later to go to a shop and yet later to discover the most exiting things at school, in the books.
While growing and maturing a young person learns how to take care about himself and how to be responsible for his actions. I suppose that the competition PROFAS gives a unique possibility for young people to tell “I myself!” and to try to do this in business.

Kęstutis  Sadauskas
Head of European Commission representation in Lithuania

To learn all life long. To be curious and open-minded. To seek for a set goal insistently. I could name the participation in the negotiations on Lithuania’s accession to the European Union as the most professional project.

Jurgis Vilčinskas
Head of Press and Information Division at European Commission representation in Lithuania

Somebody has joked that you cannot allow a professional to create a piece of music. Nevertheless I claim that all other activities together with creativity, inspiration, natural entrepreneurship or diligence cannot survive without a piece of professionalism. It is professionalism, which usually distinguishes an average decision from a good one and an applicable idea from a perfect one. It is not a goal to be a professional, it is the way of living and thinking, a desire to be curious and open-minded irrespective of the epoch, fashion or prevailing ideology. 
   

Jonas Ragauskas
Director of the Estate Culture Centre

Probably there is no single formula speaking about the real professionalism. For me professionalism is a mix of knowledge, experience, energy and, most important, wisdom, from which some activities, giving a positive added value or relatively the best decisions are born at the appropriate time and in the appropriate place. It is very difficult to notice it or to evaluate it for oneself, but there is one very clear criterion – you are recognized as a real professional by the others.

Žilvinas Šilėnas
Advisor of Leo LT chairman for market and economy

It is important to improve yourself, to work consistently and not to forget that your road to the goal is not a straight line.