Does the concept of professionalism apply to the creative industries?

To answer this question we first need to identify what it means to be professional. The Oxford dictionary defines being professional as: 

"Worthy of or appropriate to a professional person; competent, skilful, or assured."

Becoming professional within the creative industries isn't just about what kind of work you produce and how good it is, it spans from how your dress to how you communicate. 

Professionalism is a collective group of attributes that define you and the work you produce. 
Gaining a clients trust within the creative industry is a must but it can be a tough nut to crack. Seeming professional isn't as simple as going clean shaven and wearing a suit, it stems from a collective group of personal and technical skills. The Code of Professional Conduct lists all of the agreements and standards that professionals should follow. Attributes to becoming more professional include but are not strictly limited to:

1. Appearance: You don't want to show up to interviews or important meetings with clients looking like you had a rough night. Attending these occasions with tidy hair and smartly dressed will go a long way in improving your relationship with this person.
2. Responsibility: This is especially important when working as a freelancer but it does show people that you understand the load of work you take on and that you have a duty to follow through with any agreements you made. Working to deadlines is especially important within the web industry that this skill is incredibly useful to have.
3. Great knowledge in chosen field: A person with a great understanding of their field is a person more likely to get the job done correctly and within the given timeframe.
4. Confidence: Professionals are usually confident individuals, confidence can be built with specialized knowledge in your field, or from people and communication skills etc.
5. Trust: Can people count on you to get the work done? Have you dropped out of projects early before? Do you have a tendency to ride other peoples hard work and take the effort for yourself? Real professionals solve solutions, not back away from them and this aspect of your professional life will help you not only show trust but gain it from others.

These are some of the overarching attributes that can be closely linked to professionalism but what about your day to day working life? 

First of all, up on time looking clean and tidy and completing the work to a high standard in the given time frame allows people to see that you are passionate about what you do and hold yourself in high regards when it comes to the work you produce. Bellow is a good video example from the Gentleman's Gazette explaining how to dress appropriately for work in an office setting:

Being polite and respectful to everyone is a must. From clients to colleagues, being a nice person can go a long way in establishing connections with people. Becoming good at this skill allows you to oozes confidence and in turn makes you seem like a more likable and trustworthy individual.

These examples link together all of the above-mentioned attributes and overall makes you appear more knowledgeable and trustworthy to people you come into contact with.

The code of conduct also states that a professional should stay up to date on current technologies and continued professional development. This means that even once you have left a learning environment you should make an effort to learn new and upcoming technologies or continue to learn and grow your skills within a field you already know. A fantastic way to stay up to date when it comes to being in the creative industries is to use Reddit and subscribe to relevant subreddits, my favourites as a web developer/designer are:

• r/web_design
• r/javascript
• r/webdev

Websites such as behance, dribble, linkedin and twitter are also good ways of staying up to date with what people that work in your field are currently doing. These sites are incredibly useful for seeing upcoming trends and allows you to stay up to date and modern in your design.

To answer the question. Yes. The concept of being a professional within the creative industries applies significantly. Whether you are a freelancer or work within a team. Showing that you are professional builds trust, respect and therefore stronger relationships with the people you come into contact with. This will elevate your work and grant you better opportunities, granted you follow the code of conduct.

Sources
Gentleman's Gazette - What To Wear To The Office - Professional Outfit Tips when Dressing For Work - Published July 6, 2018
Oxford Dictionary - Definition of professional