What Professionalism means for NWCOs

Okay, so technically speaking, not every job is a profession. The term usually applies to fields that have established educational requirements, codes of ethics, and licenses, such as doctors and lawyers. But that's really nitpicky. The word "professional" means a lot more than that, and it can apply to any job. In fact, it doesn't matter if you work part-time or full-time. A part-timer might be more professional than someone who's running a business. Whether you're a street cleaner or a rocket scientist, you can behave in a professional way (or not).

"A professional wildlife control operator is a person with demonstrated expertise in the art and science of applying the principles of wildlife damage management to the sound resolution of wildlife conflicts with humans."

—excerpted from the National Wildlife Control Operators Association's (NWCOA) application for professional certification

Let's talk about what professionalism means for NWCOs. Are you proud of your work? Do you have good reasons to be proud?

Professionalism means that throughout your working life, you will improve your knowledge, your skills, your wisdom, and your conduct. Think about those four words.

Knowledge is not the same as wisdom. (Anyone with a teenager is probably painfully aware of that.) When you hear about a business scandal, the people involved may have had some of these traits, such as knowledge or skills, but probably not all four aspects. It's the balance of the four, and the way they influence each other, that makes someone a professional—knowledge and skills, conduct that's tempered by wisdom.

"I don't claim to be a mechanic because I can change the oil in my car, or a dentist because I can brush my teeth. So what defines the wildlife damage management professional? ...technical and ethical standards.

First, the professional must have the highest possible technical standards. This includes performing to the best of your abilities and standing behind your work. It includes turning down a job or referring it to another technical expert whenever your skills are not appropriate or sufficient. It includes seeking out educational opportunities to continuously upgrade your skills.

In addition, wildlife damage management professionals must have high ethical standards. [They must be committed] to resolving damage complaints, [and to following] applicable laws and regulations. [They need] to respect—not necessarily agree—[with] varying viewpoints on the tools and strategies involved in wildlife damage management. These standards are in addition to traits like honesty, integrity, and sincerity, which all professionals should have..."

—excerpted from Dr. Robert H. Schmidt's column, "The Professional Touch: The Wildlife Damage Management Professional" in the Feb./March 1993 issue of Animal Damage Control 1(1):25-26.

Many professions create a code of ethics, defining their own standards for acceptable conduct and practices. Some people may choose to adopt the code of ethics as a way to demonstrate their support for these values, but of course, those who don't aren't necessarily unethical. It just may not suit their styles. People who do adopt the code of ethics, however, are telling the public, their customers, and their peers that they will follow these guidelines for professional behavior.

In 1992, Dr. Schmidt proposed a voluntary code of ethics for wildlife damage management professionals, which has been discussed by many people who work with wildlife, including NWCOs, wildlife biologists, and researchers. Some industry trade associations are also promoting standards, such as NWCOA's professional certification program, which judges applicants based on their expertise, education, experience, and ability to represent the profession as an ethical practitioner.

On the next page, you'll find a code of ethics based on those of NWCOA and Dr. Schmidt. (The two codes are similar.)

Next Section (Learning objectives)