The professional services They are those that are related to the hiring of a professional, that is, a specialist in a specific area or sector who has specific training for a task. This ability normally translates into a professional degree obtained from a higher educational institution, such as universities, and a variable amount of work experience, that is, previous work done in the area.
Both natural persons and legal entities can offer professional services in an area. If a psychologist decides to organize with other colleagues and form a company to serve larger clients, they will have founded a professional services organization that will be contracted by other companies.
Characteristics of professional services
Broadly speaking, professional services are characterized by the following:
- They are usually services of a fixed duration, with a specific start and end, and a goal established from the beginning.
- They are not remunerated through a regular salary, but through the payment of an amount agreed between the parties. In the same way, there is a contract (formal or informal) between them, but not a dependency employment relationship.
- They are often hired for short periods or for specific projects, at the end of which the service ends altogether.
- They require an academic guarantee (a degree or diploma) that guarantees the minimum knowledge of the subject by the professional or professionals.
- Knowledge and intellectual work predominate in their activities, above crafts and effort. That is why they cannot be provided without prior training.
Examples of professional services
The following are examples of professional services:
- A law firm. A company that provides legal advice and representation to its clientele through the professional services of its member lawyers.
- an architecture firm. A company that through its architects provides professional architectural design and consulting services.
- A psychotherapeutic consultation. A space available for a psychologist or psychoanalyst to meet with their patients and provide them with advice to deal with their emotional and affective problems in the best possible way.
- a personal accountant. A professional service in which an accountant advises the client regarding the organization of his finances, helping him to better manage his wealth and pay his taxes correctly.
- A creative writing workshop. A set of group or individual sessions in which a literary professional helps other beginning or aspiring writers to refine and develop their respective literary works.
- A legal consultant. a service of outsourcing or consultancy in legal affairs, which consists of a specialist (usually a lawyer) visiting a company and without being part of it, collaborates with the regulation of its legal affairs.
- A medical consultation. A space, generally in a hospital or private clinic, in which a doctor or a group of them attend to the physiological ailments of their patients.
- A recruitment service. a service of outsourcing or consultancy in matters of human resources (HR), provided by a company of professionals to another. The professionals are in charge of selecting the best personnel available for the company, through the application of the knowledge of industrial psychologists and other specialists in the area.
- A speech therapy. A service in which a communication and speech specialist receives his patients and helps them overcome their speech disorders (such as stuttering) and other language areas.
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References
- “Professional” on Wikipedia.
- “Professional services” on Wikipedia (English).
- “What are professional services?” in BBVA.
- “What are professional services?” in Euroinnova.
- “Important differences that separate Professional Services from employment relationship” in Summa Magazine.