What Are Professional Services? (Definition and Examples)

Professional services help individuals, companies or organizations accomplish tasks or meet goals. Many career fields offer services focused on creating positive outcomes for customers. Understanding what professional services are and the types of services available may help you market your own skill sets and find services that are useful for you. In this article, we define what professional services are and provide examples of different professional services in a variety of career fields.

What are professional services?

Professional services are nonphysical products or services that individuals or companies provide to customers to help them manage or improve a specific area of their businesses. For example, an acting coach offering lessons to actors could be a professional service. An individual offering professional services may have expertise in a niche area, like digital marketing, and provide services to a business to improve their digital marketing efforts. This type of professional service may be freelance, contract or private practice work.

Companies or firms can also provide professional services to customers. For example, a marketing agency might provide services to help a business expand its brand awareness or engagement. Both individual and company-provided professional services may charge billable hours or fixed rates.

Examples of professional services

Here are some examples of professional services across multiple career fields:

Computer science

Some professional services in computer science are:

• Information technology (IT) support: IT support specialists may troubleshoot technology issues, install or uninstall software and perform routine technology updates. They may also assist with coding or improve technology to benefit operations.

• Cybersecurity management: Cybersecurity professionals may help manage the protection of a company's online data and information. They can provide expertise for cloud security or security vulnerability management and address security breaches or incidents within a company.

• Web development and design: Web developers and designers may provide help with the development of a company's web presence, including websites and interactive online experiences. Developers may focus more on coding and back-end structure, while designers focus more on the visual appeal of websites.

• Software development: Software developers design and test programs, engineer technical solutions and maintain applications. Companies can use software developers to create innovative technology solutions that provide positive user experiences.

• User experience (UX) development: UX developers plan the production and features of products or services by examining the user's needs. Personalized experiences may help companies stay competitive in their market and persuade customers to return.

• User interaction (UI) development: UI developers build and maintain interactive product or service experiences. Companies may use interactivity to engage existing or potential customers in what they can offer.

Related: 20 Highest Paying Computer Science Jobs

Finance

Some professional services in finance are:

• Financial planning and advising: Financial planners and advisors can provide options or pathways for clients to meet their financial goals. They may also help individuals or companies make informed financial decisions and create short-term or long-term financial plans.

• Investment management: Investment managers help guide investment portfolios with personalized needs or goals. They may also help clients develop strategies for investing and diversifying their existing portfolios.

• Accounting: Accountants may advise clients on wealth management, help them with estate or trust planning and help them with taxes. They can specialize their advising methods depending on the needs of the client.

• Evaluation: Financial evaluators focus on identifying the financial value of items, including different appraisals like home appraisals, business appraisals or antique appraisals.

Related: 6 Types of Finance Jobs

Marketing

Some professional services in marketing are:

• Brand development: Brand developers may help develop, maintain and strategize a company's brand identity. They can provide services like logo design and development, style guide development and brand awareness strategies.

• Social media management: Social media managers can assist with social media planning, engagement growth and promoting company information. They may also research viral trends or industry news to help companies stay relevant online.

• Copywriting: Copywriters can help companies increase their online traffic. Their expertise may include search engine optimization (SEO) content and written advertising for products or services.

• Public relations: Public relations specialists help companies promote their brand, products or services. They may also help organize ad placements, television promotions or interviews.

• Paid advertising: Ad buyers provide companies or organizations with services to help them buy advertisement slots that will target their consumer audiences. Advertisement targeting is useful for companies to expand their reach and brand recognition.

Related: 15 Job Options in Content Marketing

Legal

Some professional legal services are:

• Corporate law: Corporate lawyers provide services to corporate companies, which may include helping with operations or the formation of corporations. They may also address potential compliance concerns.

• Intellectual property law: Intellectual property lawyers provide professional services regarding copyright, design patents and company secrets. These lawyers help individuals maintain property over their creations.

• Environmental law: Environmental lawyers protect the environment and natural resources such as forests, minerals or others. These environmental laws can vary from state to national levels.

• Estate planning law: Estate planning lawyers manage trusts, wills and assets. Their services may also include the creation of legal contracts or documents.

Related: 20 Legal Career Opportunities

Planning and construction

Some professional services in planning and construction are:

• Architecture design: Architects can design or redesign buildings and structures for specific purposes. They may use research to develop the most cost-effective designs for clients.

• Urban and regional planning: Urban and regional planners create comprehensive short-term and long-term development plans for towns and cities. They may also conduct research within communities to identify residents' needs.

• Construction management: Construction managers oversee the daily operations of the construction process and help ensure the development will meet completion deadlines.

• Landscaping: Landscapers can provide clients with personalized green scapes in outdoor spaces. They may design visual plans and complete them.

• Mechanics: Mechanics can provide professional services for different modes of transportation including cars, trains and aircraft. They may check for issues during routine inspections and address potential malfunctions.

• Plumbing: Plumbers provide professional services to unclog pipes, install plumbing systems and prevent in-home flooding. They may also perform routine maintenance on pipes.

Medical and public services

Some professional medical and public services are:

• Physical therapy: Physical therapists work with patients to help them regain mobility after injuries or illnesses. They may develop in-person therapy or at-home treatment plans for patients.

• Dental health: Dentists and dental hygienists provide services to help individuals maintain oral hygiene and protect their teeth or gums. This can require oral examinations, prevention strategies or operations.

• Physical health: Physicians can make sure individuals are in good health by performing annual examinations. They may also give patients tips for improving their health.

• Therapy: Therapists provide specialized professional mental health services to address the concerns of individual clients. They may also suggest coping tools and resources to help patients regulate their emotions.

• Speech pathology: Speech pathologists service individuals to help them overcome speaking challenges. They can provide different strategies and exercises for patients to practice their areas of concern.

• Translating: Translators and interpreters can make communications accessible for all individuals. Typically, a translator communicates something from one language to an individual's native language and an interpreter translates verbal communications using sign language for someone with hearing loss.

• Emergency response: Professionals like emergency medical technicians (EMTs) provide emergency services to help injured people. This may require them to perform first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

• Teaching: Teachers can provide professional education services to students of all ages. They may personalize the learning process to meet the needs of individual students.

• Tutoring: Tutors can provide professional learning services to help students who are struggling to learn certain subjects. When working with students, tutors may provide them with practice problems or a review of content.