Learn Dutch: Het rolmodel helpt hen precies zoals een professional. - The role model helps them exactly like a professional.

We use zoals because it indicates similarity or manner. The role model is not actually a professional, but helps in the same way one would. If we used als, it would mean the role model is acting in the official capacity of a professional, which changes the intended meaning.

Why is the pronoun hen used here instead of hun?

The verb helpen takes a direct object in standard Dutch. For the third-person plural direct object, we must use hen. The pronoun hun is reserved for indirect objects when there is no preposition.

Can I move precies to another part of the sentence, such as before the verb?

It is much more natural to keep precies zoals together. The word precies directly modifies the phrase zoals een professional to mean exactly like. Moving it before the verb would awkwardly separate the modifier from the concept it describes.

Is professional widely used in Dutch, or should I use a native word?

The loanword professional is extremely common in modern Dutch, particularly in business or workplace contexts. While you might also see native words like vakman or deskundige, professional is fully integrated into the language.