Your professional development begins the moment you choose your profession and enter university. The first step in becoming a professional is to meet APEGGA's academic requirements. As a member-in-training, you are taking the next step. This period that we officially label experience gives you the opportunity to apply theories you have learned, testing their validity and limitations. Your professional development does not end here. APEGGA expects you to build on your competencies throughout your career, by developing, implementing and documenting your own professional development program, starting at the member-in-training level. Even though you have already met APEGGA's academic requirements, you may be required to take additional academic or technical skills training during this period. You may also have opportunities to take the concepts covered in the professional practice examination to much greater depths of understanding than are required to pass the exam.

Although your professional development is a responsibility you share with your supervisors, mentors and employers, you must assume the primary role in ensuring that you are receiving the appropriate experience. Your management of your career is becoming increasingly important. As job security declines and short-term contract work increases, you might find that at times in your career you are supervised by non-professionals who are unable to fully guide you in your professional development.

This booklet outlines the mandatory elements of experience you will need to meet APEGGA's Board of Examiners' registration requirements. As well, it outlines the voluntary elements that will enable you to develop beyond the minimum standards. Discuss these guidelines with employers and potential employers to ensure that the position will help you fulfill the requisite elements. Of course, you must do more to ensure your experience has the requisite elements. Of equal importance to APEGGA's Board is how well you carry out your responsibilities; this will be confirmed by the references you nominate when you apply for professional membership.

This stage of your professional development focuses on ensuring you have a certain amount and specific range of experiences in your profession. The chart in Appendix 1 describes the seven areas in which professional development may be appropriate for someone who is not yet a professional member of APEGGA. Five of these areas deal with your experience, as defined by the Board of Examiners. The other two areas are additional technical skills training which may be sought by you or demanded by your employer; and knowledge of law and ethics, which will be separately tested by the Board of Examiners.

Once you become a professional member of APEGGA, you will be required to define your individual scope of practice and the skills needed for your professional specialization. You must also develop a plan for ongoing professional development and document and report your activities annually as part of that plan. These activities are described in detail as part of APEGGA's manual, Continuing Professional Development: A Guideline for Professional Members. Copies of this guideline are available from the APEGGA offices, or from the website at www.apegga.org/publications.