PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
experiences have given Mr. Bilkun a hands-on opportunity to practise and improve his communication skills. “Being a mentor is an exceptional way to develop intercultural and interpersonal communications skills,” he says. “My involvement in the
another opportunity for professional growth. “To become a better decision-maker and leader, it’s important to continue evolving and learning as much and as often as possible.” VLAD BILKUN, P.ENG. Developing and maintaining technical skills is a must for all engineering and geoscience professionals. So too is enhancing soft skills like communication and creative thinking, says Vlad Bilkun, P.Eng., an operations engineer with Savanna Energy Services Corp. in Leduc. Like other APEGA professionals, he’s spent the past few years keeping a close eye on oil and gas markets. The economic climate has factored heavily into his professional development planning: he’s taken a strategic, market- oriented approach. “To respond to the tight market environment, I have chosen to invest in subjects directly influencing competitive- ness,” he explains. “My preference was training to help me polish different areas of business communications.” Mr. Bilkun has signed up for several APEGA courses that cover a wide spectrum of business communi- cations, including Win-Win Negotiation Techniques, Business Writing, Effective Engineering Consulting, Leading and Managing Change, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming for Improving Client Communication. Another way he’s improving his communication skills is by volunteering as an APEGA mentor. The investment here is simply time. He’s mentored a young professional from South Korea, providing guidance on professional growth. The experience as a newcomer is one Mr. Bilkun knows well, having moved to Canada from Ukraine. Listening to his mentees’ experiences, giving constructive feedback, and sharing his own
APEGA Mentoring Program has been very productive for my professional advancement.” Creative thinking is another of the soft skills he’s worked on through professional development. Although his work is very technical, Mr. Bilkun is
32 | PEG WINTER 2016
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