Pre-professional

Pre-professional activities

The first phase of the board game Women on Board deals with the pre-professional phase of the player's career. It assumes zero career experience. The player might draw any one of 6 player cards which consigns her to those first steps in the board game. So, what might she do, besides finalizing her education and beginning to secure those necessary qualifications to enter the job market.

• attend informal gatherings of like minded early stage professionals interested in securing a directorship. Such gatherings might include alumnus functions, professional association functions, board of trade "meet and greets".
• link with the chapter of a governance association. Such groups as ICSA might be one such group with 40 chapters across Canada, ICS chapters (mostly in western Canada;
• attend conferences sponsored by these associations, sector specific conferences; 
• take on a volunteer experience as an entry level board member. 

Each of these can lead to continuous learning certificate level educational sessions. These would be identified in a side loop for the entry level candidate and although this might seem to slow the player's progress in advancing to the corporate directorship levels, they might lead to using opportunity cards which can advance them faster later in the game.