In this paper we present preliminary findings from a research project aimed at identifying learning outcomes in informal environments. We focused on engineering competitions which have gained momentum across a range of engineering disciplines. Increasingly, students are participating in design competitions that range anywhere from multi-year activities such as Concrete Canoe and Formula SAE to short term activities such as one day competitions or Hack-a-thons. Although competitions are becoming popular, there is little research on what students learn through their participation in these events. Proponents of competitions argue that these activities provide students the opportunity to apply both technical and professional skills and knowledge to a practical or applied problem and through their participation improve their skills or knowledge, i.e. learn. To empirically examine this issue we conducted a qualitative study in one engineering competition. We examined students' experiences of developing professional skills. The purpose for this study was to understand how students conceptualized professional skills as they engaged in the competition. Findings indicated that professional responsibilities were discussed most often as cognitions, behaviors, and dispositions. We organized these into three broad categories: self-management, task management, and team management, which can be used as a framework for future research. By providing students the opportunity to own the problem and its outcomes, engineering competitions can empower students to think like, act as, and become professional engineers.