The aim of this study is to present phenomenography as an alternative research method for studies on professional competence. Although Bittencourt, Azevedo and Froehlich (2013) present phenomenography as a possibility for studies in this field, the lack of theoretical assays and empirical studies using phenomenography in the national literature shows that this approach is little known among Brazilian researchers. In general, studies in this field are based on a realist ontology and a positivist epistemology which, although they have contributed to popularizing the notion of competencies in organizational environments, remain limited. Phenomeography is presented as an alternative to fill in the gaps left by these studies. To achieve this objective, it follows the following course: (1) a presentation of the origins of phenomeography, its main concepts, works of reference and implications for the study of professional competence; and (2) a presentation of an empirical study, as an example of how to conduct a phenomographic study. The results of this empirical study show that the way in which people conceive their professional activities influences the way in which they development the competence to carry out those activities. It is hoped that based on this text, researchers and practitioners will use this approach, which offers new possibilities for the description and development of competence among people in organizational environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]