Is it a skill or a competency?

Do you know the difference? When we think of people closing a sale, digging a great ditch, or generating concise financial reports, we may believe these activities demonstrate an individual’s competency when, in actuality, these activities demonstrate a skill. Skills are typically the things we tend to focus on when writing resumes or during interviews. We do this with the belief that hiring managers are more interested in what we can do (the skills we offer) within a narrow scope (a specific job) as opposed to what we are capable of doing (our competencies) across the organization. However, if you’re wondering which is more important, the answer is: Both.

If you are good at sales, is this because you demonstrate initiative and have strong leadership skills? Are you able to dig great ditches because you have a penchant for getting things done the right way? When preparing financial reports, are they concise because you are unwavering in your diligence? All of these represent competencies that can be transferred to other areas within an organization.

Especially now, when organizations are cutting staff or not hiring, in order to keep pace, companies may be more apt to look inward at existing employees who possess competencies needed to achieve goals. And, for those organizations looking to bring on new employees from the outside, candidates who are able to showcase skills and competencies can gain a leg up on their competition.