Skills vs Competence: What's the Difference?
A skill is a developed ability to perform a particular task. Competence is broader: it generally involves being able to apply relevant knowledge, skills, judgement and behaviour effectively in a particular context.
Someone may possess a skill without being fully competent in a complex professional situation.
Performance in context
For example, someone may have presentation skills but not yet be competent at presenting sensitive information to executives, responding to difficult questions and adapting the message to different stakeholders.
Competence therefore considers performance in context, not merely possession of an isolated skill.
This distinction matters when assessing career readiness. A person should not only ask, "What skills do I have?" but also, "Where and how effectively can I apply them?"
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