It is very complex to elaborate a single definition of the concept of competence, as it is a changing notion, which varies according to the disciplines and the context to which it refers (for example, we can differentiate between work skills from linguistic, communication, etc.). In general, however, skills can be defined as skills acquired through experience in a specific field of activity.

In the workplace, professional skills are obtained with work experience: theoretical knowledge, practical skills, behavioral and relational attitudes.

To better understand what job skills are (and how to highlight them on your curriculum vitae), you must first make an essential distinction between hard and soft skills.

Hard skills

Hard skills are technical skills, which depend on training and work experience previous. Hard skills are measurable, quantifiable and above all, they can be learned through study and practice.

These are all the more specific professional skills that differentiate workers operating in different areas: for example, an accountant will have solid knowledge in the economic field, while a programmer will have technical skills inherent in the IT sector.

Soft skills

Soft skills include all transversal skills, of a behavioral and relational type, which are not opposed to hard skills, but rather integrate them into the definition of a professional profile.

These “light” job skills allow the recruiter to evaluate what behavior a candidate might adopt in the workplace and take on particular importance in the selection process.

In fact, while hard skills can be gradually acquired or strengthened through specific training plans, sometimes prepared by the companies themselves, soft skills essentially depend on the innate inclinations of the person, proving difficult to learn without a basic individual propensity and, therefore, also to be taught. Precisely this difficulty in educating workers in soft skills and company values ​​leads companies to prefer candidates who possess certain transversal skills.

Soft skills can sometimes differ, like hard skills, depending on the areas of employment, but some represent skills that are always valid and required by all companies and in all sectors: they are an example of communication and interpersonal skills, flexibility, autonomy, problem-solving, proactivity and emotional intelligence.

Of course, soft skills are a potential further important strength for new graduate candidates, who, being without professional experience, have a limited set of technical work skills acquired in the field.

The Top 25 Words to Describe Yourself on Your CV

Balance of skills: what it is and what it is for

The skills assessment is an important tool, which can help you identify your personal resources, to make a professional choice consistent and compatible with your aptitudes.

This is a collection of the most significant documentation of your training path, which records the results and methods of carrying out it to trace your “history” and to offer you support in the analysis of your work and personal skills (interests, values, and professional experiences).

As an individual and personalized tool, it can be carried out under the guidance and supervision of guidance professionals, or occupational psychologists.

Thanks to the skills assessment, you can acquire greater awareness of your potential and make the most of your professional skills, focus on your motivations and your future goals.