Competencies are leant over several years; whereas, skills are learnt in a matter of months.

1. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS:
What are your Strengths?
By Aje Cunningham
aje.cunningham@stlfsc.org

2. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
COMPETENCIES
Learnt over several years.
SKILLS
Learnt in a matter of months.

3. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
SCANS
Secretary’s Commission on Achieving
Necessary Skills
Formed by U.S. Department of Labor & Education.
To determine the kinds of competencies and skills
workers must have to succeed in today’s workplace.
Surveyed business, organizations, unions, and
more.
Determined that workplace competency depends on
36 skills.

4. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
36
Skills
5
Competencies
3-Part
Foundation

5. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
3-Part Foundation
Basic Skills
Thinking Skills
Personal Qualities

6. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Basic Skills
1) Reading
2) Writing
3) Arithmetic / Mathematic
4) Speaking
5) Listening
3-Part Foundation

7. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Thinking Skills
6) Creative Thinking
7) Decision Making
8) Problem Solving
9) Seeking things in the mind’s eye
10) Knowing how to learn
11) Reasoning
3-Part Foundation

8. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Personal Qualities
12) Responsibility
13) Self-esteem
14) Sociability
15) Self-Management
16) Integrity / Honesty
3-Part Foundation

9. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
5 Competencies
Resources
Interpersonal Skills
Information
Systems
Technology

10. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Resources
Identifies, organizes, plans and allocates resources
17) Time
18) Money
19) Material and facilities
20) Human Resources
5 Competencies Group

11. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Interpersonal Skills
Working with others
21) Participates as a member of a team
22) Teaches others new skills
23) Services clients / customers
24) Exercises leadership
25) Negotiates
26) Works with diversity
5 Competencies Group

12. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Information
Acquires and evaluates information
27) Acquires and evaluates information
28) Organizes and maintains information
29) Interprets and communicates information
30) Uses computers to process information
5 Competencies Group

13. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Systems
Understands complex inter-relationships
31) Understands systems
32) Monitors and corrects performance
33) Improves or designs systems
5 Competencies Group

14. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Technology
Works with a variety of technologies
34) Selects technology
35) Applies technology to task
36) Maintains and troubleshoots equipment
5 Competencies Group

15. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Behavioral Interviewing
A person’s past performance (in previous roles) is
an excellent predicator of their future performance.
Interviewer most likely will look for the following
three types of competencies:
Content competencies – work / role specific
Functional / transferable skills - used generally with
people, information or things, regardless of specific
environment.
Adaptive or Self-Management skills - personal
characteristics

16. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Below are selected career positions with their competencies and skills requirements.
10-15 years of asset-based lending and/or associated risk management
experience, including a strong background in defining, identifying, evaluating,
measuring, approving, managing and reporting risk exposures. Superior judgment
and analytical skills. Solid understanding of leading risk management practices for
asset-based lending businesses, including applicable laws and regulations. Ability
to work effectively with others in potentially stressful situations. Strong
Risk Manager
interpersonal and communication skills. Strong decision making skills and
$145K - $200K personal conviction. PREFERRED: Strong personnel management skills. Proven
experience building effective teams, including talent recruitment and
development. Experience in related product management and/or client
development roles. Experience with business unit and/or corporate strategy work.
Strong quantitative skills, including familiarity with economic capital allocation
tools and methodologies.

17. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
Below are selected career positions with their competencies and skills requirements.
BS or BA preferred. High school diploma or equivalent required. Insurance
and Series 6/63 licenses required or must be willing to obtain. Lending
experience preferred. Two years direct sales experience within the past
three years. Proven track record/experience in sales and customer service.
Financial Specialist
Ability to assess customer needs and match products and services
$35K - $50K accordingly. Effective communication and interpersonal skills necessary.
Proven problem solving, conflict resolution, time management, and decision
making skills required. Ability and desire to interact in a team environment;
must be willing to contribute to team efforts.

18. COMPETENCIES VERSUS SKILLS
SCANS Worksheet Example
Participate in team training and problem-solving session
with multi-cultural staff of waiters and waitresses. Focus on
upcoming Saturday night when local club has reserved
Task / Activity restaurant after midnight for party. Three people cannot
work and team has to address the staffing problem and
prepare for handling possible unique requests from the club.
Interpersonal – Participates as a member of a team,
SCANS Competency & Sub-
teaches others new skills, serves customers, negotiates,
Categories works with diversity.
Basic Skills: listening, speaking. Thinking Skills: creative
Foundational Skills thinking, reasoning, decision making. Personal Qualities:
sociability, self-management.
UFSC: Chair Public Relations Committee. Delegates team
responsibility for a presentation. Team must divide
Similar activity in other setting activities for members that involve preparing advertisement
layout, posters, status report, and presenting report.
Work with team at work to decide who covers
1)
upcoming extra holiday hours.
Other potential activities (o.k. to
Join a team of volunteers to help the homeless.
2)
make up!)
Work with student government to plan activities for
3)
student fair.