I believe in the value of transferable skills, which is why I find the French education system so confusing. You must have a business degree and business studies to be able get a job as an office worker. For me, university was and is all about building competence. Understanding how to present myself, build arguments, negotiate, present in groups, organize to meet deadlines, and deal effectively with incompetent tutors. All the things you need to succeed in the workplace.
Yesterday, however, I was challenged to believe that skills learned in one setting can be applied in another. Nike Dance Workout.
It’s not difficult, isn’t it? I thought. I thought. Yes, it was possible due to my transferable skills. I was able keep up with the choreography and didn’t feel too tired at the end. But I doubt I will ever be a great hip hop dancer.
This is the difference in knowledge and skills. We should forget about innate abilities, which our prof de dining clearly had in abundance. Skills are the things that allow you to acquire knowledge. These skills include abilities, competences, and any other buzzword. Knowledge is transferable and therefore learnable. Some people would argue that skills are transferable and can be taught. To a certain extent, I agree with this assertion. There is a difference between managing risk and teaching communication skills. Practice and awareness can help you improve your skills. You can also make up any gaps in your knowledge by becoming an expert in another area. Without the right knowledge, you can’t learn enough to succeed.
We need to ask ourselves which is more important in project manager recruitment: Are they able to work with people, have great attention to detail and have a willingness and ability to learn? Is it that they have a certificate stating “I’m a project manager” from one our esteemed institutes.
French employers already know the answer. So do I. What do you think?