GENERIC COMPETENCES: CHARACTERISTICS AND EXAMPLES - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The generic skills are all those skills, knowledge, skills, attitudes and resources of a person who can cope adequately in any work environment and achieve the proposed goals in a specific job.

The term "generic competence" is commonly used to describe any element that can be useful for the performance of any job, and not just for a specific position. In contrast, specific competencies are only useful for a certain number of tasks.

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According to various studies in this regard, the generic competences of each person have a very important weight on their employability. This occurs because they encompass a series of skills and ways of being that can be useful in a very wide range of situations, so companies value them in a really positive way.

Generic competencies can have very different natures. Thus, within this term things such as self-confidence, the ability to work as a team and creativity are included; but also others such as the facility to express oneself orally and in writing, social and emotional skills, and technological skills.

Characteristics of generic competences

They belong to several different fields

The field of generic competencies is very broad, as it is not just about knowledge or skills. On the contrary, you also include attitudes, values, ways of thinking, and ways of learning.

This is the main reason why generic competencies are useful in all the jobs and areas of knowledge that exist. By encompassing so many different elements, the people with the most generic competencies will be much better able to function properly in any situation.

At the same time, the breadth of this concept implies that in practice it is not possible for one person to possess all existing generic competencies. On the contrary, skill in this field is measured in terms of the number of them that an individual possesses, and the degree to which they master each one.

They are transversal and transferable

Generic competencies, belonging to different fields and involving elements from very different categories, can be used successfully in practically any area. Those people who have a large number of them are able to cope with ease in a large number of situations, even those that are unknown to them.

At the same time, generic skills are also transferable. This means that, when you have enough, it is possible to acquire other skills (both generic and specific) more easily, and carry out all kinds of learning with ease.

Increase the autonomy of the person

The main reason why generic competencies are considered so important is because they allow the individual who possesses them to function easily in any situation.

Therefore, all skills of this type improve skills such as learning, relating to other people, or meeting objectives.

In contrast, individuals who have not acquired too many generic competencies have greater difficulty following a certain path without guidance, and will require more help to carry out all kinds of tasks. Therefore, we could say that these skills, values ​​and attitudes promote a person's independence.

Examples

There are infinite capacities, values, attitudes and abilities that could be included within the group of generic competences. However, in this part of the article we will see some of the most important ones, as well as studying why they are fundamental in the modern world.

Command of a second language

The acting work environment is increasingly globalized. The largest companies operate in different countries, having both employees and customers in a large number of territories. In addition, almost all the innovations that occur in changes such as science, commerce or technology occur at the international level.

For this reason, one of the most important generic competencies that exist is the command of a second language, generally English. The more universal the language that the person masters, and the greater their degree of skill with it, the more easily they will have to cope in all kinds of situations.

This skill is in contrast to learning a less spoken language, which could be very useful in specific situations but does not open up as many possibilities. For example, learning Russian can be very useful for people who do business with this country, but it will not be as versatile as being perfectly fluent in English, Spanish or Chinese.

Emotional intelligence development

Emotional intelligence is a set of abilities and skills related to understanding and managing one's own emotions and those of others.

Various research on this subject indicates that having a high level of emotional intelligence is essential for success in practically all areas of life.

Emotional skills can be very helpful in all kinds of situations. For example, being able to manage stress, sadness or discouragement is very useful for both employees, managers or entrepreneurs. At the same time, in an environment as connected as ours, it is essential to know how to relate to others correctly.

Critical and rational thinking

The use of logic, critical judgment and rational thinking is a skill highly valued by virtually every business in the world. People with this skill are able to find patterns even in the most complicated situations, allowing them to discover innovative and effective solutions to all kinds of problems.

Critical thinking requires the ability to observe reality as it is, coldly analyzing it without letting your own emotions get in the way. In addition, it also implies a full understanding of what is happening, and the ability to relate the current scenario with other similar ones that have already been experienced.

Time management

Time management is a skill that has always been fundamental for businessmen and entrepreneurs, but that is increasingly valued even in the case of an employee.

This occurs because many companies are changing to work-by-objectives models, in order to achieve greater performance and efficiency in their activities.

People who know how to manage their time correctly are able to carry out a greater amount of work in a shorter period. In this way, they spend fewer resources, and can advance more than those who do not have this competence.

Self-motivation ability

In practically any task that we are going to carry out, there will be elements that we do not want to face. Because of this, it is essential that anyone who wants to be truly effective learns to act despite not wanting to do so.

On the other hand, the capacity for self-motivation can also serve to continue learning and training constantly, something that is fundamental in the changing and dynamic work environments that exist today.

Flexibility

In the past, a person could have only one skill and use it exclusively during their entire life in their workplace without this being a problem.

Today, however, almost any job requires that individuals be able to adapt to different demands and carry out very different tasks from each other.

Flexibility is the ability to be comfortable in unfamiliar situations and to quickly learn whatever skills are required to carry out a new activity.

This competence is especially important for entrepreneurs, freelancers and businessmen, who have to attend to all areas of their projects.

decision-making capacity

One of the skills most valued by most modern companies is the ability to make firm decisions even in circumstances where you do not have all the data. Many people require the guidance of others to choose what to do; but the most effective individuals can fend for themselves in this regard.

Making decisions correctly and without too much hesitation is a skill that can be trained, and that is closely related to other generic competencies such as emotional intelligence, leadership and critical thinking. Again, it is essential for entrepreneurs and businessmen, but it is increasingly valued in all types of jobs.

Ability to apply one's own knowledge

One of the most common problems that people with a lot of theoretical knowledge have is the difficulty of applying these in real situations.

Therefore, today companies no longer want individuals who know a lot due to their studies but at the moment of the truth are not able to act on what they have learned.

Initiative and creativity

As more and more jobs are automated, the new jobs that are created require high doses of innovation, creativity and the ability to carry out new activities without the need for a guide. For this reason, people who have these skills are highly valued in all areas.

Communication skills

Most of today's companies make use of teamwork, and are much more transparent in their functions than they were just a few years ago.

Therefore, one of the generic competencies most valued by employers is the ability to communicate effectively with other people, both colleagues and clients.

This effective communication must be able to take place both orally and in writing, in any context. People who are truly proficient in this competition are just as comfortable talking to a single individual as they are in front of an audience, or emailing everyone in a company.

References

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3. "Generic competences" in: Educational Structures. Retrieved on: March 31, 2019 from Educational Structures: unideusto.org.
4. "Basic, generic and specific competences" in: Utel Blog. Retrieved on: March 31, 2019 from Utel Blog: utel.edu.mx.
5. "Generic competences and specific competences" in: Management. Retrieved on: March 31, 2019 from Management: gestion.org.