Knowledge vs. Skills: Knowing the Difference

Regardless of what profession or degree you pursue, you'll hear about the skills and knowledge needed to excel at it, but what's the difference between the two?

Although some people use the two terms interchangeably, there are key differences between the two. Knowing these differences, and what makes skills or knowledge better for certain situations will aid in your professional development.

What Is Knowledge?

Knowledge is theoretical and practical facts about a particular subject. Knowledge is gained from a variety of sources, such as:

• textbooks
• e-learning
• on-the-job training

Knowledge can lead to practical application, but sometimes the knowledge stays theoretical until the right situation arises.

Examples of knowledge, from various professions, include things like:

• laws and regulations of a country
• theories behind marketing, like types of advertising and SEO best practices
• types of tools used in construction work
• financial analysis methods

Knowledge is often the first step in determining the qualifications of a person for a job. For example, if a person doesn't know any names of tools or building methods, they probably won't be suited for a job on a construction crew.

Different Types of Knowledge

Knowledge can be subdivided into different types, with some being more useful than others in given situations.

Theoretical Knowledge

Theoretical knowledge refers to knowledge that might not be provable or have repeatable applications in real-life situations. Theoretical knowledge is sometimes associated with a belief, as sometimes the knowledge might be self-evidential. Many fields of science involve theoretical knowledge to understand the universe.

Prior Knowledge

Prior knowledge refers to any knowledge a learner has acquired through their life and experiences that they use in the present. A great example of this is the math courses that you took in elementary school. Although you might not see 2+2 in a college calculus textbook, the general concepts you learned in earlier math will be employed to understand this more advanced math.

Expert Knowledge

Expert knowledge is any knowledge that comes from someone experienced in a specific discipline. Usually, expert knowledge is used in the place of a person trying to acquire new knowledge for themselves. Turning to an expert provides knowledge more quickly.

Imperative Knowledge

Imperative knowledge is the fundamental knowledge required for specific tasks. For example, an accountant knowing how to read balance sheets is imperative knowledge/

Explicit Knowledge

Knowledge that is easy to understand, even to those outside of specific areas of work. Examples of this include textbooks, maps, and instruction manuals meant to convey information to people without prior knowledge.

Empirical Knowledge

Sometimes knowledge is learned through the senses, this is called empirical knowledge. For example, a person who researches behaviors is collecting empirical knowledge based on what they see.

What Are Skills?

If knowledge is the know-how of how things should be done, skills are the application of knowledge. Although a student might leave college with extensive practical and theoretical knowledge, they might still lack the skills to implement them. Employees' skills gaps are often a determining factor when it comes time for promotions because an employee with more practical skills is often more valuable to a company than one with only theoretical understanding.

Different Types of Skills

Skills, like knowledge, come in different types that need to be used in different scenarios to achieve goals. All skills can be put in one of two groups: hard and soft skills. Hard skills are practical skills that have measurable results. For example, performing surgery is a hard skill as there will be measures of how successful a surgeon is. A soft skill would be that surgeon's 'bedside manner' and how well they can communicate with their patient or their patient's family.

Mentoring

It's one thing to have knowledge or even skills, but mentoring is a skill where you can pass your knowledge to another person through training and assistance to help them learn new skills. Being able to aid another person in skill development isn't always easy, which is why people capable of mentoring are often in high demand.

Communication Skills

Whether you work with clients and customers or are responsible for relaying information to your team members, communication skills are how well you can talk to other people. This can be both public speaking in more of a one-way communication or in a discussion where you field questions or receive feedback. In today's business world, communication skills are often extended to social media as companies and clients are more connected through digital media than they were in the past.

Leadership Skills

Leadership skills are the skills required to get a single worker or several group members to complete a project, or task, or meet ongoing goals. The ability to motivate and incentivize workers is similar to mentoring, but leadership often isn't as much of a teaching role.

Problem-Solving

Regardless of career path or industry, there will always be problems. Problem-solving refers to the process of using critical thinking to apply prior knowledge to handle problems and obstacles to completing a task.

Project Management

Projects can range in scope, but even small projects have multiple moving parts that need to be coordinated. Having the skills to make sure projects are completed according to schedule and on budget is a highly desired skill.

Knowledge vs Skills: What's the Difference?

The difference between knowledge and skills is in application. Knowledge can be gathered through a variety of sources, but that doesn't mean you can apply the knowledge. For career development, having a combination of skills and knowledge is essential.

For example, reading about and learning about creative theories is an important step to becoming a graphic designer. However, unless you learn the skills required to use the software that designers work with daily, then the knowledge remains theoretical.

Is Hands-On Experience A Skill or Knowledge?

Hands-on experience is a type of knowledge that often directly translates to learning new skills. Much of what we call experience is empirical knowledge gained from watching someone do something in person or doing it yourself.

Does College Teach Skills or Knowledge?

In most cases, college teaches knowledge and skills. Take for example a college calculus class. Although the course will cover much of the theory behind the calculations, there will also be hands-on experience solving these calculations. Courses that include lab work or any other practical component will teach both knowledge and skills.

One key variable is the rise in online courses. An in-person nursing degree program will have multiple exercises that teach practical skills, while online courses have to stay more knowledge-based in many cases.