Comments on: Just don’t call me ‘competent’ http://www.eye-for-image.com/blog/just-don%e2%80%99t-call-me-%e2%80%98competent%e2%80%99/ THE blog for copywriters and communicators Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:58:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Dan Elloway http://www.eye-for-image.com/blog/just-don%e2%80%99t-call-me-%e2%80%98competent%e2%80%99/#comment-213 Dan Elloway Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:37:09 +0000 http://www.eye-for-image.com/blog/?p=112#comment-213 This is a good point, Chris. It seems to me that companies that use the word competent in a job ad are - unintentionally - displaying a lack of ambition. Competent has the sound of being okay, but not great. And that's not what I look for in an employer. I want to be at a company that has high expectations of itself and its employees - one that will drive me to greater heights. This also has wider connotations. Due to the Danish word 'kompetent', many Danish companies use competent or competencies when they write in English where an English company would be more likely to use skilled or skills. And the definition, for skill (this one is from www.askoxford.com) has a much more positive, stronger meaning: • noun 1 the ability to do something well; expertise or dexterity. 2 a particular ability. The difference between the word sufficient (in the definition of competent) and well (in the definition of skill) is huge. This is a good point, Chris. It seems to me that companies that use the word competent in a job ad are - unintentionally - displaying a lack of ambition. Competent has the sound of being okay, but not great. And that’s not what I look for in an employer. I want to be at a company that has high expectations of itself and its employees - one that will drive me to greater heights.

This also has wider connotations. Due to the Danish word ‘kompetent’, many Danish companies use competent or competencies when they write in English where an English company would be more likely to use skilled or skills. And the definition, for skill (this one is from http://www.askoxford.com) has a much more positive, stronger meaning:

• noun 1 the ability to do something well; expertise or dexterity. 2 a particular ability.

The difference between the word sufficient (in the definition of competent) and well (in the definition of skill) is huge.

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