Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Is a software application a skill?

I cringe when I read a list of software applications accompanied with the question of whether I have any of those skills. It would be better to ask if I have skills with any of those, since software applications are not skills. Software applications are simply tools to be used.

Would you ever see something like this:

Do you have any of these skills?

Hammer, Wrench, Saw, Lawnmower?

I doubt it. More likely you would be asked if you have experience with, or knowledge of the use of, those tools. It is one of the more annoying things in the "Information Technology" world.

Although I am experienced with the driving of multiple kinds of cars, I would not list each model as a "skill." My "skill" would not be "Toyota Camry", "Toyota Corolla", or "VW Jetta." Just like my skill would not be "Active Directory", "Windows Server 2003", "SAP", or "Sun Solaris."

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