NARRATOR: Hi, there. You are watching this video because you have been given a student advisor job survey to complete, and we just want to clarify a few terms for you before you fill in the job analysis questionnaire. So the reason we made this video is to distinguish between the terms knowledge, skills, and abilities, because these terms can be seen as overlapping, but they have important differences that will make it easier to distinguish between them. 

So firstly, knowledge. It is a theoretical, conceptual, or procedural understanding required to perform certain tasks. Knowledge can be gained from a book, by studying towards a certain degree, or by researching online. And lastly, having knowledge of how to do something does not necessarily mean that you can physically do it, even if you understand the steps and what should be done. 

As we'll see in a moment, this last point is important to consider when comparing knowledge to skills. But first, let's look at some examples of knowledge. As we've said, by reading articles, or researching online, or studying a degree one can gain knowledge of health and nutrition, biology, business management principles. Through studying your degree, you could have gained knowledge on counseling practices or certain psychological concepts. One can also have knowledge of the structure and content of the English language. 

Moving on to skills, as we've said earlier, having the knowledge of how to do something or what something does not mean you can physically do it. And so the difference between skills and knowledge is that knowledge is theoretical, while skills are practical proficiencies. Skills are learned behaviors that can be improved over time through training and working experience. So looking at some examples, one can be proficient in Excel and Word, have good English language proficiency, have skills in analyzing complex data, have good writing skills, project management skills, interviewing skills, or good communication skills. 

So lastly, moving on to abilities, the difference between skills and abilities is that abilities are innate characteristics, while skills are learned behaviors. Abilities are enduring capabilities, personality, traits, or talents needed to perform certain tasks well. And because abilities are innate, they are more difficult to train compared to skills. Some examples of abilities include the ability to teach or mentor others, being an analytical thinker, being a creative or organized person, being detail-oriented, or the ability to be patient or compassionate. 

To reiterate the meanings of these three terms, firstly, knowledge is the conceptual, theoretical, or procedural understanding about something. Skill is the practical ability or proficiency to perform certain tasks, and lastly, ability is the innate characteristics needed to perform certain tasks well. And looking at the last row, we can see that knowledge can be learned or increased, and skills can also be learned or improved, but abilities usually come natural to a person. 

That is all from us. We hope this video will help you to fill in the section that asks around the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform your job as a student advisor. If you are still unsure about these terms or want to find out anything about this questionnaire, please feel free to contact us on the following email addresses. Thank you for watching this video, and have a great day.