Talent is defined as natural aptitude, which can either be acquired skill or inherent ability. On the other hand, skill may be defined as the ability to do something well or an expertise in something, which most of the time, acquired or harnessed.
However, these two words are usually used interchangeably or are being misused intentionally. Talent is a gift from God even before birth, something innately possessed by a person even without the need of further training.
Conversely, a skill is something that is learned or trained for a period of time, which requires continuous practice for him to master such skill.
By way of illustration, a kid can have a talent for singing. If he engages himself in singing lessons while growing up, this talent can be further developed into a skill, through the years of practice or training.
Meanwhile, skills need not be innate first to be able to succeed in a specific activity, as it can be learned through process and training.
To illustrate, skill would be cooking. Not everyone has the ability to cook well. Kids cannot cook. Nonetheless, as years pass by and through the guidance of parents at home or by watching cooking classes, they will eventually learn to cook better. This cooking ability will eventually be developed into a skill with constant practice and improvement.
Notwithstanding the fact that these two capabilities are acquired differently and they are both in a way interrelated, neither of these words should be taken as secondary to the other.
To reiterate, a talent is a gift and an inborn potential to do certain kinds of work, may it be developed or not. Skill is also a developed talent that usually requires days, months or years of hard work to master a the same.
Everyone is born with talents. Yet, if they are not nurtured, they will not be developed. In order for it to be harnessed, one must also learn how to recognize and embrace such talent.
How are talents and skills related?
Often times, talents and skills are two words that are interchangeably used. It is to be noted that talents are the natural gifts that are innate to an individual; hence, they are not learned. They can be developed through time and continuous use.
On the other hand, skills are the ability you have in performing operational tasks. This can be achieved through learning from our day-to-day life and though repetition.
Thus, talent and skill, albeit independent from each other, they can synergize to fulfill in excellence a certain ability.
Since talents are considered inborn ability. Meaning, they are already existing even from the time of birth. These talents, nevertheless, can be used to develop skills.
For instance, when a person is born with a talent in adaptability and teamwork. In this fast-paced world, it is necessary that an individual knows how to adapt with his changing environment.
With this kind of setting, people learn to engage themselves with each other through teamwork. When the talent of adaptability and teamwork are developed through time, a person starts to discover his leadership skills.
Since a skill is a learned ability, it actually requires a certain period of time or energy. It usually requires certain situations to enable an individual assess the level of skill being shown and used.
What is more important, talent or skill?
If we are talking about the importance of talent and skill, both are. Yet, I would say that skill is more important.
Talent is an innate ability to do something and not all people can be as good as someone who is talented. But, I do believe in the gradual process of learning and improving oneself to learn a skill set.
In addition, talent doesn’t equate to being productive or successful. There are a lot of people who are born with talent, but aren’t nurtured and utilized to their full potential. What makes it futile is to have something you won’t use for your benefit.
On the other hand, you can acquire a skill based on what is needed. You can learn the required information on the specific skill in order to develop it.
For example, If I am not good at public speaking, I can practice my communication skills by watching different videos online that teaches how to be confident in front of people.
I can also join clubs that encourage students to be more comfortable with speaking.
I might not be as good as the one who is innately talented in speaking but I choose to work on my skills to be better and continually build up my skills to gain leverage against my peers.
A lot of people might disagree with this, but I truly believe that talent is no more than a talent if you don’t work on it, to nurture and harness it.
Unlike a skill, where you need to develop yourself, yet, after practicing and constantly improving the craft, you can achieve excellence, if not perfection.
Is it better to have talent or skill?
I strongly believe that both are equally essential. We can’t just say that one thing is better than the other for the sake of choosing one. Different situations require different things.
If we are referring to jobs that include being musically inclined, I would say it is better to have talent than to have skills because you don’t get to compete with someone that is innately excellent in what they do even at a young age without any knowledge or proper training with it.
However, if we are talking about jobs that require a life skill like leadership, flexibility, initiative, and so on. Harnessing these are important. These are skills that can be developed and learned through time and experience.
When you apply for a job, they don’t necessarily just look at the grades you got in college but also the skills you acquired over the years. That’s one of the factors they would consider if you fit for the position you’re applying for.
So, as I see it, there is no such thing as better. It is how we use our talents and skills that determines their value. In conclusion, talent and skills work hand in hand in attaining whatever goals we have in mind.
How do you value your skills and talents?
Some people get to realize their talents at an early age while others get to learn it through experience. The main difference between talent and skill is that it can be easily distinguished even in a child’s formative years. Meanwhile, skills are later recognized and developed through time.
For us to discover our talents and acquire new skills, we should consider different aspects such as what are the talents that I already have that need enhancement, and what skills should I acquire? and if acquired, would these skills be beneficial for me in the near future.
When the pandemic began, people were bored and started learning a skill. We see people on the internet, making dalgona coffee, trying out new recipes they see online.
And as the pandemic continues, a lot of big companies closed and so did small business owners struggling to keep it running. But, people now are more desperate in learning skills not as a hobby but to survive this dilemma.
On the other hand, people who are using their talents as a source of income we are forced to venture out and use social media platforms to perform and earn. Simply, this pandemic has taught us to rediscover and utilize every skill and talents that we have.
How cant talent and skill be discovered?
To fully determine the talent and skill of a person, it is but necessary for him to go on different paths. If a person opens his mind to different possibilities, he can easily determine what are his strengths and weaknesses, and from there he will be able to know what talents and skill he may have.
Also, these two can be discovered if an individual tries to reflect on the things he enjoys. A person may seem to enjoy the things he is doing because he actually looks good doing it.
He may also seem to appreciate because he is doing it naturally or without even exerting much effort.
Lastly, talent and skill can be uncovered if a person opens himself for new things. We can never find our new skills if we do not reveal ourselves to different ideas.
Say for instance, a shy type student is unaware that he is mathematically skilled not until he joins a Math Quiz Bee in their school. Moreover, a person cannot see herself flexible not until she joins gymnastics.
There are a lot of opportunities and activities out there. What an individual needs to do is to get out of his comfort zone and explore new things, in order for him to discover new talents and skills, aside from those that he is already aware of.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, the words “talent” and “skill”, although interrelated and usually interchanged, cannot be used as replacement words for each other. Each has its own meaning, way of possessing it, and requirement as to how you will acquire such.
While a talent is something innate to an individual, a skill is craft that is, and has to be, developed. A talent can be possessed only by few people, while a skill can be had by all, provided that they go through the process of learning and training.
Lastly, since talent is hidden, it necessarily requires recognition while skill requires development, which is possible only through practice.
Despite the differences between the two, they also share something in common, and that is, they both embody the gift and hard work that a person has to attain the results to describe them.
The value of an individual is not actually based on a certain talent nor a certain skill alone since both can be a factor in the years of development. The skillful person that you are now is the sum of your God-given talent when you were younger.
Likewise, it is also the product of your hard work and training through time. It is necessary that you have to assess your self from time to time in order for you to determine the talents and skills you have to further develop or practice.
This will serve as a helping guide for you to know what skill or talent you need to focus. Most importantly, in valuing and enhancing these talents and skills, you must be passionate enough to engage yourself in such practice, as it requires years of learning from different skills in school, at work or at home.
Let us be reminded that these talents and skills exist to challenge individuals and to make them apart from other people, making them unique in their own abilities and capabilities.