Skill vs. Profession — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 25, 2023
A skill is a specific ability or expertise, while a profession is a paid occupation that often requires specialized training or formal education.
Difference Between Skill and Profession
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A skill refers to an ability or talent acquired through training, practice, or innate aptitude. One can have many skills, such as writing, painting, or coding. On the other hand, a profession is a broader concept, encompassing a vocation or career, usually involving specialized knowledge and often formal education.
One's skillset can be diverse, cutting across multiple domains, and doesn't necessarily tie an individual to a particular job. For instance, having a skill in public speaking doesn't confine one to a career as a public speaker. Meanwhile, a profession often relates to a specific field or industry, like medicine, law, or engineering, and dictates a certain path or series of jobs within that domain.
Skills can be both soft (like communication or teamwork) and hard (like programming or welding). They can be learned informally, through daily life experiences or hobbies. Professions, however, usually require a structured learning path, often involving formal education, internships, or apprenticeships.
Many skills are transferable and can be applied in various settings or professions. For example, leadership is a skill useful in many professions. Professions, however, are more rigid in definition and scope, and transitioning from one profession to another may require retraining or acquiring new qualifications.
To summarize, while skills are specific abilities or aptitudes, professions are organized occupations that utilize a combination of skills and often require specialized training.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
An ability or expertise
A paid occupation with specialized training
Scope
Can be broad and transferable
Typically specific to a field or industry
Learning Path
Informal or formal
Often requires formal education or apprenticeships
Application
Across multiple domains or professions
Within a specific field or industry
Examples
Writing, public speaking, coding
Medicine, law, engineering
Compare with Definitions
Skill
An ability acquired through practice.
Her skill in playing the violin was remarkable.
Profession
A paid occupation requiring specialized training.
Medicine is a respected profession.
Skill
Expertise in a specific activity.
His skill in negotiations helped close the deal.
Profession
An act or instance of professing; a declaration.
Skill
Proficiency gained through experience.
Years of baking enhanced her skill in pastry making.
Profession
The declaration of belief in the principles of a religion; hence, one's faith or religion.
Skill
(Obsolete) A reason; a cause.
Profession
A vocation or career, often with formal education.
She chose law as her profession.
Skill
A particular talent or aptitude.
His skill in mathematics was evident from a young age.
Profession
A body of individuals engaged in a specific occupation.
The teaching profession is vital for society.
Skill
An art, trade, or technique, particularly one requiring use of the hands or body
The skill of glassmaking.
Profession
The act of professing or claiming; open declaration; public avowal or acknowledgment; as, professions of friendship; a profession of faith.
A solemn vow, promise, and profession.
Skill
A developed talent or ability
Improved his writing skills.
Profession
A profession is an occupation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested objective counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain. Medieval and early modern tradition recognized only three professions: divinity, medicine, and law, which were called the learned professions.
Skill
Capacity to do something well; technique, ability. Skills are usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities, which are often thought of as innate.
Where did you pick up that skill?
With great skill, she navigated through the tricky passage.
Doing that coaching course not only taught me useful skills on the field, but also some important life skills.
Profession
An occupation or career
"One of the highest compliments a child can pay a parent is to choose his or her profession" (Joan Nathan).
Skill
Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address.
Richard . . . by a thousand princely skills, gathering so much corn as if he meant not to return.
Profession
An occupation, such as law, medicine, or engineering, that requires considerable training and specialized study.
Skill
(obsolete) Knowledge; understanding.
Profession
The body of qualified persons in an occupation or field
Members of the teaching profession.
Skill
(obsolete) Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address.
Profession
An avowal of faith or belief.
Skill
Great, excellent.
Profession
A faith or belief
Believers of various professions.
Skill
Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause.
For great skill is, he prove that he wrought.
Profession
Declaration of faith.
Skill
Knowledge; understanding.
That by his fellowship he color mightBoth his estate and love from skill of any wight.
Nor want we skill or art.
Profession
(religion) A promise or vow made on entering a religious order.
She died only a few years after her profession.
Skill
A skill is the learned ability to perform an action with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills.
Profession
Any declaration of belief, faith or one's opinion, whether genuine or (as now often implied) pretended.
Despite his continued professions of innocence, the court eventually sentenced him to five years.
Skill
Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience
Painted with great skill.
Profession
Professional occupation.
Skill
(obsolete) Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause.
Profession
An occupation, trade, craft, or activity in which one has a professed expertise in a particular area; a job, especially one requiring a high level of skill or training.
My father was a barrister by profession.
Skill
(transitive) To set apart; separate.
Profession
(collective) The practitioners of such an occupation collectively.
His conduct is against the established practices of the legal profession.
Skill
To discern; have knowledge or understanding; to know how (to).
Profession
That which one professed; a declaration; an avowal; a claim; as, his professions are insincere.
The Indians quickly perceive the coincidence or the contradiction between professions and conduct.
Skill
To know; to understand.
Profession
That of which one professed knowledge; the occupation, if not mechanical, agricultural, or the like, to which one devotes one's self; the business which one professes to understand, and to follow for subsistence; calling; vocation; employment; as, the profession of arms; the profession of a clergyman, lawyer, or physician; the profession of lecturer on chemistry.
Hi tried five or six professions in turn.
Skill
(intransitive) To have knowledge or comprehension; discern.
Profession
The collective body of persons engaged in a calling; as, the profession distrust him.
Skill
(intransitive) To have personal or practical knowledge; be versed or practised; be expert or dextrous.
Profession
The act of entering, or becoming a member of, a religious order.
Skill
To make a difference; signify; matter.
Profession
The body of people in a learned occupation;
The news spread rapidly through the medical community
Skill
(video games) To spend acquired points in exchange for skills.
Profession
An occupation requiring special education (especially in the liberal arts or sciences)
Skill
The familiar knowledge of any art or science, united with readiness and dexterity in execution or performance, or in the application of the art or science to practical purposes; power to discern and execute; ability to perceive and perform; expertness; aptitude; as, the skill of a mathematician, physician, surgeon, mechanic, etc.
Phocion, . . . by his great wisdom and skill at negotiations, diverted Alexander from the conquest of Athens.
Where patience her sweet skill imparts.
Profession
An open avowal (true or false) of some belief or opinion;
A profession of disagreement
Skill
Any particular art.
Learned in one skill, and in another kind of learning unskillful.
Profession
Affirmation of acceptance of some religion or faith;
A profession of Christianity
Skill
To know; to understand.
To skill the arts of expressing our mind.
Profession
An organized vocation with ethical standards.
Accountancy is a profession with strict codes of conduct.
Skill
To be knowing; to have understanding; to be dexterous in performance.
I can not skill of these thy ways.
Profession
A job that demands specialized knowledge.
Architecture is a profession that combines art and science.
Skill
To make a difference; to signify; to matter; - used impersonally.
What skills it, if a bag of stones or goldAbout thy neck do drown thee?
It skills not talking of it.
Skill
An ability that has been acquired by training
Skill
Ability to produce solutions in some problem domain;
The skill of a well-trained boxer
The sweet science of pugilism
Skill
Mastery of a subject or technique.
Through continuous training, she achieved skill in martial arts.
Common Curiosities
Can a skill be developed without formal training?
Yes, skills can be developed through practice, experience, or innate talent, not just formal training.
Do professions change over time?
Yes, professions can evolve with societal needs, technological advancements, and other factors.
Can a skill be relevant to multiple professions?
Absolutely, many skills, especially transferable ones, are applicable in various professions.
Is every job considered a profession?
Not necessarily. A profession often requires specialized training or formal education, while a job might not.
Is every skill valuable in the professional world?
While every skill has value, not all skills may be directly relevant to a specific profession.
Can one profession require multiple skills?
Yes, most professions require a combination of various skills to perform effectively.
How does one choose a profession?
Many factors influence this, including personal interests, skills, educational opportunities, and market demand.
Is it essential to have all the skills listed in a profession's description?
While having all the skills can be beneficial, proficiency in key skills and a willingness to learn are often more important.
How often should one upgrade their skills in a profession?
Regularly, as industries evolve and new technologies or methodologies emerge, continuous learning is crucial.
Can a person change professions?
Yes, though changing professions might require retraining or acquiring new qualifications.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
