This article provides an introduction to a subject which many people applying for jobs nowadays will recognise, though few really understand: that of competencies.  What are they, why are they suddenly so important?  How are competencies used in Human Resources and how can individuals use them to their advantage?  Read the answers to these questions and listen to part of a lecture for MBA students, called “Competencies: Important for the business and the individual”.

In this article you can:

• read an article about competencies and do a comprehension activity to make sure you have understood the article
• listen to the lecture and do two comprehension activities to check that you have understood it
• try activities to develop your vocabulary of the subject and of phrasal verbs
• do grammar activities practising passives, which will also test your comprehension, and other language points