what are core competencies 
core competencies are the resources and capabilities that comprise the strategic advantages of a business a modern management theory argues that a business must define cultivate and exploit its core competencies in order to succeed against the competition understanding core competenciesa successful business has identified what it can do better than anyone else and why its core competencies are the why core competencies are also known as core capabilities or distinctive competencies core competencies lead to competitive advantages core competency is a relatively new management theory that originated in a 1990 harvard business review article the core competence of the corporation 1 in the article c k prahalad and gary hamel review three conditions a business activity must meet in order to be a core competency the article pointed out the contrast of how businesses operated in the 1980s versus how they should operate in the 1990s the article asserted that in the 80s business managers were judged on their ability to restructure declutter and delayer their corporations in the 1990s they ll be judged on their ability to identify cultivate and exploit the core competencies that make growth possible 1the core competencies that distinguish a business vary by industry a hospital or clinic may focus on excellence in particular specializations while a manufacturer may identify superior quality control core competencies in businessa business can choose to be operationally excellent in a number of different ways below are common core competencies found in business core competencies in individualsa variation of the principle that has emerged in recent years to pivot towards individuals looking for a new job the variation recommends that job seekers focus on their personal core competencies in order to stand out from the crowd these positive characteristics may be developed and listed on a resume some personal core competencies include analytical abilities creative thinking and problem resolution skills the notional of individual or personal core competencies gives an individual a platform during interviews i e a candidate can identify themselves as the most experienced most creative or most technically sound candidate the core competencies an individual lists on their resume should be tailored to suit the job and demonstrate actual highly proficient skills necessary for the role 