Complementary Resources

While subject-specific resources vary according to subject, complementary resources are cross-disciplinary. It could also be said that complementary resources are the key competencies or transferable skills that do not belong to the discipline. Examples of complementary resources include English language skills for non-graduates of English language and literature, statistical skills for non-graduates of mathematics or sociology, and media competence for non-graduates of media or film studies.

Incidentally, many complementary resources are often acquired off campus, for example in your student job or traineeship, working for a club or association, acting as a trainer, studying abroad, or while still at school.

In order to discover the full scope of your complementary resources, take a look at the following list of potential skills:

Language / Communication skills

Writing texts, correcting, analyzing, interpreting, speaking foreign languages, telephoning, conducting small talk, negotiating, formulating, forwarding information, positioning and marketing yourself, presenting, selecting media for the message and target group

Intellectual / Mathematical skills

Collecting information, organizing, classifying, researching, examining, analyzing, visualizing, evaluating, assessing, recognizing problems/situations, analyzing, solving, questioning, calculating, working with figures, formulas, charts, statistics, research, drawing consequences, finding something new, designing, creating, planning, developing, storing information, demonstrating, retrieving, memorizing, making useful, learning

Methodological / Organizational skills

Creating concepts, running projects, selling, solving problems, setting priorities, giving presentations, embracing innovation, putting things in order, organizing, coordinating, dealing with administration, navigating the labor market

Social skills

Making new contacts, maintaining a social network, approaching people, dealing with individuals/groups/diversity, recognizing and respecting other cultures, working in a team, assuming responsibility, bringing people together, instructing, leading, teaching, advising, providing therapy, caring, observing, understanding, motivating, estimating, selecting, convincing others, managing conflict, knowing codes of behavior, putting yourself in someone else’s position

Physical / Technical skills

Physical work, achieving something with body, hands, eyes, etc. working with materials, things, equipment, machines, plants, animals.