02Nov

In today’s data-driven world, technical skills are essential but not the sole determinants of a successful tech career. Soft skills, sometimes overlooked, play a crucial role in shaping well-rounded tech professionals. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most important soft skills that tech talent should hone.

What are Soft Skills?

According to Indeed, “Soft skills are abilities that relate to how you work and interact with other people. Commonly noted soft skills include communication, teamwork, and other interpersonal skills. Employers look for candidates with soft skills as these skills are important for long-term success.” In fact, LinkedIn found that, “Building soft skills leads to over 13% faster advancement.”

Four Important Soft Skills

Communication Skills

Effective communication skills are extremely important as they propel professionals to success. Additionally, tech professionals often work in teams, which makes the ability to communicate paramount. Professionals can practice different communication skills such as empathy, active listening, and responsiveness.

Teamwork

Teamwork allows complex tasks to be completed faster by bringing together different individuals with different abilities to focus on a task they may not be able to complete alone. Moreover, teamwork provides a space for professionals to expand their skill sets. LinkedIn offers a short course to help you become an indispensable team player.

Problem Solving

Every day presents new challenges and the ability to think critically and solve complex problems is invaluable. Problem Solving skills drive innovation and efficiency in the tech world.

Leadership

Leadership skills are not just for managers and are important at every level of a professional’s career. Professionals benefit from leadership abilities as they guide projects, mentor colleagues, and lead by example.

As you progress in your tech career, remember that it’s not only about the code you write or the algorithms you create. It’s about how you use your soft skills to navigate a dynamic industry, build collaborative teams, and create solutions that make a meaningful impact. LinkedIn shares insightful data and four courses to help you upskill by honing these four soft skills.

If you’re looking to join a dynamic team, check out our IT page to connect with us and browse our jobs.

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Green Key

‘Outlandish Job Requirements’ Are Causing an IT Shortage

Too many employers are asking for too much when seeking to fill entry-level cybersecurity positions, then lamenting that there’s a shortage of talent applying for the job.

“There’s a misunderstanding, I think, out the door of what the [requirements] really should be for junior, midlevel and senior roles, and what those expectations are,” said Neal Dennis, a threat intelligence specialist, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Citing a report by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), the Journal said there is a need for 3.1 million cybersecurity professionals to meet security requirements. But companies leave positions unfilled insisting they can’t find people to fill them.

Researchers tell the Journal “outlandish job requirements are the problem,” not than a lack of workers.

“We’ve created this self-licking ice-cream cone of misery that continues to drive the narrative forward that we don’t have the ability to solve this problem, or we don’t have enough humans,” said Chase Cunningham, principal analyst at research firm Forrester Inc.

The Journal article notes that job postings for entry-level security roles frequently request two to four years’ experience and advanced knowledge, which can be evidenced by certifications such as the Certified Information Security Systems Professional.

But Clar Rosso, chief executive of ISC2, which issues the certification, points out in the article that it takes 5 years of experience before earning a CISSP. “Possibly the human resources recruiter doesn’t have experience in the area and they’re not able to say, wait, that doesn’t even make sense,” she told the Journal.

The solution, says the Journal, is for companies to rework their expectations and hire tech professionals with non-traditional backgrounds, then invest in training. “Apprenticeship schemes and firm career development paths for new cybersecurity workers would help,” says the Journal.

“Once that shift occurs,” Dennis said, referring to on-the-job training and certification prep programs, “I think that the skill shortage starts to answer itself. And then we’ll finally realize that there’s not really a people shortage, there’s just a knowledge shortage on the people who are available.”

Photo by Patrick Amoy on Unsplash

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Green Key