It's not just about tech - important soft skills

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I know we talk about the importance of being good at IT in order to get your foot in the door (and under a desk).

But what about the importance of soft skills?

I think we all agree that IT professionals generally don't adhere to the age-old stereotype of cave-dwelling, sunlight-avoiding, glass-wearing social outcasts with the personality and appeal of a wet sock.

But are we all aware of what soft skills are, and how we develop them?

What would you see as your most valuable 'soft skill'? And if you're the one in your team that does the hiring (and firing) what kind of soft skills do you want to see from people joining (and wanting to keep their places in) your team?

 

For me soft skills are very important, especially when interviewing candidates. You can have 5 candidates for a job, equally qualified, who would you go for? The one that demostrates good soft skills... Sometime even if the person isn't as qualified as another on paper, that person will be prefered over a more qualified person because of their soft skills.

That's not to say that certification isn't revelant or needed, after all a qualified person with good soft skills stands out a little bit more

For me, when I'm interviewing the 3 main soft skills that I look out for are:

1. Communication skills
2. Team working &
3. Motivation combined with enthusiasm

-Ken

 

It does mate; it comes under team work & teaching/leading at least.

-Ken