Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Capella University. The opinions and text are all mine.
Information Technology (IT) is a fast-paced industry that grows rapidly as the latest technologies evolve. In accordance with the demands of the changing times, IT organizations now prefer professionals who are not only technically competent, but also well-versed in soft skills like organization, teamwork, and management. So, unless you are an IT professional who has taken refuge under a rock in the garden pond, you need to know more than C++, Java or .Net to land your next job
The shift of the recruiter’s focus from the purely technical skills of a candidate to the general aspects and personality of the prospective employee indicates the changing trends in the IT sector. The tech recruiters want to know what value an IT professional would bring to the company in terms of teamwork, communication, creativity, organization, analysis, motivation, drive and enthusiasm.
Leaders in IT have to overcome a myriad of challenges and they need soft skills to confront and overcome these problems. These challenges include the rapid progress rate of the industry, outages and instabilities borne out of the complex integration of apps, systems and processes at a massive scale, innovation vs. cost-efficiency bargains, cyber security and privacy issues, regulatory problems, progress bottlenecks created by audits and financial assessments, loss of control due to outsourcing, dealing with legacy systems, and being directed by outer forces due to rapid adoption of the technologies like Cloud.
Fortunately, there are many options available for IT professionals to sharpen their soft skills and bring them up to the mark. Skills like communication and problem-solving become even more important in business-oriented roles like client consultation. From giving a short presentation to working and interacting in a team, these skills can help you develop a path to your future success.
This infographic offers a succinct round-up of the major soft skills that every IT professional needs to stay ahead of the competition:
Graphic source: “12 Skills You Didn’t’ Know You Needed in IT,” Capella University, 2016.
As an IT professional, you always have fires to put out and deadlines to meet. Setting time aside for your technical and professional growth is equally important and can influence your career in the years to come.
An easy way to gauge your soft skill strengths without having to invest a lot of time is to take the CEB IT Talent Assessment. This appraisal will ascertain your competency in 12 basic soft skills required to take your career up a notch. Usually, this assessment is purchased by Fortune 500 companies for their employees. Fortunately, Capella University is providing this assessment to readers of this blog for free! You can learn more about the CEB assessment facilitated by Capella at this link and visit the Capella website as well as their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, YouTube channel and Pinterest for more info.
See graduation rates, median student debt and other information at http://capellaresults.org/outcomes.asp.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Capella University. The opinions and text are all mine.
