By Debra Auerbach
Presentation skills
Workers with information technology skills are some of today's most in-demand workers. In fact, employers are having a hard time finding people with the right IT skills to fill open positions. While technical skills
are naturally important to employers seeking qualified IT candidates,
that's not all it takes to get a job or be successful in an IT role.
Here, IT experts share the non-technical skills they believe are needed to succeed in IT.
Analytical skills
"I
think it's critical that IT professionals must be analytical in nature
-- the ability to look at trends and problems with an eye on cultivating
a solution that can speak to an overarching trend rather than a
particular, nuanced issue is critical." -- Richie Lauridsen, director of operations, SEOhaus
Empathy
"The most
important non-technical skill for IT professionals in my experience is
empathy. With empathy comes understanding of the clients' and/or
end-users' problems. This breeds an 'ownership' of the problem, which,
in turn, breeds clarity in delivering communication of the problem and
its resolution." -- Yehuda Cagen, director of client services, Xvand Technology Corporation
Communication skills
"After
30 years in this industry, which began as a programmer, the skill that
helped elevate my career most is that of communication. Learning to be
succinct and communicate clearly to your intended audience is absolutely
essential for continued success in this business. Communication skills
should be developed early and attention paid to detail that is expressed
in emails, presentations, phone conversations, meetings and so on. I
often coach our younger staff members on communication and why
understanding the context of communication is critical." -- Kevin Carlson, vice president and chief security officer, Optaros Inc.
Presentation skills
"Presentation
skills make the difference between your ideas being implemented in the
real world and them never seeing the light of day. When an IT
professional complains that no one in the business understands them,
they often have their own faulty presentation skills to blame. To have
effective presentation skills, an IT professional must understand how to
communicate clearly to a non-technical audience, to be comfortable with
the tools and techniques of speaking to a group and have the ability to
create a business 'value proposition' for their audience. The key to
learning to present is practice, practice, practice -- to your IT peers,
to friendly colleagues and even to the mirror." -- Jon Eberly, CEO, Clock Four
Ability to listen
"The ability to listen to the
needs of those you support can directly determine the types of products
and projects you are assigned to. And while everyone in IT may want the
latest and greatest, it does not mean it is necessarily the right fit.
Listening to staff needs will also affect your judgment(s) concerning
specific products or methods required to fulfill those needs. Lastly,
listening will help to foster relationships within the department.
Working and listening so closely with one another establishes a sense of
trust, reaffirms their faith in your abilities and aids in ensuring all
IT personnel meet or exceed expectations." -- Sean Harris, network administrator, City of Palm Bay, Fla.
Business sense
"Today's
IT professional needs to be sure they possess the 'soft skills' that
can help them really merchandise their work -- and worth -- to the
organization. They need great people skills, the ability to anticipate
questions, and most importantly, a good business sense. I'd recommend IT
professionals get really smart about return on investment and showing
how their work impacts the bottom line. They should also make sure
they're absolutely clear about the organization's business goals as a
whole and find ways to show how their work contributes to those goals.
In today's market, it is not enough to have great IT skills and
knowledge, it is equally important to position yourself as a strategic
business person." -- Peter Nordberg, CEO, InSite
Entrepreneurship
"I believe that
entrepreneurship is the most important non-technical skill IT
professionals should possess. Entrepreneurship is more of a mindset than
a skill, a perspective that can transform problems into opportunities
and opportunities into innovation. In the world of IT, innovation large
and small can be viewed as 'career currency' that increases the value of
the IT professional to their organization." -- Ara H.