Job Seeker Tips

IT Needs to Know These 4 Non-Tech Skills, Too

As an IT worker, you may think that you can easily walk into a job based on your skill set alone. After all, it's hard to know your way around databases, network topologies, server software and other technical aspects. But that alone won't make you stand out from the competition. When people apply for these positions, they often have very similar experiences, so you can't rely on knowing the difference between SQL and PHP and putting that to use. There are a lot of important job requirements that are universal that a tech position also needs. Having these so-called "soft" talents can help you step out from the rest of the IT crowd.

1. Promoting yourself

The most obvious skill to have when looking for new IT jobs is being able to sell yourself. This isn't just a review of what credentials you have. Mashable suggests you should be able to fill out a LinkedIn profile with accomplishments. One way of doing this is making your presence known to the right people on various social and tech networks. Answer questions on Quora, for example. Participate in forums dedicated to tech and provide input. Join "hackathons" that demonstrate your prowess. Placing these accomplishments on your resume or LinkedIn profile is a great way to get the attention of recruiters.

2. Managing your time and projects wisely

You may enjoy hiding in the cables, tinkering away at one problem or another. You may find you get lost in the moment, and lose track of time. However, companies don't have as much time on their hands. When they come to you to fix a problem, they wanted it fixed two hours before they called you. And they'll come at you with a variety of problems. Being able to manage your time and each issue with a certain degree of urgency and efficiency will give you something that recruiters will appreciate, according to job site The Ladders. They want people who can represent the company and get things done.

3. Great communication and customer service skills

You may be the biggest fan of that British TV show "The IT Crowd," but you're not going to get anywhere by acting like the leads in that show and showing contempt or snarkiness to fellow employees. They're just trying to do their jobs when something goes wrong. Odds are they're not familiar enough with computers to understand some of the basics. What you should do is treat each situation as though they're your boss or a customer. Having exemplary customer service skills can be a very useful asset to display when you're meeting with interviewers.

4. Being curious and imaginative 

While being technical is a very important aspect of the IT field, creativity is just as important. It allows you to solve problems in a clever way and open your mind to new ideas. Such thinking can help you expand your horizons to other fields in IT as well. This can help you further your career in the business.

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