IT Grads - Acquire These Soft Skills for Career Success

As IT professional, you would love to climb up the corporate ladder and claim the career success you deserve. However, besides the technical prowess, you also need to develop the necessary soft skills to progress further. Employers need people who can lead from the front and can take the responsibilities assigned to them. Soft skills need to be developed, unlike the technical ones that you can acquire in the classroom. You would have to work on yourself and gradually achieve the career level you want.

1. Listening Skills and Empathy

In IT, it is all about understanding the requirements. Unless you can understand your clients’ needs, it would be hard for you to deliver as per specifications. Therefore, you must have the ability to listen to the clients and understand what they want. It needs empathy and seeing what the client wants you to visualize. It means connecting with the business problems the client is facing and coming up with a suitable technology solution. Therefore, you need to become an excellent listener to succeed and progress further as an IT graduate.

1. Emotional Intelligence and Ability to Work Under Pressure

When you work in information technology, you may have to meet multiple deadlines. It means remaining calm under pressure and delivering without fail. Thus, you must have the ability to calm your nerves when you have to accomplish a lot of things. Therefore, the ability to deliver under strict deadlines without compromising quality will matter a lot. Similarly, if you can develop the ability to work under pressure, you can multitask and accomplish a lot more in given time frame.

1. Communication Skills

The verbal and written communications play a critical role in coordinating and collaborating on different projects. Therefore, you need to polish your communication skills. An employer will judge your writing skills through a customized resume and a bespoke cover letter. Even the emails you send, create an impression of your ability to effectively communicate. Similarly, if you need to interact with foreign clients, you must be able to converse with them without any problem. Reading, writing, and listening can help improve your ability to communicate verbally and in writing.

1. Team Work

In information technology industry, you need to work with multiple teams in different functions and disciplines. Therefore, you have to be a team player. A person who is always willing to take responsibility and deliver. Organizations require many people to work together for accomplishing set goals. Therefore, employers want employees who can create a friendly office environment. It means understanding when a team member needs help and assisting them. Teamwork also helps improve the overall quality of the work.

1. Cultural Sensitivity

IT is an industry where you would probably have the chance to work with people from all over the world. It means understanding your colleagues, knowing about their culture, background, and values. Furthermore, you may have to work with people who live in different time zones. Therefore, you would have to understand their limitations. It means respecting the values that they cherish and not offending anyone around you. Cultural sensitivity also helps you win friends overseas which can later help you find opportunities and enable you to develop a global professional network.