How to revamp your soft skills

Books to read, people to talk to and circles to expand

Earlier this month we discussed how techies can broaden their soft skills and received some advice from the author of 'The IT Careers Builder's Toolkit'. Today, we bring you a Q&A with Jeremy W. Hill, senior national accounts manager at national staffing company Sapphire, in which we discuss how employers weigh interpersonal skills vs. technical skills, the options for improving soft skills, whether we can improve soft skills by going to training courses or reading books, and if vendors are putting more emphasis on soft skills in their certification training curriculum.

Linda Leung: All indications (job survey results etc) point to the fact that employers want soft skills and business knowledge as much or even more than technical certifications. What exactly is meant by soft skills/business knowledge, from a tech pro's point of view? Are you seeing employers asking for such skills?

Jeremy W. Hill: Soft skills are also called "people skills” or "client-facing skills." They refer to an individual’s ability to work well with others. There are various components that comprise soft skills. Some are innate such as optimism, friendliness and whether or not someone has an outgoing nature, while others are skills that can be taught or improved upon, such as developing effective communication, organization, and social graces.

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Earlier this month we discussed how techies can broaden their soft skills and received some advice from the author of 'The IT Careers Builder's Toolkit'. Today, we bring you a Q&A with Jeremy W. Hill, senior national accounts manager at national staffing company Sapphire, in which we discuss how employers weigh interpersonal skills vs. technical skills, the options for improving soft skills, whether we can improve soft skills by going to training courses or reading books, and if vendors are putting more emphasis on soft skills in their certification training curriculum.

Linda Leung: All indications (job survey results etc) point to the fact that employers want soft skills and business knowledge as much or even more than technical certifications. What exactly is meant by soft skills/business knowledge, from a tech pro's point of view? Are you seeing employers asking for such skills?

Jeremy W. Hill: Soft skills are also called "people skills” or "client-facing skills." They refer to an individual’s ability to work well with others. There are various components that comprise soft skills. Some are innate such as optimism, friendliness and whether or not someone has an outgoing nature, while others are skills that can be taught or improved upon, such as developing effective communication, organization, and social graces.

Soft skills complement a tech professional’s hard skills and are becoming increasingly important in the job market as the technical side of business is becoming more collaborative. Gone are the days when the technical departments are secluded in back room of the company; IT is now an essential, strategic component to today’s businesses. CIOs, IT managers, and even desk-level resources are often bought in to corporate planning initiatives and therefore need to work well in team environments and be adept at sharing information on their projects with different departments within the company.

We are seeing more and more requests from our clients who need IT consultants not only with technical expertise, but general business knowledge and soft skills as well. In year’s past, it was more common to have requirements for just a "heads-down techie” with X skill set. Though our clients still do request specific certifications and skills, we are seeing an increase in requests for individuals with multiple proficiencies.

LL: It's pretty straightforward to know where to go to get tech certification training but where is the first place to look for training on soft skills/business knowledge? Would you recommend going on training courses or reading books, or just broaden your horizons/networks in your private life with more social interactions?

JWH: To some, these skills come naturally, the same way some are comfortable speaking in public or meeting others for the first time. However, to those looking to improve in this area, I would recommend a combination of multiple resources - books and articles can definitely help (don't ignore classics like Stephen R. Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"), as can joining networking or social groups, as well as utilizing training programs.