Stand Out in Your IT Interview: How to Showcase Your Soft Skills
You did it! You are at the end of your technology education, and have been actively applying and interviewing for a new job in IT. You have an impressive resume, all the right training and certifications, maybe even a portfolio that showcases your skills. You know you have the technical skills needed to complete the job, but is it enough? When the average job post receives 250 resumes, you’ll need to show off your best assets through not only your hard skills but also your soft skills.
What are soft skills?
Unlike hard skills which can focus on specialized knowledge, soft skills focus on interpersonal skills that take a deeper dive into your work ethic and how you may fit in with the team.
Soft skills examples
Common examples of soft skills are professionalism, teamwork, and problem solving.
Soft skills are complementary to hard skills and show not only does a candidate have the appropriate training for a specific position, but also shows that they have the flexibility to apply their hard skills in different situations. For example, a programmer might know the languages required for a position, but they might also need to work on a team and collaborate with their colleagues on projects.
Soft skills showcase how versatile you are as an employee and show an employer that you are a good investment for the long term.
What soft skills are employers looking for?
Where hard skills are required for specific roles, soft skills are more widespread and apply to many different industries. For 2019, the top 5 soft skills employers are looking for are:
- Creativity
- Persuasion
- Collaboration
- Adaptability
- Time Management
These skills are important for a candidate in the technology industry and show that having only the appropriate training and certifications are not enough to differentiate yourself from another applicant. By highlighting your strengths in soft skills, you show a potential employer that you are not only dedicated to your craft, but you are dedicated to the culture and success of the company. Hiring managers take notice of soft skills too: 93% of HR managers say technical skills are easier to teach than soft skills, making it more important than ever to highlight your strengths in soft skills.
How do you showcase your soft skills?
Soft skills are more challenging to share with a potential employer but are still an important component to your resume and applications. When highlighting your strengths in soft skills, provide specific examples of projects you worked on, and what role you played in its success. For example, if you are trying to show how adaptable you are in a work environment, mention the different departments you have assisted within the same organization, and how you were able to provide support. A system administrator may have the main responsibilities of managing a company’s network and service, but also might have experience helping a marketing department with making purchasing decisions on equipment upgrades. The more examples you can provide to showcase your soft skills, the better position you are with a potential employer.
If you have participated in training that has a badging program, highlighting your skills through a badge on your professional networking site is another excellent solution to showcasing your soft skills. If you do not have the ability to share any badges, ask a former employer for a reference on your networking page, as an opportunity for future employers to see firsthand how well you work in a professional environment. Highlighting your soft skills in different ways helps keep your information fresh, and makes you stand out in a pool of applicants.
These days, interpersonal skills are just as important as technical skills to a potential employer, especially in the growing IT industry. Centriq prepares you for your new career in IT by not only teaching you the technical job requirements but also teaches and strengthens your soft skills. By going through Centriq’s IT Career Program, you can have the confidence and skill set to succeed in not only your interviews but also in your future career.
Contact us today and find out how you can make a new career for yourself in IT in only four months, not four years.