By: Mike Holka

Competitive advantage…isn’t that a term used for corporations when developing new products or processes? While that is a true statement, competitive advantage also exists in many other contexts, one being the job market. It is important to realize the hiring process is also a competitive environment. You are putting yourself out there in competition with likely 100’s of potential candidates for a given position. Resumes are stored in databases and search software scours the database looking for key words, like Project Manager or Senior Developer. You must be able to differentiate yourself from the masses. Sometimes the only differences that can be perceived between candidates during the interview process are “Soft Skills”.

So, what are soft skills??? We hear this term a lot in interview panels and interviews. We likely have some of them listed on our resume, but do we really know how to demonstrate them to the interviewer, more importantly to our Team and the organization that we are working in?

Let’s start with a basic definition: desirable characteristics, traits or qualities that do not depend on acquired knowledge. That didn’t help very much, maybe a better approach to defining this elusive term is to provide some examples. Provided below are some common soft skills, in no particular order, that are needed to be a successful IT Professional. Be advised, this is not an exhaustive list of soft skills, only a few key ones for example. There is not enough room to explore each in depth, but I’ll put some context and ideas on how to demonstrate each of the characteristics and traits.

Leadership: Leadership is not necessarily directing work. Employees do not have to have a “manager” title to demonstrate leadership qualities. Organizations seek employees who can develop and nurture relationships throughout the organizational structure. Leadership can also be demonstrated by influence. Webster defines influence as: a person who inspires or guides the actions of others. Any person, any role, in any organization has the capability to influence process or decision making. Be advised, with leadership comes responsibility/accountability – yet another “soft skill”.

Teamwork: At work, we are all part of a Team, even if we are not on an “official” Team. Very little can be accomplished in the IT world without cooperating and collaborating with other individuals or other areas of the organization. We must all work together to achieve corporate goals/objectives. Teamwork starts with respecting and trusting the folks that you’re working with.

Communication (verbal and written): We’ve talked about the importance of communication skills in the work place. One of the important aspects that is often overlooked in communication is LISTENING. All too often we jump to conclusions and set off in a direction, doing something, without really understanding what we are trying to do or problem we are trying to solve. 

Work Ethic: Organizations, in general, do not expect their employees to work 80 hours per week. That is not what work ethic is about. Managers do not want to spend their time micromanaging employees. Managers in work environments now have staffs of 20 – 25 people on their Team – it would be impossible for them to micromanage every member of their Team. Managers need to trust their employees to get their work completed and employees need to be responsible for getting their work done. 

Let me take it a little further with a couple of things you can do to demonstrate a good work ethic. One of my pet peeves is being on time…always be on time to meetings, if possible, be a few minutes early. Arrive to work on time, if work starts at 8:00 a.m., then be there and logged in and ready to begin the day at 8:00. There will be times, like a system implementation (as example) where you may be required to work on a weekend. During the weeks prior and likely a couple of weeks after you may be required to put in some extra hours. Accept the challenge and willingly participate in the process.

Flexibility/Adaptability: In the IT world, things change on an hourly basis; shifting priorities, new projects, a newly discovered defect, a technical problem or changing resources to name a few. Team Members must be able to adapt quickly and continue moving the project forward. Organizations are also looking for employees who are willing and able to perform multiple roles. For example, if your primary role is a Business Analyst, are you willing and able to perform as a Tester or a Test Manager. If you are a Developer, can you also perform as a Database Administrator. 

Employers value individuals who are willing and able to perform multiple roles. Including the ability to perform various roles on your resume will get you more looks during the job interview process. It also creates a more rounded IT professional.

Integrity: A person who demonstrates the ability to follow moral and ethical convictions regardless of the circumstance is said to have integrity. Integrity is the basis on which Team Members will build relationships. We all strive to demonstrate integrity in our personal and professional lives…but what does it really look like. 

It is easier to explain integrity by providing a few workplace examples: Respect and follow company policies, processes and procedures. Be ready to work when it is time to work, no social texting or Facebook updates. Respect other opinions even if you do not agree, be accountable for mistakes, and do not take credit for other work. Keep commitments – the Team and project are depending on you and trusting you will be able to accomplish your assignments. 

We all have soft skills listed on our resume. We need to be able to discuss our attributes and character traits in an interview. We also need to be prepared to give examples or relate a story where we demonstrated a soft skill.

Bulleted below are a couple of examples of interview questions that are trying to determine soft skills. Be prepared to give a clear, concise and candid answer. The questions are not Yes/No questions and are designed to open up a dialog with the interviewer. Answering these questions also help demonstrate communication skills.

• Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something that you had never done before. What was your reaction to the request? Did you learn anything from the experience?
• Tell me about a time when you had to juggle several projects and shifting priorities. What was the result? 

All things being equal among candidates from a hard skills (technical aptitude and proficiency) perspective, the differentiator can be soft skills and your ability to demonstrate those traits in a 20-minute phone interview or a one hour in person meeting where you are one of five remaining candidates. As you prepare for your next job search and start updating your resume, do some introspection and do not under estimate the value of the soft skills you possess. They are invaluable to ALL ORGANIZATIONS.

Mike Holka is a PMI Certified Project Management Professional with over thirty years of experience in the development, maintenance and implementation of computer systems for insurance, human resource and banking industries. As a project manager, he has led application development teams through the entire systems development lifecycle (SDLC).  He takes a customer and business centric approach to information technology, has a solid IT background in multiple technologies, as well as a demonstrated track record of leadership and the ability to foster a team environment.