The non-tech skills needed to succeed in IT.
Having technical skills and being able to use those technical skills IN your job, and AS your job… is pretty much what defines “working in IT”. But technical skills aren’t all you need to succeed in IT.
Don’t get me wrong, technical skills are very important for succeeding in almost any IT role, for obvious reasons…, but having essential non-tech skills (otherwise known as soft skills) can be the catalyst to a rapidly growing career full of opportunities, promotion and achievement.
IT success isn’t as simple as becoming the best “techie”out there, and all of the sudden you can get any job you want…
Ah.. but wouldn’t that be nice??
No, unfortunately you WILL need soft-skills, and not just any soft skills… There are THREE essential soft skills that are beneficial SPECIFICALLY to IT people.
Mastering these three skills can put you years ahead of your peers… Even put you ahead of that “know-it-all” guy with all those certifications, that never comes out of his cube.. as a matter of fact, ESPECIALLY this guy. (C’mon, you know exactly who I am referring to. ) ..
Why?
Because there are a lot of IT pros out there that choose this field specifically because they do not have, nor want to develop soft skills.. Heck, most IT people don’t even know that these soft skills exist.
They only want to do tech work… And that’s fine, let em’. Most will only go so far with this mentality, and that’s OK because it leaves room at the top for those who DO want to learn about and develop these skills.
The best part is, just being aware of what these soft skills are and that they exist gives you 100x more knowledge than your everyday IT guy.
So what are these three skills anyway?
Ability to read people
Everyone has the ability to read people, yet some choose not to tap into this skill or use it when it’s most necessary.
Think back to when you were a kid living with your mom… Remember those days when company was coming over and you know it’s only a matter of time before she goes on the warpath screaming and yelling while she’s cleaning, “No one ever cleans up after themselves!”.
Of course you do, because this is all moms…
You know this inevitable blowup is coming, so you have a few tactical decisions you can make in order to leave the situation unscathed.
- Make sure your room is SPOTLESS even before she comes in in the morning to wake you up.
- Try to sweet talk her about mom-stuff to distract or delay the blowup.
- Or my personal favorite, leave the house unnoticed and don’t come back until company has already arrived and the dust has settled.
Any of the three options will work flawlessly, and you know this. The reason you do it is for your OWN benefit, because no one wants to be caught in the crossfire of a mother’s wrath when she’s cleaning. NO ONE.
AND you make it SEEM as though you are doing it for your MOM’s benefit. (Except maybe the third option).
Why?
Because you read you mother, you saw the warning signs, you saw the clues, you knew what you could do or say in this situation to benefit YOURSELF by reading into what SHE actually wanted you to say or do… And in the end it benefits her as well.
Now this article isn’t about how to avoid angry moms (even though that is a great skill).. I simply use this as an example to show you how you already know how to read people.
And this same strategy can and SHOULD be used to benefit your IT career.
Now, I understand that reading your own mother may be a little easier than reading people at work such as your boss, but the same concepts apply. People are always sending out verbal and non-verbal cues that you can use to your benefit.
The key to doing this effectively, is understanding that people are self-centered.
Not in a bad way, it’s just human nature for people to naturally want to talk about themselves, or want to do things that they would enjoy or benefit THEM… It’s also human nature for people to become withdrawn when someone else is being “self-centered” and what they are talking about doesn’t align with their own interests.
Because you are on a tech blog, I assume you enjoy many things that are “IT”, especially talking about them.
If someone were to ask you about the things you like about IT, I bet you could go on for days talking about it.. Even if this person had nothing to contribute to the conversation, if they seemed intrigued in what you had to say, the conversation would continue… Heck by the end of the conversation you may even think to yourself… “Ya know what, I really like that guy, he’s got pizzazz!”
Why?
Because this person made you feel good by reading your cues, and got you talking about what YOU like. Naturally people tend to gravitate toward people that not only seem interested in them, but interested the THINGS they are interested in.
You can use this technique in your work life to help avoid conflict, make new friends, or even get hired, all by looking for the cues from the people you encounter in your professional career.
I know it sounds complicated and even scientific, but it really isn’t… What it boils down to is being a good listener, and observer.
Quick story about how I was able to use my ability to read people to get my first job in IT with NO experience, NO tech degree, and NO certifications.. (I also wrote an in-depth article about how to get a job in IT without experience.)
I was never what you would call a “techie” growing up, if anything I was more of a jock. I was recruited to play basketball in college, and that’s exactly what I did. I had a pretty successful NCAA basketball career, but ended up graduating with a degree in Criminal Justice, because honestly… I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life after college.
Police officer jobs were very hard to come by when I graduated; so I had to find SOME job… any job to at least get my parents off my back.
I saw a job posting for a Help Desk Technician at a local financial assistance company. I had a friend that worked in IT already. At the time I didn’t know what exactly my friend did in IT, but I knew he went to college for that stuff and he really liked his job… I figured what the heck, he likes it.. Maybe I’ll like it too. So I applied.
To my surprise, I actually got a call back to come in for an interview with the IT manager. Knowing that I have no IT experience or IT degree, I figured the interview would go pretty quick and they would send me on my way..
When I arrived for the interview, I was greeted by the IT manager who led me into his office to discuss the position.
I didn’t want to waste his time if he already felt I was not qualified for the job, so I remember immediately trying to get a read on his tone and body langue for any indication of how this interview may go…
Did he already see my resume? Does he know I have no IT experience and just interviewing me the heck of it? Does he seem upbeat? Does he seem busy like he needs to get back to work?
The last thing I wanted to do was try and BS him about IT knowledge that I didn’t have, especially if he wasn’t in the mood.
When we finally got settled in his office, he started the interview by telling me about the company, what his role is at the company, the job opening, the technical work required, the systems they support, etc… I could tell he really did enjoy what he does. But more importantly, I could tell he was a talker, and as long as he was doing the talking, the interview would go well.
I remember thinking that if the conversation turns focus to me and my qualifications, then I would be DONE FOR… So while he was talking, even though it looked like I was fully engaged, I was really looking for clues around the office or in what he is saying that I could use for when it’s my turn to speak, that would spark his interest and get him talking again.
For the first half an hour or so I was doing great when it was my turn to speak, asking questions about him and the company… Questions I could really tell he wanted to talk more about if only given the opportunity.
But after a while, there was only so much he could talk about regarding himself and the company… I could sense the conversation was dwindling…
I would need to think of something else that sparks his interest and keep him talking… but the only thing I could think to mention was about the basketball key-chain he had on his desk.. “Sure maybe he likes basketball, but there is no way I could randomly bring that up during an interview..”
Right as the conversation was turning back to me, he must have realized he has been doing the majority of the talking, so he apologized for “rambling on”..
And rather than say something like “That’s Okay” or “No problem” which would essentially indicate that I agree he was rambling, what I did was much more strategic..
Instead of commenting on his apology for “rambling”, I flipped the script and put the blame on MYSELF for NOT TALKING ENOUGH..
I took a chance and said something like “I’m usually more social, but I stayed up a little later than usual watching the NBA finals.”…
Jackpot!
When you get talker who’s also a basketball fan… to TALK about basketball, you are in the clear for a while!
Not only was I able to smoothly transition the conversation to basketball (which I knew he liked from the key-chain), but I was able to avoid the uncomfortable topic of him “rambling”.
That half an hour interview turned into an HOUR and a HALF interview… talking about the playoffs, the Lakers, our own basketball careers, etc.. It honestly just felt like two friends shooting the breeze.
Because we established such good rapport with each other, by the time the conversation did turn to me and my qualifications, I felt comfortable enough to be completely forthcoming about my lack of IT qualifications. But I also made it clear that I am a quick learner and would love the opportunity.
Needless to say I got the job, and I’m so thankful I did because this position was the catalyst for the success I’ve had in my IT career so far.
He must have had interviews with several other candidates before and after me who were way more qualified for the job. And what do most candidates do when they feel they are very qualified and have tons of credentials?… They talk about themselves!
And sometimes, depending on the interviewer YOU SHOULD talk about yourself… But had they read into this interviewers tone and personality a little bit, they could have easily seen he likes to be the one doing the talking. There will be a time to discuss your qualifications, but building and maintaining rapport needs to come first.
I didn’t get the job because I was the most qualified candidate… I got the job because I was able to read my interviewer, and know what it takes to establish rapport with HIM. Once I was able to do that, my lack of technical qualifications seemed less important.
Now I don’t tell this story to try and illustrate how “great” I am at reading people, because frankly I didn’t even know I was good at it..
It was because of my lack of qualifications for this technical job, that I was forced to find another way win over my interviewer.
And this rings true far beyond the interview…
Having technical skills is only half the battle. You cannot not solely rely on your technical skills for a function such as “IT” that operates within a business.. Because businesses are comprised of PEOPLE; people that USE the systems you manage.
Whether you are interviewing for an IT job, or troubleshooting an IT issue; you will undoubtedly deal with people a lot in your IT career. Your ability to read people is one important competitive advantage you can tap into to help you succeed in the world of IT.
Ability to talk to people
The ability to read people is very important, but you must also be able to talk to people… all sorts of people. And even more than knowing how to talk to people, understanding WHEN to talk, what to say, and what NOT to say.
This doesn’t mean being a chatter-box, in fact quite to the contrary, it’s knowing when to shut up!
You’ve seen this guy before.. the guy who is a social butterfly, great at small talk, bouncing around the office starting up conversations with everyone he sees. It seems like this guy could carry on a conversation with anyone!
And in its own right, this is a talent and it certainly has its place in the professional world. But what you will also notice is these type of people, that seem to be great talkers are often horrible listeners.. Though, they love listening to themselves speak and because of this they often miss important social cues from the people they are taking to.
This goes back to the ability to read people, and the best way to read people is by paying attention.
A coworker of mine is a brilliant network engineer, lots of experience and very talented, yet he struggles to speak to people… And this isn’t due to his lack of talking, because he talks A LOT. The problem is he talks too much, and gets himself in trouble with his superiors. He always seems to dig himself into a hole that he never needed to be in, in the first place.
Our boss is a no-nonsense type of guy. He likes to get straight forward answers, and get them quickly. I figured this out immediately about him when I saw how he interacted with me, and others in meetings.
He leaves no room for long explanations, and will interrupt you mid-speak if you are not making your point quick enough. This is just his personality.
Though some things may warrant a longer explanation, our boss tends to show more respect to those who can be straight forward and brief no matter what!
My coworker has yet to figure this out, and often does not get the credit he deserves because he simply does not know how to speak to our boss. If my coworker just took a moment to analyze what in the conversation went wrong, and what goes right with other people.. he could easily make the simple adjustments in the way he speaks and wouldn’t need to be constantly digging himself out of a hole.
EXPLAIN THE COMPLEX SIMPLY
If you pay attention you will find yourself in situations where you DO need to be the one leading the conversation, especially in the IT world. A vastly underrated skill in IT is the ability to explain the complex simply.
For people who are not engulfed in IT in their daily lives, they often think of technology as a foreign language or something that is way too complicated for them to ever be able to understand.
So don’t add fuel to that flame by not taking the time to explain what may seem complex, in a way that is easily digestible for the average user.
Whether you are speaking to company executives about the benefits of virtualization, or helping someone in HR who can’t connect to the internet, the objective is the same.. You can have all the technical knowledge in the world, but if you can’t properly convey the problem or solution simply to the people who USE these systems, then you will have a hard time moving up the IT ladder.
Ability to empathize with people
Your job in Information Technology is more than simply managing the technical systems that business runs on.
These systems are used by the other people within the organization to perform their job duties. So when the systems are down, or not running properly, it is on the IT staff to not only rely on their technical skills to resolve the issues with the systems, but also use their soft skills to manage the people who use the systems.
It’s very common for people in IT to think the end users are “stupid”…
“Did you check to see if the computer is turned on Karen?!?
I’m a realist, and have been there many times.. so I know all too well that some end users may in fact be COMPLETELY technologically challenged… And that just comes with the territory.
While we may sometimes think the end user is “stupid”… the end user thinks that we are uncaring A** holes.
I’ve seen this dynamic between the IT staff and end users go south TOO many times, and it can really create a toxic culture to work in that benefits no one.
What we sometimes forget is that these users rely upon these systems to do their job.. To us it may seem like a minor issue, but for the user who is having technical problems and can’t do their work, it’s a crisis.
A little empathy can go a long way. Putting yourself in the users shoes, and showing them you actually CARE can make a world of difference and can even be the needed catalyst for a positive change in a toxic work environment.
Showing empathy doesn’t require skill or practice, it can mean just doing that LITTLE extra on your part which can go a long way for the end user.
It can be as simple as sending the user an email letting them know you received their trouble ticket and you didn’t forget about them, but you are working on a larger issue right now and will get back to them as soon as you can.
The little details that show you care make a HUGE difference.
To sum it up
Technical skills can only get you so far in IT. In this article we discussed the THREE most important soft skills every IT person should know.
- Ability to read people
- Ability to talk to people
- Ability to empathize with people
Mastering these three soft skills is critical for IT people, because they represent the three abilities that most IT people lack.
Whether you are trying to get hired for that new job, or just want to establish better rapport with your own boss; try to implement these three soft skills in your professional life and I guarantee you will be surprised the at the positive impact they have on your career.
