Include Soft Skills on Your Tech Resume to Stand Out to Senior Management!

I think we would all agree that soft skills are a major factor that hiring managers consider when sourcing great talent. New employees need to fit the company’s culture, or there’s a good chance they won’t last very long.
 
So what exactly are soft skills, and which ones do HR, hiring professionals, and executives look for in new hires?
 
In this post, IT job seekers will learn the value of these three critical soft skills:
  • People (aka Interpersonal) Skills
  • Social Skills
  • Communication Skills
 
So let’s get started with a quick definition of soft skills from online investment website Investopedia:
 
“Soft skills have more to do with who people are, rather than what they know. As such, they encompass the character traits that decide how well one interacts with others and usually are a definite part of an individual's personality.”
 
Before we get started though, it’s important that we take a closer look at a few of the potential hiring metrics in a typical IT job search.
 
Soft and hard skills need to be evaluated in context.
It’s important to consider what type of IT position is being filled. Here are just a few considerations to bear in mind:
  • What Department Will the New Hire Be Working in (Sales, Devops, Development, Support, Etc.)?
  • What Level of Internal and External Customer Interaction Will Be Expected?
  • Will the New Employee Be Part of Your Permanent, Temporary or Contingent Workforce?
You can probably start to see where this is going.
Contract jobs can be a great way for a specialized tech professional to fill a temporary IT requirement, for a long-term development project for example.
 
In this case, internal and external interaction with employees and customers might be limited.
 
This type of position would not require as extensive interpersonal, social, and communications skills as a full-time direct-hire position for a software development manager.
 
On the other hand, technical support, customer support, sales support, and help desk positions typically require extensive communications, interpersonal, and social skills.
 
IT sales professionals require a high level of communications and social skills, when entertaining clients, making presentations, etc. In this case, soft skills can be the deciding factor in the hiring process.
 
Strong communication skills are also demanded of almost every new hire in today’s IT world.
You’re going to want to showcase your communications skills in every job search.
 
So what’s the takeaway?
 
I think we would all agree that deciding what soft skills to showcase on your resume is going to depend on the job type and requirements, short and long term. So make sure you’re tweaking your resume to match the job type and description on every job search.
 
This will increase your profile as a candidate. Also, consider engaging with a great recruiter!
 
Are you a candidate looking for an IT job?
At mCubed Staffing, we help clients just like you find that perfect IT job every day! We might have a great employer looking for a great candidate like you.
 
Call us today at (248) 817-2243, or get in touch online. Our expert recruiters are waiting for your call.