A Harvard study states that, 85% of job success is all about the soft skills that you have and only 15% is technical skills. Another survey points out that 77% employers believe that soft skills are as important as core functional skills. These data and facts completely reveal the importance of Soft skills required in current job landscape.
Across various tech industries, a regular feedback provided to the Training and Placement cells during campus recruitment is that the organizations are satisfied with the subject matter skills that the students have, but seem dissatisfied with the communication and other soft skill of the students, needed in the industry.
Techie’s believe that their core programming skills are their USP, but a blend having the required soft skills is the icing on the cake and the cake is definitely not presentable without the icing. Getting a job is the easier part, but success in job requires more than just technical skills. Ability to navigate challenging conversations with subordinates, bosses & peers, working through an organizational dynamic etc. requires both emotional intelligence and soft skills. This is where pure technical skills cannot cover for inadequacy of soft skills. In many IT projects teams working on-site often need to coordinate for the project and it is also here that right soft skills come in handy. Other areas where softs skills may be required include navigating cross cultural teams, putting across your ideas in an impactful way and coming across as a team player. Techie’s who may have ventured into start-ups need to play multiple roles and will be required to display superior soft skills to be successful.
All these are just a few examples, with many more being in the workplace. With a noticeable void in the soft skills of techie’s, all these challenges remain unnoticed at the beginning, but a little effort in the area of soft skill is what can help you create a perfect recipe for success.
