Soft skills and communication skills in particular are crucial to almost any job. However, while some roles require a heavy amount of communication on a daily basis, others such as software development and other tech roles may not.
When you’re a sales person or a marketer, you can expect a serious amount of interview questions about your ability to communicate effectively because it is an integral part of your role and will determine how successful you will be. Meanwhile in tech, your hard, technical prowess is where you will really shine.
However, this doesn’t mean soft skills such as effective communication skills should be forgotten about within the tech industry. Luckily, with the technological revolution that’s upon us, tech roles are becoming much more mainstream and RECRUITERS senior IT recruitment consultant Jennifer Murphy said the stereotypical tech candidate is changing.
“Obviously we know the stereotype of the developer, the introvert that just sits in the corner coding, but I think it’s become a lot more trendy and cool to get into software development and I think that you can’t stereotype anymore.”
Murphy added that the level communication skills a tech candidate would need will depend on the role and whether or not they will be client-facing. “If they’re going to be out consulting, obviously [communication is] really important,” she said.
However, while many more technical candidates are showcasing their soft skills, it can still be difficult and introverts may need a little help highlighting and improving their communication skills, no matter what industry they’re in.
The types of communication skills that most candidates will require include listening skills, the ability to receive feedback well and demonstrating an open mind. Luckily, Murphy had three valuable tips that tech candidates could use to both improve their communication skills and be able to showcase them in an interview.
The projects you work on will no doubt show off your technical capabilities, but you should also use them to prove your communication skills. “Always have project examples ready to go rather than just saying yes or no,” said Murphy. “Be able to talk through your projects and be able to go through what you did.”
Practising talking through your projects will improve your ability to show off your other skills more effectively while demonstrating your communication abilities in real time. If you have done any presentations as part of your role, these will also be key achievements to highlight.
“In terms of people that are struggling and are more naturally introverted, there’s a really good meetup called Introvert Social Fitness,” said Murphy. Introvert Social Fitness is a Dublin-based group to help anyone interested in improving their confidence.
There are also plenty of tech-specific meetup groups for those who want to attend something a bit more niche. Alternatively, for anyone looking for a more direct way to improve certain soft skills such as presentation skills or public speaking, candidates can consider joining a Toastmasters club. “Get yourself out there and get out of your comfort zone,” said Murphy.
You may not have had the opportunity to conduct a presentation or lead a team meeting, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a tangible example of when you exercised your communication skills.
Murphy said that “being able to push back in meetings when they’re talking about technical design” and “being able to give their input” is a clear sign of good communication.
RECRUITERS consultants are highly skilled at prepping candidates for interview, drawing out their best qualities and helping them to show off their skills in the best way. Want to find out more about how to highlight your skills? Talk to Jennifer Murphy, senior IT recruitment consultant at RECRUITERS by email at jennifer.murphy@recruiters.ie or on the phone at +353 1 632 5048. Short on time? Register your CV here.
Want more interview advice? Check out the RECRUITERS interview guide here.
Presentation photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
