Military Careers, Second Careers - Army Times

The skills employers really want

Civilian companies that employ people in information technology are placing increased emphasis on what hiring managers call “soft skills,” the experts said.

“The technology skills alone simply aren’t enough anymore,” said Steven Ostrowski, director of corporate communications for the Computing Technology Industry Association, or CompTIA.

Soft skills are personality traits and interpersonal skills such as the ability to interact effectively with others, writing skills, and organizational and management experience, said computer-technology author Ed Tittel.

“In the late ’90s, in concert with the dot-com bubble, there was artificial attention put on I.T. certifications,” Tittel said. “In the past 10 years, the market has matured, and employers are looking for more than just people who have the I.T. know-how.”

Employers are also placing a greater emphasis on business skills, Ostrowski said, including the ability to understand products and goals and how information technology fits into the business scheme.

Companies also want their I.T. professionals to be able to translate technology into a language that’s easy to understand, said Mike Chapple, information security program manager at the University of Notre Dame and a former Air Force intelligence officer.

The good news is that many service members possess at least core soft skills and business savvy by virtue of their military training, Ostrowski said. He recommends college-level courses in business or communications to further develop skills in these areas.

Worried about how to emphasize soft skills on a résumé? Don’t be.

“Those are the kinds of things [employers] pick up on in an interview,” Chapple said.