Have you ever spent some time revisiting your resume, and started to think you don’t have enough hard skills? You start thinking “I need more certifications”. “I need to learn a new coding language”. Even when you look at job descriptions, you tell yourself this story:  

“People with the highest number of hard skills get hired faster.”

I used to think the same way before breaking into tech. Thinking I’m valuable only if I have hard skills, and if I get certifications. But once I made it into tech, I realized the importance of soft skills. One thing is clear: Tech needs more people with soft skills.

Soft skills are key to thriving in the tech space. If you want to increase the impact of your hard skill in the tech space, you’ll need more soft-skills.

Here are 10 soft skills that successful people in tech have:

1. Communication

No matter what job you want, you will always see communication listed in the description. That’s because of the collaborative nature of technology. It has many moving pieces, and teams that you’ll spend a big chunk of time in meetings. You’ll also get buy-in from other teams, and present your ideas.

This doesn’t mean you have to become Tony Robbins to have “strong” communication skills. It means your communication must be adaptable. You’re able to communicate hard concepts into simple ideas, and you’re not afraid of speaking up.

2. Critical Thinking

Working in tech can get hectic. Before you know, you’re running around chasing after deadlines and launches. But you’ll also encounter big problems to solve, so having critical thinking is key.

Critical thinking is the ability to make logical and informed decisions. It’s not about what you “feel” you should do, but gathering the data and making a decision based on that. It’s also understanding that there are lots of moving pieces to reach a decision.

3. Leadership

You’re tired of me saying this, but it’s so important that I cannot afford to leave it out:

Tech companies hire confident leaders.

That doesn’t mean you must be a world-recognized leader before they decide to hire you. It means you must be someone who thinks and acts like a leader.

A confident leader has many attributes, but there are some important ones as it relates to tech:

• Knowledgeable about a specific niche.
• Not afraid of getting their hands dirty and doing problem-solving.
• Encouraging cross-team communication.
• Stepping out of the comfort zone.
• Thinking outside the box – embrace innovation.

4. Growth Mindset

Successful individuals in tech have one thing in common: a growth mindset. Unlike having a fixed mindset, a growth mindset is all about constantly improving. You have the intelligence and ability to learn new skills, through hard work, training, and perseverance. You’re also not afraid of going through this process because it’s not about the destination.

It’s important to have this type of mindset even during job searching. 

Going from “nothing is working for me in my job search” to “I’m learning new ways to make this a reality. 

From “I can’t land my dream job” to “I have what it takes, I just need a better strategy”. 

From “no one will hire me” to “I’m building my experience and I have what it takes to land my next job”.

5. Teamwork

You know when interviewers ask the tricky question of “How do you work better, working in a team or by yourself? And then you rush to say in a team because it sounds like what they want to hear.

The thing is teamwork is inevitable in tech. Tech is a huge industry and it’s solving massive problems – so there will be a lot of teams. On a daily basis, you’ll interact with dozens of people and all from different teams, so teamwork is a big deal.

6. Adaptability

With innovation comes ambiguity. Tech jobs need adaptable individuals. Because more likely than not – every day will be different and will come with new problems to solve.

Are you adaptable? Think about times that you solved a problem thanks to your ability to adapt last minute. Think about the times when someone switched a timeline on you. Or when you had to organize last-minute meetings. Being adaptable pays off in tech, and also makes your experience in the field more enjoyable.

7. Conflict Resolution 

In a world of smart individuals solving big problems, there will be conflict. But not conflict in the way that you think. Interactions will look more like:

“ I don’t agree with your idea”

“ We should go another route”

“ I don’t think this is a good solution”

So, there will be a lot of getting individuals on your side. Getting them to see why your idea, project, or suggestion is worth pursuing. It means to not take it personally and go a different route to present your idea or project.

8. Time Management

Organization, prioritization, planning all fall into this category. Time is a precious resource and even more so in tech. When you have several projects to lead, various meetings a day – time management will be a good skill to have. That will be the difference between working hard vs working smart.

Time management isn’t one of those skills you can list on your resume and hope it sounds impressive. You have to show it using numbers. Take a look at your experience and see where you can show you have impeccable time management.

It can be:

• Increased sales by 40% in 3 months.
• Launched a project end-to-end in a single quarter.
• Executed 10 code reviews in a day.

The more specific you are about timelines, the better.

9. Resourcefulness

Problem solving and resourcefulness go hand in hand. Tech jobs are fast-paced and require problem-solving. So if you’re able to get to an answer faster and more efficiently, you’re going to be ahead in more ways than one.

Knowing where to look for the right information to make a decision. Knowing who to contact in case x or y breaks is so important! The way to showcase resourcefulness is during your interviews. You want to make sure when you start sharing your answers, you hit on soft skills like this to set yourself apart.

10. Project Management

While you can be a Software Engineer, Data Analyst, or UX designer – you need project management skills. Project management is one thread unifying a lot of the moving parts in tech. It comes from the idea that everyone has a part to play in the company’s ecosystem.

Project management is important because it shows you’re able to own and finish projects. It’s something tangible you can showcase.  It’s also a lot of responsibility, so it means it helps you grow faster in your career no matter what your goal is.

Last but Not Least

Not all soft-skills are equal, and that is good news. You don’t have to cram all these skills into a resume. You also don’t have to make a superhuman effort to bring them all up in your interview. 

The key is to identify the ones that are the most valued by your target company. A great way to check this out is by visiting the “culture” or “jobs” section of your company’s website. They usually list out skills they look for in candidates as a company.

 Learn about their culture and the types of individuals they hire. Then you can position yourself by picking and choosing the one that will resonate the most.