Weekly Business Insights from Top Ten Business Magazines | Week 287 | Leading & Managing Section

Extractive summaries of and key takeaways from the articles curated from TOP TEN BUSINESS MAGAZINES to promote informed business decision-making | Week 287 | March 10-16, 2023

The 5 Counterintuitive Skills You Need To Land A Job In Tech

By Mark C. Perna | Forbes Magazine | March 14, 2023

Listen to the Extractive Summary of the Article

The white-hot labor market of the past few years is finally showing signs of cooling down. That’s especially true in the technology sector, where layoffs conducted by multiple big-name companies have grabbed headlines. Some of that shift can be attributed to continued unease about what the economy holds for the coming year.  But the good news is that many IT tech companies are still looking to hire. Plus, even more companies across several related industries are also looking for new talent with the kinds of tech skills that are becoming more in demand than ever.

How members of the younger generations interested in pursuing an IT career can best prepare themselves to land their dream job—regardless of what happens with the economy.  But as demand for workers with tech skills soars, companies continue to report that they simply can’t find enough workers with the skills they need. That’s led to more employers looking at ways to help new hires cross this skills gap.

What’s counterintuitive, though, is that the skills gap isn’t just about tech skills. A large majority of employers in a survey report difficulty finding employees with the right combination of hard and “soft” skills, which could be referred “professional” skills.  Research finds that the top five soft skills employers of IT talent are looking for today include:

1. Creativity and Originality
2. Critical Thinking and Analysis
3. Leadership and Social Influence
4. Reasoning & Problem Solving
5. Reliability and Self Discipline

Future-proofing your career.  Three pieces of advice for the younger generation who are or will be looking for jobs in IT could be: first, stay abreast of trends and take the time to ensure they are skilled in technologies and competencies projected to grow.  Second, invest time in getting valuable experience through internships or independent hands-on learning.  And third and perhaps most importantly, is the need for members of the younger generations to develop those soft/professional skills employers are looking for.

Making the most of a bad situation.

3 key takeaways from the article

1. The white-hot labor market of the past few years is finally showing signs of cooling down. That’s especially true in the technology sector, where layoffs conducted by multiple big-name companies have grabbed headlines. But the good news is that many IT tech companies are still looking to hire. Plus, even more companies across several related industries are also looking for new talent with the kinds of tech skills that are becoming more in demand than ever.
2. How members of the younger generations interested in pursuing an IT career can best prepare themselves to land their dream job—regardless of what happens with the economy. 
3. The following counterintuitive five soft skills employers of IT talent are looking for today include:  creativity and originality; critical thinking and analysis; leadership and social influence; reasoning & problem-solving and reliability and self-discipline.

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Topics:  Employment, Jobs, Technology, Skills