People Skills
Description:
Many complaints in the IT manager community gear towards IT staff having technical knowledge but not “people skills”. Try to aim for these characteristics:
To Resolve:
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Friendly => Not to the point of being annoying, but you should be approachable. I’ve seen many IT employees who carry such a sense of entitlement that you can’t even ask them a question. Don’t be that guy.
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Confident => Learn your tech skills and your people skills, this is the key to confidence.
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Willing to own problems until they are solved => Employers want to see that if they give you a task, it can be done.
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A good communicator => You need to know how to convey information you know. If you have to practice giving speeches to friends/ family, do so.
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Not a complainer => Employers don’t want to hear complaining. I have always been good in this aspect because I come from an Army background. The way I look at it, no task is too hard or too tedious that I’m too good to do, as long as I’m getting paid. This will of course change as I move into management.
Interview Skills:
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Before the interview: Research the company, formulate questions, and buy the outfit/ get the outfit prepared. Business dress in interviews => This means slacks and a long sleeve button up shirt with a jacket and tie (for men) unless told otherwise.
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During the interview: Firm handshake, eye contact. Repeat names as people are introduced. Offer a copy of your resume to anyone speaking with you. Speak loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear you and don’t mumble. Make small talk and most importantly, act comfortable, even if you’re not (this goes towards that confidence factor). Lastly, answer questions to the best of your knowledge, even if the answer is “I don’t know the answer to that, but..” and have a couple of your own regarding the job specifically.
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After the interview: I always wait 24 hours and then send a “Thank you for the opportunity..” email.
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