People are hired for technical skills and fired for lack of communication skills, says Robyn Gordon, vice-president of Canada s Software Human Resources Council. Someone with a good combination of communication and technical skills is better than someone with just excellent technical skills, explains Aziz, who says he has between two and four positions open at any one time in his department. We can t teach people to communicate, but if a candidate has shown the ability to analyze problems, then the rest can probably be taught. Gordon says that if you re looking to work in the software industry, you should focus on developing a wide range of transferable skills. There isn t any one thing an applicant can do they need broad-based skills.
Technical skills can become obsolete in a flash.
But soft skills, like communication, problem-solving and interpersonal skills, will sustain you throughout your career. Getting Hired Looking for work in the software industry requires a bit of career reconnaissance not just the right technical skills. But you also need the right approach and attitude. The ones who deserve a job are the ones out looking for a job, says Adamee Itorcheak, president of Nunanet Communications, an Internet Service Provider in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Itorcheak says he prefers job seekers who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit.