11 answers
Letzly
Student
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
2
Questions
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What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in the technology field?
#technology #career #computer
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11 answers
Christopher Johnson
Software Developer
2
Answers
Durham, North Carolina
Updated
Christopher’s Answer
I find that success in tech comes down to three things: learning new tools and technologies quickly, solving problems, and communicating effectively.
Especially at the entry level, employers aren't usually expecting you to have a ton of experience with X, Y, and Z. Instead, they're looking for proof that you can learn new programming languages or tools effectively. Graduating with a Computer Science-related degree at least shows that you can do that. Of course, hard skills are important too, but at the end of the day, it's important to be able to get up-to-speed quickly. In industry, developers are often moved to different projects, often without much warning. We sometimes find ourselves staring at a half-finished project written in a language we have very little experience with. Being able to respond to these situations is a great skill to have.
Being an effective problem solver is pretty self-explanatory. No matter the tech stack you're facing, you'll be able to apply the same logic and critical thinking skills wherever you go.
Last but not least, being able to communicate effectively is key to success in tech. Very seldom will you have the opportunity to work on a project alone; you aren't working with other developers on a particular project, you've still got your manager, project managers, and any other stakeholders such as marketing or IT that need to be looped in to what you're working on. Being able to clearly and professionally present your work to the higher-ups is just as important as being able to have a low-level discussion about a piece of technology with a fellow developer.
No matter whether you're a software developer, tester, DevOps, project manager, or IT specialist, these skills are pretty universal in the technology industry.
Especially at the entry level, employers aren't usually expecting you to have a ton of experience with X, Y, and Z. Instead, they're looking for proof that you can learn new programming languages or tools effectively. Graduating with a Computer Science-related degree at least shows that you can do that. Of course, hard skills are important too, but at the end of the day, it's important to be able to get up-to-speed quickly. In industry, developers are often moved to different projects, often without much warning. We sometimes find ourselves staring at a half-finished project written in a language we have very little experience with. Being able to respond to these situations is a great skill to have.
Being an effective problem solver is pretty self-explanatory. No matter the tech stack you're facing, you'll be able to apply the same logic and critical thinking skills wherever you go.
Last but not least, being able to communicate effectively is key to success in tech. Very seldom will you have the opportunity to work on a project alone; you aren't working with other developers on a particular project, you've still got your manager, project managers, and any other stakeholders such as marketing or IT that need to be looped in to what you're working on. Being able to clearly and professionally present your work to the higher-ups is just as important as being able to have a low-level discussion about a piece of technology with a fellow developer.
No matter whether you're a software developer, tester, DevOps, project manager, or IT specialist, these skills are pretty universal in the technology industry.
Good Input!
Greg Verdict
William R Hart
Software Solutions Architect
6
Answers
Palm Harbor, Florida
Updated
William R’s Answer
Hello Letzly M.,
Great questions! I have been in the Software Development field for a long time. (Windows 3.0 had just been released when I started coding.)
From my experience these are the key items needed to be successful in this field.
1. Curiosity: The willingness to always want to learn a bit more than you knew yesterday.
2. Willingness to be Wrong: If you are not making mistakes - You are not trying hard enough.
3. Never expect to 'Graduate': I graduated college many years ago. However, I will never be 'done' learning.
HTH!
Respectfully,
William R. Hart
Great questions! I have been in the Software Development field for a long time. (Windows 3.0 had just been released when I started coding.)
From my experience these are the key items needed to be successful in this field.
1. Curiosity: The willingness to always want to learn a bit more than you knew yesterday.
2. Willingness to be Wrong: If you are not making mistakes - You are not trying hard enough.
3. Never expect to 'Graduate': I graduated college many years ago. However, I will never be 'done' learning.
HTH!
Respectfully,
William R. Hart
Thank you for reminding me of what I figured out after graduating with my Masters in Mech Eng. The education should formally teach these these concepts in kindergarten. It might make school 'easier'... ;)
Greg Verdict
Debjeet Basak
TECHNICAL CONSULTING ENGINEER
15
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Debjeet’s Answer
The basic mantra should be:
1."Stay hungry, stay foolish"
2.Keep learning. There is no limit to learning.
3. Time management
4.Smart work, not hard work
5.Challenge yourself, push your limits
1."Stay hungry, stay foolish"
2.Keep learning. There is no limit to learning.
3. Time management
4.Smart work, not hard work
5.Challenge yourself, push your limits
Marianne Puma, FLMI
Information Technology
11
Answers
Madison, New Jersey
Updated
Marianne’s Answer
Hi Letzly,
The skills, abilities, and personal attributes that are essential to succeed in the technology field are:
Technology skills - as you enter into the technology field take advantage of all the opportunities to learn and grow your skills. Take on line courses and ask members of your team questions. Never stop asking questions and learning. Also take advantages of courses offered by your company. As you keep working you will continue to grow your skills. Be willing to put in extra time to learn and increase your skills.
Abilities - in the technology field you need strong problem solving abilities. As you learn technology skills you will also learn increase your problem solving skills. In the technology field there are always problem solving opportunities .
Communication - this is a critical skill in any field you want to go into after school. In the technology field it is critical as you will be communicating with other technical team members, your manager, and to business team members that you will be working with. Over time you will learn how to communicate with each group.
Personal attributes - have a willingness to learn and put in extra time especially while you are learning. Have a desire to solve problems. Like to take on new challenges and continue to grow as technology continues to change.
The skills, abilities, and personal attributes that are essential to succeed in the technology field are:
Technology skills - as you enter into the technology field take advantage of all the opportunities to learn and grow your skills. Take on line courses and ask members of your team questions. Never stop asking questions and learning. Also take advantages of courses offered by your company. As you keep working you will continue to grow your skills. Be willing to put in extra time to learn and increase your skills.
Abilities - in the technology field you need strong problem solving abilities. As you learn technology skills you will also learn increase your problem solving skills. In the technology field there are always problem solving opportunities .
Communication - this is a critical skill in any field you want to go into after school. In the technology field it is critical as you will be communicating with other technical team members, your manager, and to business team members that you will be working with. Over time you will learn how to communicate with each group.
Personal attributes - have a willingness to learn and put in extra time especially while you are learning. Have a desire to solve problems. Like to take on new challenges and continue to grow as technology continues to change.
Thank you for answering this question.
Greg Verdict
Dennis Prendergast
Account Manager
64
Answers
Morristown, New Jersey
Updated
Dennis’s Answer
The Technology field is a broad subject - find out what specific area of Technology you feel that you would want to pursue and go after it with all the energy backed by a solid work ethic to achieve your Goals in the Technology field.
Stay the Course - the Technology world is a tremendous Journey that seems to grow and grow more every year!
Good Luck!
Stay the Course - the Technology world is a tremendous Journey that seems to grow and grow more every year!
Good Luck!
Tosin Folorunso
Network Consulting Engineer
6
Answers
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Updated
Tosin’s Answer
I'd say the most important quality you need is a willingness to learn and keep learning. Unlike other fields, technology is rapidly changing so staying relevant in the field will depend on your willingness to learn new technologies as they are introduced. Technology changes so fast that some things could actually have become obsolete by the time you have finished learning them. While that illustration is extreme it does happen. A career in technology requires keeping up to date with changes in order to stay relevant.
Depending on the specific field of technology you decide to specialise in, there would be different qualities you might need to develop as the different fields do vary quite a bit. That being said, the underlying quality they all have in common is how dynamic the industry is. The only constant is change and learning indeed never ends.
All the very best!
Depending on the specific field of technology you decide to specialise in, there would be different qualities you might need to develop as the different fields do vary quite a bit. That being said, the underlying quality they all have in common is how dynamic the industry is. The only constant is change and learning indeed never ends.
All the very best!
Jennifer A J
Services Consulting Engineer
3
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Jennifer’s Answer
Hi Letzly,
The biggest personal attribute required to have success in any field is attitude. With great attitude and passion for particular skillset/technology, you can learn anything and gain your career in that field. If you are good in coding, you can choose programming, automation etc. If you have got good analytical and design skills, you can learn to design a computer network. There are lot of choices in todays IT era, some of them are:
Automation
Cloud computing
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Devops
Follow what you like and success will come over to you provided you work well.
Thanks,
Jenfer A J
The biggest personal attribute required to have success in any field is attitude. With great attitude and passion for particular skillset/technology, you can learn anything and gain your career in that field. If you are good in coding, you can choose programming, automation etc. If you have got good analytical and design skills, you can learn to design a computer network. There are lot of choices in todays IT era, some of them are:
Automation
Cloud computing
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Devops
Follow what you like and success will come over to you provided you work well.
Thanks,
Jenfer A J
sweedal d
customer service
1
Answer
Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
sweedal’s Answer
Greetings Letzly M,
Well I strongly believe that Learning is evergreen.
That has to be day-in and day-out in quest for knowledge
and this will always come in handy , No matter where you are
Well I strongly believe that Learning is evergreen.
That has to be day-in and day-out in quest for knowledge
and this will always come in handy , No matter where you are
Chaitra Narayan
Tech support
30
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Chaitra’s Answer
Hi. My attributes to success be it in any field is having an open mid to feedback, constantly learning and updating skill set and to accept the views of collogues, team from their perspective. Put in your effort and own responsibility to take a task to completion.
Heidi Westfall
IT
3
Answers
Blaine, Minnesota
Updated
Heidi’s Answer
Curiosity and willingness to learn, problem solving, and communication.
Check out tech blogs to learn industry trends, participate in software user groups and other forums to share knowledge and ideas with others.
Check out tech blogs to learn industry trends, participate in software user groups and other forums to share knowledge and ideas with others.
Syed Ferdous
Program Manager
100
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Syed’s Answer
Hi Letzley,
The most important trait for a person working in technology is a willingness to learn. Technology is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. This requires people on the business, IT and development side of technology to constantly stay up to date with the latest developments. You should expect to attend online classes, take in-person training, attend industry conferences, and network with experts to stay current.
Another important trait is adaptibility or comfort with ambiguity. Especially when developing new technology, there are constant changes that come out of experimentation (and failure or success behind those experiments), new requirements from users, and funding (or the lack thereof). Especially at the junior level, a technologist needs to be able to adjust to these issues on the fly with little say over how to respond.
The most important trait for a person working in technology is a willingness to learn. Technology is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. This requires people on the business, IT and development side of technology to constantly stay up to date with the latest developments. You should expect to attend online classes, take in-person training, attend industry conferences, and network with experts to stay current.
Another important trait is adaptibility or comfort with ambiguity. Especially when developing new technology, there are constant changes that come out of experimentation (and failure or success behind those experiments), new requirements from users, and funding (or the lack thereof). Especially at the junior level, a technologist needs to be able to adjust to these issues on the fly with little say over how to respond.