5 answers
Jaylynn
Student
6
Questions
Asked
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What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to succeed in this position ?
Do you feel like you had to put a lot of effort into understanding this subject ? Do you feel like you have any regrets?
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5 answers
Mark Swan
Sr. Financial Manager
2
Answers
Roswell, Georgia
Updated
Mark’s Answer
Hi Jaylynn,
The three qualities/keys behaviors that I found contribute most to being successful are having passion for what you do, surrounding yourself with good people, and working smart. Below is more detail on each of these:
Having passion for what you do - A large part of passion is enthusiam so you want to choose a career that you are genuinely excited about each day and challenges you in your development.
Surrounding yourself with good people - the saying that you are only as good as your weakest link is absolutely true. You want teammates who are supportive and helpful and have a sense of ownership about their work.
Working smart - Spend the right amount of time on the right activities that contribute to your success. For example, if you are a business to business sales rep and you are great at cold calling, networking etc...but your product knowledge is poor then it will be difficult to be successful. On the other side of that if you have great product knowlege but you are poor at cold calling and networking then it will be difficult to succeed.
Hope this helps!
Mark
The three qualities/keys behaviors that I found contribute most to being successful are having passion for what you do, surrounding yourself with good people, and working smart. Below is more detail on each of these:
Having passion for what you do - A large part of passion is enthusiam so you want to choose a career that you are genuinely excited about each day and challenges you in your development.
Surrounding yourself with good people - the saying that you are only as good as your weakest link is absolutely true. You want teammates who are supportive and helpful and have a sense of ownership about their work.
Working smart - Spend the right amount of time on the right activities that contribute to your success. For example, if you are a business to business sales rep and you are great at cold calling, networking etc...but your product knowledge is poor then it will be difficult to be successful. On the other side of that if you have great product knowlege but you are poor at cold calling and networking then it will be difficult to succeed.
Hope this helps!
Mark
Doug Johnson
Project Manager
21
Answers
Orland Park, Illinois
Updated
Doug’s Answer
Hi Jaylynn.
I like Mark’s answer, and I wish someone had summed that up for me early in my career (and I wish that I would have had the maturity to listen).
My entire career was in Information Technology. And it wasn’t until I became a team leader that I started recognizing some of the traits that successful IT people have. I’d like to add the following qualities to the ones described by Mark:
Computer Fundamentals: Yes, domain knowledge is important in IT. Successful IT people have a good understanding of computer science fundamentals including software engineering and data structures, as well as some basics of operating systems and networks. You can get an understanding of these fundamentals on the job or by pursuing a computer science degree at a college.
IT Fundamentals: Understanding the importance of thorough testing, documentation, and following a development methodology. Some of this might be covered in college courses, but the importance of these concepts is learned on the job.
Communication skills: not all people I’ve worked with in IT have good communication skills, but the successful ones do. Although we rarely write memos or long reports, we write a lot of email messages and posts to websites. A well written email speeds up understanding, saves people time spent getting clarification. Making your points clearly and concisely in meetings significantly helps your ability to provide valuable input and build credibility.
Drive to learn/curiosity: I’ve noticed that successful IT people seem to have a constant curiosity not only for new technology, but also how the business works. They are constantly working to learn new concepts, learn about what other teams and departments are doing, and learning about the best application of technology.
Team player: I’ve seen this quality often overlooked in IT departments. It’s good for a software engineer to have a deep understanding of the technology, but without the ability to work successfully on a team, the team’s effectiveness is diminished. Today’s IT, especially IT departments using an agile framework, requires teamwork to make teams successful.
I hope my response answers some of your questions.
I like Mark’s answer, and I wish someone had summed that up for me early in my career (and I wish that I would have had the maturity to listen).
My entire career was in Information Technology. And it wasn’t until I became a team leader that I started recognizing some of the traits that successful IT people have. I’d like to add the following qualities to the ones described by Mark:
Computer Fundamentals: Yes, domain knowledge is important in IT. Successful IT people have a good understanding of computer science fundamentals including software engineering and data structures, as well as some basics of operating systems and networks. You can get an understanding of these fundamentals on the job or by pursuing a computer science degree at a college.
IT Fundamentals: Understanding the importance of thorough testing, documentation, and following a development methodology. Some of this might be covered in college courses, but the importance of these concepts is learned on the job.
Communication skills: not all people I’ve worked with in IT have good communication skills, but the successful ones do. Although we rarely write memos or long reports, we write a lot of email messages and posts to websites. A well written email speeds up understanding, saves people time spent getting clarification. Making your points clearly and concisely in meetings significantly helps your ability to provide valuable input and build credibility.
Drive to learn/curiosity: I’ve noticed that successful IT people seem to have a constant curiosity not only for new technology, but also how the business works. They are constantly working to learn new concepts, learn about what other teams and departments are doing, and learning about the best application of technology.
Team player: I’ve seen this quality often overlooked in IT departments. It’s good for a software engineer to have a deep understanding of the technology, but without the ability to work successfully on a team, the team’s effectiveness is diminished. Today’s IT, especially IT departments using an agile framework, requires teamwork to make teams successful.
I hope my response answers some of your questions.
Seng Gan
Engineer
22
Answers
Ashburn, Virginia
Updated
Seng’s Answer
Hello,
There exist three fundamental skills that are essential for anyone's success:
1) The capacity to learn
2) The power to think
3) The art of communication
It's crucial that we concentrate on honing these foundational skills for our enduring success. Often, people lean towards mastering a specific skill, rather than enhancing their methodology and ability to learn how to learn. The same principle applies to the power to think. There are countless ways to think, so why limit ourselves to thinking in just one particular way?
By refining these essential skills, we can accelerate our learning, enhance our thinking, and improve our communication. Consequently, we will be equipped to tackle any challenge that comes our way.
I trust that my response will inspire you to explore new horizons.
There exist three fundamental skills that are essential for anyone's success:
1) The capacity to learn
2) The power to think
3) The art of communication
It's crucial that we concentrate on honing these foundational skills for our enduring success. Often, people lean towards mastering a specific skill, rather than enhancing their methodology and ability to learn how to learn. The same principle applies to the power to think. There are countless ways to think, so why limit ourselves to thinking in just one particular way?
By refining these essential skills, we can accelerate our learning, enhance our thinking, and improve our communication. Consequently, we will be equipped to tackle any challenge that comes our way.
I trust that my response will inspire you to explore new horizons.
Terry Helm
Lead Data Governance Teams
11
Answers
Ballwin, Missouri
Updated
Terry’s Answer
To be successful in Information Technology you need to be ready to stay aware of the changes that occur in technology. It is on-going change, and your skill sets can become quickly outdated. Another tip is to be ready to read a lot and watch videos available on the internet so you can do self-paced learning. Develop your communication skills and be able to make presentations to everyone from other technical IT personnel, the business, and senior management. Critical thinking skill are very important as is the ability to have a process to solve problems and to be proactive in your thinking process and identify the risks to various choices you must make. If you are in IT Management, you need to develop the skills to identify the right personnel for your team. Also develop your leadership skills not just management skills.
John Easton CEng FIET FBCS CITP
Design large computer systems for companies
35
Answers
Winchester, England, United Kingdom
Updated
John’s Answer
Hi Jaylynn
I agree with most of the other answers above so won't repeat what's already been said. The one thing I would add is that you DON'T need to know everything there is to know about a subject / topic. You need to know enough to be useful. Let me explain...
Technology changes at a rapid pace, but not every technology succeeds or becomes something you need to know about. Imagine you spend 6 months becoming an expert in some new programming language, but then a better one comes along and no-one wants the skills you have! It is far better to invest a little bit of time learning a little bit about lots of different things. When, and only when, someone is asking you questions you can't answer about one of these topics is it time to dive a little deeper. If no-one asks, don't invest the time.
Your time is your most precious resource so use it wisely. I guess the key skill you need to figure out for yourself is what that "basic understanding" needs to be for you. If you have a lot of the basic skills (as mentioned above) you will probably find that it's surprisingly little.
I agree with most of the other answers above so won't repeat what's already been said. The one thing I would add is that you DON'T need to know everything there is to know about a subject / topic. You need to know enough to be useful. Let me explain...
Technology changes at a rapid pace, but not every technology succeeds or becomes something you need to know about. Imagine you spend 6 months becoming an expert in some new programming language, but then a better one comes along and no-one wants the skills you have! It is far better to invest a little bit of time learning a little bit about lots of different things. When, and only when, someone is asking you questions you can't answer about one of these topics is it time to dive a little deeper. If no-one asks, don't invest the time.
Your time is your most precious resource so use it wisely. I guess the key skill you need to figure out for yourself is what that "basic understanding" needs to be for you. If you have a lot of the basic skills (as mentioned above) you will probably find that it's surprisingly little.