Top Six Personal Competencies to Succeed in IT

Stepping into the IT industry is not as difficult as it might seem. But building a successful IT career includes developing some personal competencies beyond the traditional tech skill set and could be equally well applied to other functional disciplines. IT specialists focused on consistent professional growth should adopt a specific mindset that includes an ever-expanding array of cross-functional competencies to get. Let’s overview TOP six personal competencies to help succeed in IT.

1. Curiosity and eagerness to lifelong learning.

In today’s reality, lifelong learning is a key to current and future success. Lifelong learners keep acquiring new skills and capabilities and look for opportunities to expand their knowledge. While qualifications help with a career, curiosity and a growth mindset invite future possibilities. The IT industry evolves rapidly, and new technology, products, tools, and frameworks pop up every day. IT specialists should never stop learning to keep up with the novelties in the highly developing IT sphere.

2. Adaptability.

As we mentioned above, IT industry evolves rapidly. Standard procedures change all the time to develop better and faster ways of doing things. Nowadays, being an IT professional also includes adaptability and flexibility ingrained in the mindset. So if you chose a career in IT, you also chose, by definition, to be an agent of change.

3. Being a team player.

Teamwork is vital for most careers because teams that work well together are more harmonious and more efficient. Even if you work alone or remotely, it is still important that you can communicate ideas and see the bigger picture of how others will use your work in the organization. When it comes to IT, teamwork is essential at every stage of the project. Remember the famous quote by Steve Jobs: “Great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people”.

4. Professional ethics.

Like medical professionals, lawyers, and financial consultants, IT specialists have access to confidential personal data and sensitive business information. Sometimes it leads to confusing situations. Is it acceptable for an IT specialist to report some illegal content stored on someone’s laptop? Is it okay to look through files in the user’s Cloud storage? These questions arise constantly. Several resources help IT professionals searching for ethical guidelines within the scope of their job duties. For example, IEEE has a code of ethics for its members.

5. Problem-solving mindset.

As the digital world gains pace, we are introduced to more challenges. Developing a problem-solving mindset is essential for IT specialists of all levels and specializations. It is more than just a skill. A person with a problem-solving attitude sees a problem as an opportunity to grow and is motivated to find solutions, focusing on growth and achieving positive results.

6. Soft skills.

IT is no longer a solely tech-related area. With the boost of the digital transformation, software development companies transform into providers of complex solutions and services that help address business needs using cutting-edge technologies. That’s why some of the most critical skills contributing to a successful IT career belong to so-called “soft skills.” An ability to communicate, negotiate conflict, take responsibility, and explain certain things to non-IT customers are invaluable for the IT industry, and their importance grows exponentially.