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What does it take to land a job in tech these days?

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So, you’re coming up to your final exams at uni and now your thoughts have finally shifted to what career you want when you leave. Perhaps you’ve got your eyes set on a career in IT? Given that the average take home pay in the industry was £60,000 in 2012, it’s not hard to see why it’s so attractive.

The problem is that, although you may have learnt a lot at school, it probably hasn’t done an awful lot to make you employable. Yes, getting good grades is important, but it’s only a small part of the picture. The rest is made up of a whole host of soft-skills that are sadly missing in today’s graduate job marketplace. Not to fear, though, that doesn’t mean you’re lacking those skills. In fact, it’s your chance to show them off and stand out from the crowd.

Problem Solving

One of the most important, if not the most important, skills for a tech job is being able to solve problems. But what does that actually mean? Fundamentally, problem-solving calls for you to be creative.

That’s why having a computer science or technology degree can actually work against you. This is because they’re taught in a prescriptive way.

But in the real world of work, you need to be able to tackle problems on the fly, without a textbook to refer to. Employers are calling out for people who are able to improvise and take up challenges. Don’t see this as a problem. See it as an opportunity to show them what you can do.

Develop Your Soft Skills

It is so important to make sure that you have developed your capacity to communicate and work with others. Unfortunately, that school education you just endured didn’t do much to help you develop these skills. You were stuck in a world of rules and regulations, doing individual academic work. It’s a world away from the voluntary, collaborative adult world of the tech industry.

Boosting your soft skills should, therefore, be a priority. Whole books have been written on the subject, but it all boils down to working out how you can best contribute to a team to meet an objective. This encompasses everything from having pluck and determination to building team spirit. One way of doing this practically is to get on a tech job website, like Hyperec, and look out for opportunities that involve teamwork. Building your interpersonal skills will make you more attractive to potential employers.

Passion And Drive

Finally, tech companies want more than a corporate suit. They want somebody who really embodies the corporate ideals. It’s not enough just to be a highly motivated individual who wants to climb the corporate ladder for the financial reward. Getting to the top should be the result of, not the cause for, passion.

Tech companies want people who genuinely believe in their raison d’etre: to make the world a better place through tech. If you’re one of those people, then this will permeate throughout everything that you do. Including, not least, the job interview.

Image: youtube.com

Career CamelWhat does it take to land a job in tech these days?

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