Whether you are in the tech industry or not there’s a chance that you have experienced disruption in your current position or job search, not to mention a lot of us are still figuring out the best ways to work remotely. For those of you that are experiencing the ebb and flows of the job market, here is some advice on keeping calm and consulting on from one of our seasoned tech consultants.
Hiring an engineering consultant these days has also shifted, it’s no longer about just having a tech background, we are seeing an uptick in clients putting more value around soft skills and tech versatility. Our clients are from various industries and backgrounds and these are the skills we are seeing in demand.
Soft skills are valuable
Soft skills like communication, character, attitude, and problem solving have become more prevalent with technical hiring managers. Communication has become as important as being efficient in a programming language because a lot of people are still working remote. For the team to hit deadlines engineers must learn how to communicate technical information and be great collaborators through the screen. Character and attitude matter because they want to make sure that the candidate exhibits good characteristics like honesty, social awareness, patience, and being a team player. Judging these characteristics will ultimately tell them if the candidate can be trusted to complete the tasks efficiently and in a timely manner.
One of my candidates recently had an interview and was able to demonstrate a high level of understanding for the technology and showcased his soft skills. Towards the end of the interview, he displayed strong problem-solving skills and effectively communicated multiple solutions which the client had not considered. Immediately following the interview our client extended an offer to the candidate because they couldn’t wait for him to join on their project!
Are you well rounded?
Being flexible, well-rounded, and versatile within technology is important as it becomes more prevalent in daily businesses. Productivity needs to be at an all-time high and therefore clients are looking for candidates that can perform multiple job functions. When it comes to software, clients will often need the engineer to know how to design the program, write the code and then test and debug the software. Many clients are requiring the candidate to not only be able to do low level systems programming but require strong knowledge and experience developing in languages that are not as easy to use such as: C, C++, Python or Perl.
If you have a software and hardware background (Embedded Engineer with electrical knowledge) this allows you to pivot and assist on both hardware and software development. Being this adaptable brings a lot of value to the team and is more likely to land you an interview or your next assignment.
Now that hiring managers have recognized how well engineers can work remotely we believe that it’s here to stay. Many clients are starting to prepare their hiring plans for next year so as you approach the job market expect to demonstrate all your skills including the soft ones, we don’t see this trend going away anytime soon.