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"The real assets of PMC-Sierra are people. The people develop the vision and technologies and intellectual property that make the company so valuable."
Robert L. Bailey, President and CEO
Potential employment candidates need to exhibit a variety of soft skills in addition to technical aptitude and understanding.
What are some of the soft skills that hi-tech employers are looking for?
TEAMWORK: Technical employees will likely be members of a variety of teams through their course of employment. These teams often consist of representatives from many departments, varied technical backgrounds, and at times, different locations. Team skills have become a necessary part of our corporate culture.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: This does not just entail speaking a certain language or being able to write a report without spelling mistakes. Instead, employers are looking for communication skills that involve the ability to present and defend thoughts or ideas to a wide audience such as fellow employees, managers, or customers.
PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY: The hi-tech industry is extremely fast-paced. Employees are constantly being faced with new challenges, both technical and non-technical. Employees will need to be able to solve problems quickly and efficiently in order to keep up. Creativity and innovation are often key qualities that employers look for in potential hires.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS: Not every employee who works in hi-tech is necessarily going to lead a project in the future. However, with the pace of change and staff growth, many companies are turning to employees for assistance in training and mentoring new team members.
CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTATION: You may think that since technical employees do not often deal directly with customers, adept customer service is not a requirement. However, with many hi-tech companies, a "customer" is not necessarily an external entity who is purchasing a product, but very often an internal colleague who is looking for your expertise.
How do you demonstrate soft skills?
To start, develop an understanding of some of the soft skills that are desired by employers. Next, in order to stand out from the crowd, learn to demonstrate these skills through your resume, in an interview, or in dealings with potential employers at career fairs, industry association gatherings, and other recruitment activities.
Think of situations in your past in which you displayed these types of skills. These situations do not necessarily have to have taken place in the workplace. Look for examples in your school projects, sports teams, associations, clubs, or volunteer work.
Rehearse answering questions related to these skills that you think may be asked in an interview.
Make use of the resources that you have at your fingertips (a sure sign of resourcefulness and problem solving ability!). Talk to career counselors at your career centres and participate in mock interviews.
Take part in activities that will allow you to practice any soft skills that you have not previously been able to use. Not only will this give you the confidence to share these skills with others, but it may also serve as a useful reference when applying for employment.
Remember that even though you may be applying for a job that is predominantly technical in nature, it is your combination of technical skills and "soft" skills that will set you apart from the crowd!
Robert L. Bailey, President and CEO
Potential employment candidates need to exhibit a variety of soft skills in addition to technical aptitude and understanding.
What are some of the soft skills that hi-tech employers are looking for?
TEAMWORK: Technical employees will likely be members of a variety of teams through their course of employment. These teams often consist of representatives from many departments, varied technical backgrounds, and at times, different locations. Team skills have become a necessary part of our corporate culture.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: This does not just entail speaking a certain language or being able to write a report without spelling mistakes. Instead, employers are looking for communication skills that involve the ability to present and defend thoughts or ideas to a wide audience such as fellow employees, managers, or customers.
PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY: The hi-tech industry is extremely fast-paced. Employees are constantly being faced with new challenges, both technical and non-technical. Employees will need to be able to solve problems quickly and efficiently in order to keep up. Creativity and innovation are often key qualities that employers look for in potential hires.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS: Not every employee who works in hi-tech is necessarily going to lead a project in the future. However, with the pace of change and staff growth, many companies are turning to employees for assistance in training and mentoring new team members.
CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTATION: You may think that since technical employees do not often deal directly with customers, adept customer service is not a requirement. However, with many hi-tech companies, a "customer" is not necessarily an external entity who is purchasing a product, but very often an internal colleague who is looking for your expertise.
How do you demonstrate soft skills?
To start, develop an understanding of some of the soft skills that are desired by employers. Next, in order to stand out from the crowd, learn to demonstrate these skills through your resume, in an interview, or in dealings with potential employers at career fairs, industry association gatherings, and other recruitment activities.
Think of situations in your past in which you displayed these types of skills. These situations do not necessarily have to have taken place in the workplace. Look for examples in your school projects, sports teams, associations, clubs, or volunteer work.
Rehearse answering questions related to these skills that you think may be asked in an interview.
Make use of the resources that you have at your fingertips (a sure sign of resourcefulness and problem solving ability!). Talk to career counselors at your career centres and participate in mock interviews.
Take part in activities that will allow you to practice any soft skills that you have not previously been able to use. Not only will this give you the confidence to share these skills with others, but it may also serve as a useful reference when applying for employment.
Remember that even though you may be applying for a job that is predominantly technical in nature, it is your combination of technical skills and "soft" skills that will set you apart from the crowd!