Businesses of all kinds and types depend on IT for their day-to-day operations and for their continued growth. Via IT consulting jobs, you could find yourself assisting any kind of business, from an automotive company to a law firm.
Having impeccable technical skills will of course help you land a job. After all, you’re being hired for your IT expertise. But in order to give yourself an edge over other candidates and convince prospective employers that you’ll be an asset to their business, there are also different kinds of non-technical aptitude you need to demonstrate. These include the following:
Understanding the bigger picture. When you’re working as an IT consultant, you may be recruited for a one-time project or for recurrent work. Regardless, you need to show that you understand the larger purpose of the work. What does the business hope to accomplish? What are their goals and overall purpose? What are their concerns? Showing that you have an understanding of these issues will help set you apart from candidates who may not look beyond the technical details of an assignment. If you have a better understanding of what’s going on, you’ll also be able to offer suggestions that are much more useful and relevant to the business you’re working for.
The ability to work well with different people. As an IT consultant you could be working with people at all levels of a company and encounter a wide variety of personalities. Your ability to listen well, handle disagreements diplomatically, and foster collaboration will be important. You need to show that you understand the expectations of each person you work with.
The ability to articulate well. Being able to present your ideas in speech and writing is important, especially when you’re interacting with people who don’t have an IT background or even any particular technical facility. Evaluate your ability to communicate. Do you have a tendency to use excessive jargon? Are you really keeping your audience in mind? Are you good at providing coherent and compelling explanations? The people who hire you need to understand the IT advice you’re providing them. Even if they don’t understand all of the nuts and bolts, they need to get the bigger picture and be convinced that your ideas will be effective and beneficial.
Working as an IT consultant is challenging and exciting. Just don’t forget that when you’re preparing for such a job, you need to go beyond brushing up on your technical skills. Contact us for more advice on becoming a powerful well-rounded candidate who can convince prospective employers that you’ll be an asset to them.
For more opportunities please visit our Career Portal.
For more information subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+.