Most often we pay great emphasis to train our children to gain computer knowledge skills and stay ahead of tech trends, in order to secure their future and prepare them for upcoming career opportunities of tomorrow. The job market has always been in demand for proficient software developers, IT managers, Data Scientists, Web Developers, and many such other super-specialized skilled professionals, who would contribute in innovating new digital platforms on behalf of corporates. 

 However, while hiring candidates HR teams not only focus on evaluating candidates based on impressive coding skills but also pay equal weightage to the person’s overall personality.  

Research suggests that a candidate is considered a good fit for the company if he is able to adapt to the corporate culture and is willing to learn alongside demonstrating a good work ethic. So, a techie genius who is great at his work, but doesn’t demonstrate teamwork or is not good at accepting feedback, won’t be a good fit as far as long-term hiring is concerned. 

The above points prove that soft skills are equally crucial for an IT professional, and so we are taking time to highlight a few of them; 

#1 Communication Skills

Communicating with your computer will probably get you to build a great software, but communicating with people and teammates will help you develop bonds with others and achieve organizational goals more efficiently by collaborating & brainstorming ideas. Verbal communication plays a big role in being able to put your vision and thoughts before the management team and explain your ideas for the project. Getting approvals on your ideas and buy-ins from seniors happens only if you are able to verbalize your thoughts and be confident with your presentation skills.

Prepare kids for good communicative skills by assigning them projects on the TechnoKids platform. This tool not only focuses on teaching kids to use Google Slides, PowerPoint, Coding, and preparing Excel sheets, but also gives them the opportunity to present their work and share their project details with teachers. For example; in the TechnoTravel curriculum by TechnoKids, children need to prepare a Travel Advertisement using Google Docs or Microsoft Office and present the itinerary to be able to practice selling the ‘holiday package’. TechnoKids has similar modules like; TechnoNewsletter, TechnoMaps, TechnoCandy, etc. and is popularly famous in Dubai and other Middle East regions.

#2 Time Management Skills

A programmer has to be a multitasker and manage the technical bit, as well as coordinate with designers, clients, and the analytics team. All these tasks takes-up a lot of time and managing the process step-by-step becomes a challenge. So, if your little one has big ambitions of becoming a programmer, start by inculcating these simple practices early on in their lives. Encourage the habit of jotting down short-term goals and long-term work goals. Make a to-do list a day prior before going to bed and decide which script you are going to write tomorrow and how much you aim to complete. If there is an urgent query by the client, keep some spare time at hand to tend to their questions. This will ensure that relations with customers do not get strained. Lastly, teach your budding learners to delegate tasks. Though you might have the potential to ‘do it all’, it is advisable to delegate tasks for the following reasons; there will be chances of fewer errors, deadlines will be adhered to, new ideas can be implemented, and problem-solving can be tackled effectively. Now that the world is becoming virtual, geographical boundaries are not a barrier, so a programmer from the GCC region can work on the same project with a colleague from Chicago.

#3 Eagerness to be a continuous learner

In the field of IT there is never a lack of information because there are new developments that happen every now & then. There is an ocean of information that one can learn about; Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Augmented Reality, Robotics, etc. Especially in regions like UAE, the pressure to be digitally savvy is greater, as it ranks amongst the world’s leading countries as far as the digital index is concerned. Educators & parents, therefore, constantly encourage students to develop curiosity and interact with experienced professionals to learn something new every single day.

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