While technical skills and other role-specific skills undoubtedly count in the tech industry’s job market, it’s also important to remember the power of soft skills.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are interpersonal skills, and are transferable to and from any industry or role. Since they are not quantifiable and mostly expressed through your personality and work style, sometimes they can be difficult to highlight in a resume, interview, or even your first month at a new job. Here are 5 soft skills every good developer should have, and how you can showcase them:
1. Compassion
Compassion and empathy can (and should!) be shown whenever possible, both inside and outside of your work. Compassion in web development can look like:
• the care and thought you put into the user experience of your app
• sharing constructive feedback during a code review that asks questions rather than makes assumptions
• working towards building a more inclusive work environment
• checking in with your teammate during a pair programming project
These are only some examples of small gestures that can go a long way. Try to think of ways you've shown compassion in the past, and try to write it into your personal work philosophy that you share in your CV, or include specific examples in your job interview.
2. Creative Problem-Solving
Developers are no stranger to bugs, issues, and malfunctions in their code. It’s important to be patient and creative when encountering problems, and think outside of the (flex) box when brainstorming solutions! A great way to showcase your creative problem-solving skills in your portfolio is to highlight a project or app idea you’ve worked on that tackles a common problem (i.e. an app that tells you what to eat for dinner using the ingredients in your fridge, or an app that matches your podcast choice to the length of your commute).
3. Communication
It’s a myth that developers are loners hunched over their computers, with zero social interaction with the outside world! While it is possible to work independently and remotely as a developer, it is quite common for a developer to be part of a team, and to interact with clients. Good communication doesn’t only mean being able to effectively convey your goals, needs, and questions in a meeting or in an email - it also means the ability to listen thoughtfully to others. Great communication between a developer and their co-workers and clients can lead to successful projects that are well-managed and executed, as well as lasting, reliable partnerships and working relationships.
If you’re looking to showcase your communication skills during your job search, make sure to clearly and confidently state your goals in your application and job interview, and don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer questions, yourself!
4. Curiosity
Being curious as a developer means accepting that you will always be learning, no matter where you are in your career! Curiosity can be showcased easily when applying to jobs - if you're starting in a junior role and are looking to expand your skill set, you can stress how keen you are to keep learning and gain more hands-on experience. On the job, you can highlight your curiosity by asking questions, diving in and experimenting with something new, and looking into opportunities to upskill and grow within your career.
At Juno, we offer programs that appeal to all stages of someone's learning journey - whether it’s our free workshops for absolute beginners, part-time courses for those looking to level up in their jobs, or our Web Development Bootcamp for those looking to make a career change into tech.
5. Flexibility & Adaptability
Whether it’s a client changing their mind about a website layout or a project deadline suddenly being pushed up, every good developer should be flexible and adaptable in their work. These skills can shine through your application by including them in your CV when mentioning your work style and ethic, and also in your job interview by sharing an example of a previous work experience in which you worked in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
Looking for more career development tips?
Check out our blog written by our Career Services Team on how to navigate today’s job climate, including a free downloadable resume checklist to make sure your resume stands out from the rest!