courtesy alexandre.heturivard at flickr.com

In his blog, Cube Rules, Scot Herrick writes about technical workers who focus on their technical skills to the point of ignoring other important factors such as interpersonal skills. I agree with him!

In my humble opinion, the days of a coder sitting in his cube downing mega-amounts of caffeine with no contact with fellow co-workers is over – and has been over for a long time. Though I’m sure vestiges of this era can still be found today.

If you have a technical skill and looking for a new job in a technical area (accounting, IT, engineering, etc.), here are some tips on what to highlight on your resume and in the job interview.

1. Show and demonstrate competence in your technical skills
   Let’s be honest, if you have amazing interpersonal skills but no experience with the technical, you won’t get the job. Be sure to highlight this experience.
2. Show how those skills relate to improved business
   You can code like no other. So what? What you need to do is show how your technical prowess can improve business processes, reduce costs, increased profitability, etc.
3. Show and demonstrate your “Emotional Intelligence” 
   Highlight your interpersonal skills, ability to work in a team, leadership acumen, ability to handle difficult political challenges, and times you’ve succeeded because of your excellent Emotional Intelligence.

Show your technical skills as part of a well rounded package.