When it comes to employment, do people skills really matter if a candidate is an Ivy League graduate?
Posted by admin | Under people skills Thursday Nov 5, 2009I have a friend who has almost no people skills, but he is making a six-figure salary with less than four years’ experience. He has a lot of technical knowledge with an Ivy League education. So, if a person obtains an Ivy League degree, does s/he really need good interpersonal skills?
The answer is….it depends.
Top tier education with excellent technical skills can earn a very nice salary. However, without people skills it is very likely that a person with the above is going to be pigeon-holed into that position/career the rest of their life with little growth potential in terms of managerial responsibilities.
Companies, particularly technical ones, are looking increasingly for individuals with technical skills who also are proficient communicators and have soft skills. The reason being that more and more technical jobs require interfacing with customers.
Keep in mind though, that your friend very well could continue to grow merely through his technical skills if his career has an extended career path (assoc., career, sr, principal, fellowship level positions, etc).
The answer is….it depends.
Top tier education with excellent technical skills can earn a very nice salary. However, without people skills it is very likely that a person with the above is going to be pigeon-holed into that position/career the rest of their life with little growth potential in terms of managerial responsibilities.
Companies, particularly technical ones, are looking increasingly for individuals with technical skills who also are proficient communicators and have soft skills. The reason being that more and more technical jobs require interfacing with customers.
Keep in mind though, that your friend very well could continue to grow merely through his technical skills if his career has an extended career path (assoc., career, sr, principal, fellowship level positions, etc).
References :
As I understand it ‘Ivy League’ only means where the person received their education. It doesn’t say anything about people skills (speaking, thinking, or understanding) that would help them in their job. Technical skills however, would allow a person to meet the requirements of the business they enter.
Spartawo…
References :