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TECHNICAL SKILLS
Posted 2 years ago
Showcase Your Technical Skills & Land the Job
As seen on a CV, technical skills relate to the knowledge and expertise required to complete a digital or physical task. They are often erroneously linked with technology alone, but in reality, there are numerous types of technical skills, including project management, data analysis, and software proficiency.
For employers across Ireland, the ideal candidate will have the ability to slot into a role with minimal training. As technical skills require training and are not easy to master, showing these ‘hard’ skills in a CV can only improve your chances of getting an interview.
What Are Technical Skills?
These are practical skills necessary to perform a specific job. They typically relate to IT, mathematical or scientific tasks, and may include knowledge of mechanical equipment or programming languages. Technical skills vary between industry and role. For instance, a customer service representative might need technical skills relating to phone systems, whereas a computer programmer’s technical skillset might include coding languages.
Why Technical Skills Are Important
A candidate with the right technical skills will almost always warrant a second look from whoever reads your CV. Remember, every job relies on different processes, programs, and skills. As a company’s clients expect them to complete projects to a high standard with skilled employees, they need to find the best candidates for any given role.
A technically skilled job applicant can save an employer money because they don’t need much training to get to a certain level. Also, in some cases, they can prevent technical issues from happening, thus boosting customer satisfaction.
What Technical Skills Are Most in Demand?
There is a fairly long list of in-demand technical skills in Ireland, but we have comprised a handful of the most relevant.
- Project Management: This is one technical skill unlikely to go out of style any time soon. A successful project manager needs excellent interpersonal skills, in-depth knowledge of the project he oversees, and good leadership skills.
- Business Analyst: In this role, you need the ability to turn data into knowledge and understand the trends of the sector. Aside from the obvious analytical skills, a business analyst is also expected to be proficient in IT, data modelling, and programming languages.
- Information Technology: As IT innovation continues apace, you need to stay on top of the latest changes in the industry. Necessary technical skills include cloud computing, mobile development, and front-end or backend development.
- Engineering: The technical skills you need depend on your expertise but could include system design, technical reporting, and data modelling.
- Nursing: In this industry, it pays to have technical skills such as phlebotomy, dialysis, and traction management.
Soft Skills Versus Technical Skills
In what is also known as the hard skills versus soft skills debate, experts no longer try to compare the two. Instead, there is a tacit acknowledgement that candidates now need a smattering of both to have a chance of getting the job. As we’ve already mentioned, technical skills show that you are ideal for a specific job.
However, employers don’t want efficient drones. If that were the case, their ideal candidate would be a robot programmed to complete the task in question! As a result, you must also display your soft skills which are part of your personality, and prove that you would be a great fit for the company’s culture.
When you combine both sets of skills on a CV, your chances of getting an interview increase dramatically. When describing your job duties in a previous role, you could write something like:
“Worked and collaborated as part of a 12-member team where I gave monthly reports, and I also provided layouts for online content. Contributed to a customer website that won a prestigious Ecommerce design award.”
In the space of a couple of sentences, you have demonstrated teamwork, Ecommerce, online layout, and teamworking/personal skills. That’s two hard and two soft skills!
Examples of Technical Skills by Role
As technical skills vary according to role and industry, we thought it would be useful to provide you with a few examples from four different sectors.
Technical Skills Accounting
As an accountant, relevant technical skills probably depend on your existing career level. Desirable skills include Auditing, Cost & Trend Analysis, and ERP Systems.
Technical Skills Banking
Apart from possessing excellent soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and customer service, you need to excel at problem solving, numeracy skills, and leadership. Depending on your role, it may even be necessary to have a degree in economics, statistics, or mathematics.
Technical Skills Construction
There are a host of technical skills required in the construction industry, depending on the avenue you take. Skills such as plumbing, painting, masonry, and knowledge of building and electrical codes are all required in specific construction roles.
Technical Skills Digital Marketing
Marketing covers a very broad spectrum, although at its heart, the goals include increasing brand recognition and sales. Although soft skills are very much in-demand, you will also benefit from displaying social marketing, content development, and mobile marketing skills.
How to Improve Technical Skills at Work
If you are concerned that your technical skills may be a little deficient at present, you always have the option of trying to improve them; either at home or in the workplace. Here are a few things you can do to boost your technical skills:
- Enrol in Workshops or Technical Classes: Find out if your employer is sponsoring any technical skills workshops. Failing that, enrol in one on your own. A lot of people find that the classroom experience beats studying online alone.
- Spend Time with an Expert: You can enhance your technical know-how by hanging out with technically skilled individuals. Some of their knowledge will doubtless sink in.
- Learn a Few Software Applications: It may seem daunting at first, but the more skill you have with existing applications, the easier it will be to figure out new ones.
- Volunteer on Technical Projects: Look for opportunities in the workplace or in your community where you can gain valuable experience working with technical members of the group.
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