The telecommunications sector is typically perceived to be a hard skills industry. In other words, it’s commonly believed that telecommunications professionals can get by with a skill set that is primarily – even exclusively – comprised of technical skills, such as data analysis or computer programming.
It’s certainly the case that most telecommunications employers require a certain number of highly specialized technical skills from their employees. That said, there are also a number of soft skills – that is, interpersonal skills or people skills – that have become indispensable within the industry.
In this article, we’ll highlight eight soft skills that every telecommunications professional should aim to master in 2021.
8 Crucial Soft Skills for Telecommunications Employees in 2021
Collaboration.
The telecommunications industry is an interdisciplinary field. In order to thrive within the modern telecom sector, it’s essential for employees to be able to work effectively alongside a variety of other individuals and departments.
Willingness to learn.
The telecom industry is constantly evolving. Each year, new technologies arise that completely transform the norms and best practices within the industry. For this reason, it’s crucial for telecom workers to be able to self-educate and quickly absorb new information.
Communication.
Effective teamwork starts with effective communication. The strongest teams, in other words, are those that are comprised of individuals who are able to communicate clearly, directly, and confidently with one another. This is especially true now that the COVID-19 crisis has forced millions of employers to transition to a distributed and widespread workforce model.
Creativity.
One of the consequences of the steady forward march of technology is that telecommunications employers are constantly having to wrestle with new and unfamiliar problems. In order to be able to keep up with the constant changes, telecom employers need professionals who can think outside of the box and occasionally go against the grain of their industry’s traditional practices.
Adaptability.
2020 has been a year of constant change – and we can expect these changes to continue well into 2021, as well. With that in mind, telecom employers will continue to value job candidates that are able to adapt to a changing economy, workforce, and technological landscape.
Organization.
In any given telecommunications job, it’s easy for an employee to drown in information or work responsibilities. In light of that, employers in 2021 are going to be on the lookout for candidates who are able to demonstrate an ability to stay organized – even (and especially) in high-pressure situations.
Open-mindedness.
The telecommunications industry is a future-oriented field. More than anything else, telecom employers are interested in building practical technological infrastructure for the world of tomorrow. Therefore, it’s essential for telecommunications professionals to maintain an open mind about new ideas, including those that directly challenge their existing worldview.
Empathy.
As history has repeatedly shown, the long-term effects of technology are not always positive. Emergent technologies, more often than not, have unpredictable and unintended consequences. As we move forward into an increasingly technologically sophisticated future, it will be more important than ever for telecommunications employees to use empathy as their primary guiding light. At the same time, it’s important that job candidates find employers whose deepest stated values align closely with their own. In this way, it will be much more likely that we’ll be able to collectively build a telecommunications industry – and a world – that is more inclusive and friendly for all.
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