If you’re a fresh grad or thinking of transitioning into entry-level IT jobs, you have to be aware of your inexperience in the tech industry. Tech jobs require a fair amount of technical skills and soft skills. If you’re not equipped with these, consider yourself fortunate that some IT skills for any IT entry-level job can be learned. This article will go through 5 essential skills for entry-level tech jobs.
Like what you’re reading so far? Let us know on LinkedIn or Twitter. And if you need help tailoring your resume or preparing for an interview, head on to our service page! We would love to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are IT skills?
There is a wide range of technical and interpersonal skills that allow you to effectively perform IT tasks and build positive work relationships with your clients. Having a balance of technical and soft skills gives you an edge to be a well-rounded IT entry-level employee with the ability to tackle entry-level tech jobs.
How can you acquire IT skills?
Usually, technical tech skills are acquired through on-the-job learning. Soft skills are more transferable and are developed through interaction with other people. That said, some soft skills training, certifications, and workshops can equip you with the necessary IT skills for entry-level IT jobs. You can also improve your entry-level IT skills by staying-up-to-date on those skills, asking for constant feedback, setting realistic goals for the skills you’re willing to acquire, and constantly practicing them.
Why are IT skills important for Entry-level Jobs?
Having the right IT skills for entry-level tech jobs increases productivity and accuracy. It also gives you an added advantage during your hiring process as these IT skills allow you to be an efficient and valued employee. These skills can help your organization increase profits and improve work performance and quality while developing good customer relations.
How can you make your IT skills stand out?
Your resume is the first place to show your IT skills. Add and highlight the appropriate IT skills to your skill section. Additionally, your career summary and job history should concisely and carefully summarize your experience level. Don’t forget to incorporate your relevant IT skills keywords in your resume and mention them during your interviews.
5 Essential Skills for Any IT Entry-level Job
Due to the high availability of tech jobs, recruiters look out for different IT skills when hiring. For instance, some hiring managers may look for a specific programming language, while others might look for more general IT skills. However, a few essential IT skills are universal for most entry-level jobs. Keep reading to see these all-around requisites.
Communication Skills
Communication skills are one of the top soft skills for tech jobs. These roles require simplifying technical processes for people who aren’t tech-savvy. Many aspects of any entry-level IT job require collaboration with different teams at all levels. Hiring managers are also keen to recruit entry-level employees with excellent communication skills because entry-level employees who can communicate well can significantly impact the performance of an organization. Communication skills include oral and written communication, teamwork, leadership, and active listening making these skills universally transferable.
Organization Skills
Organization skills are another essential soft skill for tech jobs. These include responsibilities like scheduling, multi-tasking, time management, and task prioritization. Entry-level IT jobs involve handling several work responsibilities that overlap with other projects or people. Honing this skill will make you stand out against other well-rounded candidates.
Organizational skills also involve intrinsic assets like reliability, goal setting, attention to detail, and adaptability. Prior to applying for entry-level IT jobs, you need to have experiential proof that you are capable of creating an organized system that streamlines your workflow and subsequently, the organization’s processes.
Analytics Skills
Applying for entry-level tech jobs means working on projects that involve collecting data, analysis, and reports. As an entry-level IT employee, one of your core skills must be analytics.
You may find yourself in a position where you’ll need to troubleshoot dysfunctional processes and systems. Analytical skills mean being able to detect patterns and trends, interpret ideas, and make optimal decisions based on the available options. Entry-level employees with excellent analytical skills can increase the likelihood of a company’s success.
Digital Skills
In the tech industry, there’s always going to be an ongoing digital transformation of businesses which means it’s essential for all entry-level employees to have a certain degree of digital literacy. Most entry-level IT jobs will require you to have at least a basic level of computer literacy because most tech jobs use computers.
Digital skills also include being creative, internet-savvy, and well-versed with social media platforms to come up with new ideas, solve problems, and manage online presence. Honing your digital skills will give you an edge since digital integration and engagement is a universal skill for any tech job.
Learning and Research Skills
As an entry-level aspirant, you must be willing to learn. Learning skills shows the hiring manager that you’re humble enough and ready to get up to speed — this shows your passion and eagerness to learn from the team. To supplement this, you can take professional courses and workshops for career and professional growth.
Being proficient in data gathering and citation will complement your learning skills because tech jobs involve constant derivations of novel ideas. Research skills not only improve credibility, as a by-product, but also increases company productivity.
To sum up,
As an entry-level employee, it’s worth investing in entry-level IT skills training to strengthen your resume, stand out from other candidates, improve work performance, and secure organization profit. Fortunately, entry-level IT jobs require rudimentary and universal skills. Putting in the effort to hone and add these teachable skills will increase your likelihood of securing a job.
