Earlier I talked about building a talent stack of different skills in order to increase your uniqueness and value. Below I put together an archetypical talent stack for a technologist, drawing from my own experiences. The list below is far from complete, and that’s intentional. You should design your own stack that’s unique to you.
One thing I should emphasize again: you don’t have to be an expert at all of these. You should be very. very good at at least one (maybe two or three, if you’re really determined), and then have passable ability at the others.
I’ve laid these skills out into discrete large sections, as some tend to be more related to each other.
Coding
Programming
You should be familiar in at least one current programming language, whether it’s Java, C#, C++ or anything else in currency. Some languages may be in more demand for your local region or industry than others. Pick one that has some traction, and ignore the flame wars touting one language’s so-called superiority over another.
SQL
SQL stands for Structured Query Language, and it’s the base language for querying relational databases for data. SQL is generally a procedure-oriented langauge, while most programming languages are object-oriented. You should be able to know the difference between the two.
Infrastructure
Have at least a basic knowledge of the hardware that runs code: servers, networks, domains, and so on. Again, ignore the flame wars over operating systems (like Linux vs Windows), and learn one that is popular in your particular sphere.
Business
Accounting
If you spend any significant time in software, sooner or later you will end up working with accounting one way or another. Accounting and finance drives an overwhelming majority of business decisions, so having a working knowledge will give you the ability to speak with business leaders in terms they understand.
Logistics
There’s an old military saying: “Amateurs discuss tactics, but professionals study logistics.” If you can’t get the right amount of stuff at a certain place at the right time, businesses won’t last very long. Even if you work in something abstract like marketing or software, logistics still has some important lessons to teach about scheduling and resource management. Here are some sub-skills under logistics that can be relevant, no matter what your field or industry:
- Order Entry
- Warehousing
- Purchasing
- Order Fulfillment
Communication
Writing
Written communication is a powerful skill, especially non-technical writing like fiction or poetry. While technology is logical and rational, persuading human beings is highly irrational. This is the trick of writing, being able to persuade to an irrational audience on a highly rational subject.
Public Speaking
Writing is communication in a rather impersonal medium. Public speaking, such as making presentations, is about communicating a more personal manner.
A key skill to master in public speaking is the ability to condense and distill your message into a concise and neat summary. Succeeding in technology means having a focused attention to the tiniest details, but this can work against you in speaking to a group. People have short attention spans, so you have a very short window to capture their attention and communicate what’s important before their minds start to wander.
Style and Grooming
Like it or not, people will judge you by the way they see you. The way you dress communicates an unspoken message to people that can immediate raise or lower your credibility in their eyes before you say a single word.