Technical Job Skills

What are Technical Job Skills?

Technical job skills are unique knowledge and skills that an individual acquires and uses in executing complex tasks in their employment. Technical skills are synonymous with hard skills, and they are the opposite of soft skills. Technical job skills are acquired through education and extensive training and may become obsolete over time due to the ever-evolving path of technology.

Illustratively, an individual with competency in computer coding may apply and get hired in an IT-based company. Technical job skills are usually tested during the recruitment and hiring process. Potential employees are subjected to small tasks requiring such skills, observed, and their performance evaluated before being considered for a job. They are usually mathematical, computer-centric, and technological in nature.

Technical Job Skills for Resume

Highlighting one’s technical skills in professional writing, such as for application letters or resumes, is important in landing a job in a technology field. An applicant must be able to describe his or her technical job skills in order to be noticed and prioritized as a potential candidate. In short, listing technical job skills in a resume conveys what the applicant is capable of, and where they can help a potential employer.

Some technical skills are rare and become a valuable commodity, they must be properly presented so that recruiters can properly identify, assess and match them to specific job roles. Relevance should be the key factor when considering which skills to list on a resume.

Technical skills should be organized to appeal to the target audience rather than just assembling the list of every technical skill acquired over the years.

Variations of Technical Job Skills

The demand for specific technical job skills fluctuates over time. Technological change drives changes in the job skills required across companies and even within specific roles. It means that a technical job skill evaluated at one point in time is incomparable to a technical job skill at another point in time.

Demand for new technologies brings new products and new ways to design and manufacture those products. The process of innovation will produce a change in the scope of work needed and therefore, the development of specific technical job skills and new roles.

For example, while a web developer position is awarded today based on technical job skills, it was not in existence before the era of web development. Technical job skills are the cornerstone for developing a suitably skilled workforce that meets the needs of individual businesses and labor markets. A good skill development system will always anticipate future technical skill needs.

Technical Skills vs. Soft Skills

During recruitment processes, potential employers habitually search for resumes with both technical skills and soft skills. The former skills refer to those skills acquired through education and training or learned on the job and are specific to each job title.

Examples of hard skills include expertise in computer networks, programming, statistical analysis, etc. On the other hand, soft skills are defined as a set of personality traits, such as optimism, social skills, patience, critical thinking, and communication prowess, allowing individuals to stand apart from the rest. The difference between the two clusters of skills is that hard skills are subjective and can be quantified, while soft skills are not specific to each work setting and are difficult to quantify.

Generally, the use of new technologies requires technical skills, and employers prioritize such a set of skills during the recruitment and hiring process. Many jobs require specific technical skills, while some positions call for a combination of hard and soft skills.

Some employers tend to focus on teaching basic hard skills, unlike soft skills which are difficult to teach. Therefore, possessing soft skills is an added advantage during a job search because they are considered essential to meeting customer service and organizations’ satisfaction.

List of Technical Job Skills on High Demand

Technical occupations are more abundant now as traditional roles are being disrupted. Nowadays, advanced computer systems are eliminating certain positions in organizations, creating new positions, and transforming a large proportion of remaining job positions. Some of the most in-demand technical skills are as follows:

Project management

Project management skill entails organizing resources, budgets, and people from the conception to project implementation. The skill is required in almost every industry that needs to deploy and manage resources to complete projects.

Data analysis

Data analysis skills are important to companies, as they provide valuable insights regarding the market and help in decision making. Companies using data analysts can develop effective sales and marketing operations, achieve operational efficiency, and increase revenue opportunities.

Programming and coding

The programming and coding skill set is relevant for website developers, IT staff, and many other industries that need to develop projects and support customers.

Information security

There is an increased demand for information technology security experts. Such specialists can curb data breaches and ensure that organizations retain their brand positioning and reputation.

Learn More

CFI offers the Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA)™ certification program for those looking to take their careers to the next level. To keep learning and developing your knowledge base, please explore the additional relevant resources below:

• Analytical Skills
• Emotional Intelligence
• How to List Skills on Your Resume
• See all career resources