Top Soft Skills to Identify a Great Software Engineer

Software developers are often thought to be people that are technically sound and have a very logical approach while dealing with any issues. However, regardless of the hard skills they acquire, it is equally important that software engineers have specific soft skills. These interpersonal attributes when corroborated to their technical skills tend to make the greatest software developers of all times. Here are some of those soft skills that one must look for in a software engineer to bring a rounder candidate on board.

Skills of Software Engineer That You Must Look Out For

Communication

Good communicators can bring a lot of benefits to the team. Regardless of the profession, it is one skill that can lead to the effective elaboration of tasks, clear description of expectations and the requirements of the projects. An effective communicator delivers thoughts clearly and this could be figured out in the first round of the interview itself. However, besides being an effective communicator, a great software developer is a good listener too. 

Collaboration and Teamwork 

Software development has always been a team activity. In fact, effective team collaboration is extremely essential to bring the project to success. Without having the spirit of teamwork, a developer can’t communicate his thoughts effectively and work in sync with others to bring the best outcome. 

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Time Management and Organization

Projects are always time-bound and most of the time developers have a strict deadline to meet. It is therefore extremely important for a developer to have good time management skills. Without this soft skill, it is difficult for any organization to accomplish their projects successfully and handle their operations effectively. 

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is surprisingly the most fascinating skill that Project managers look for in a software developer. It is the basic necessity to understand the situation in the workplace and manage it effectively with the help of peers to overcome work challenges. It is seen that employees with better EQ are stated to tackle the challenging situations more effectively by staying calm and resolve issues with empathy as well as logic. 

Accountability

To err is human and even developers are bound to make multiple mistakes while working. However, owning up to those mistakes and to stop repeating them is a trait of a sensible software developer. No matter how good a developer you are, it is ok to commit mistakes but what is more important is to learn from those mistakes and bring better ideas to the table. 

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

Problem resolving attribute is to be cherished because most of the developers will come across complex issues that they will have to resolve. If they don’t have solution bringing skill they would also lack in critical thinking which is much needed to bring out of the box ideas. A good coder must look into the algorithms deeply and set a benchmark with his solutions for his peers.

Interpersonal/ People Management Skills 

Project management as we know is a team work and a team handling a project needs to have lots of interaction, conversations, motivation and empathy to pull it off. Without these soft skills, a team can’t work co-operatively. A good software engineer has to have this skill in order to manage team challenges more proficiently over project challenges because if the team is aligned, it can deliver the highest productivity and eliminate unnecessary delays due to unsynchronization. 

Eye on Details 

Software engineers should have an eye for detail because they need to analyse the situation from every angle and find out any possibility of a solution from a complex issue. It is therefore utmost important to look for a software developer that possesses the skill of checking everything in detail. 

Multitasking

Multitasking is one of the best attributes a good software developer must have. Being able to simultaneously handle two to three tasks at a time can increase the work efficiency and help in improving productivity. In order to handle the development tasks as well as the team effectively, it is therefore essential to multitask.

Patience

Software engineers often have to deal with frustrations. A bug here, a code unfunctional somewhere else – these kind of issues are a part of a software developer’s life. Patience is the key to handle all these issues. It is advisable to stay calm and neutral to make the right decisions in such tricky situations. A practiced developer knows the importance of patience very well and uses it to his benefit in stressful situations. 

Adaptability

Every day new updates keep popping up in the digital market therefore it is essential that a developer is aware of the latest trends. They must be knowledgable of the tools that have been launched and must adapt to continuous learning. And for that, it is imperative for the developers to stay open-minded and accept new challenges. It is not recommended to get comfortable with what they are using, rather, must explore better options to outperform their tasks.

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To Sum Up

Having sound technical knowledge is an acquired skill but soft skills are mostly inherent. Though they can be certainly developed with mindfulness, it is advisable to learn them to do well professionally. You already might be having some of these skills but can always refine it to use it to your personal benefit. Having a good communication skill, team spirit and collaboration are all interlinked and must be needed to manage people effectively. Therefore, it is time that you embrace them and gear yourself to become the most well-rounded software engineer that every organization desperately needs.