Archive for the ‘job’ tag
Valuable Skills an Employee Should Have
From my experience working with a couple of co-op students, I’d have to say the two most valuable skills a new employee should have are: 1) to be able to read between the lines and 2) to be able to program software. The latter skill is obvious. The reason it takes a backseat to the former is because by the time you get to work with me, it’s a given that you know how to code or that you’re a quick learner.
Reading between the lines and anticipating future problems are extremely important skills. Many managers are over-worked. They manage several dozen concurrent projects and reply to hundreds of emails daily. So when a manager debriefs an employee on the details of a new project, s/he may forget to mention important project details. A good employee should be alert and s/he should ask the right questions to acquire the information s/he needs to successfully complete a project.
Many new grads think, “As soon as I know Subversion, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, I’ll be eligible for the job.” No….Not yet. You also have to read your boss’ mind and be one step ahead of him.