Characteristics for Success
in the IT Industry (courtesy of Volt Services)
Here are some characteristics
that have been found over the years in successful IT employees.
High
Personal Standards
- Willing to work hard
- takes responsibility and works until it is right
- Intelligent - thinks
through problems, questions, challenges, learns quickly from mistakes
- Shows a high level of
expertise in his/her work - takes informed risks in order to learn more and
achieve more
- Is action-oriented -seeks
out tough challenges and learns from them, shows courage, initiative and self-confidence
- Able to work well under
pressure - to deal with ambiguity, maintain composure in stressful situations,
find creative solutions
- Has integrity and is
trustworthy
Enthusiasm
for Technology
- Is passionate about putting
technology to work for people and about driving technology and product innovation
- Is well-informed on the
technologies used and able to discuss them in detail
- Demonstrates an understanding
of broad technology trends (e.g., in the economy, markets, competition) and
relevant technologies for his/her work, able to interpret how these trends
might affect his industry niche and to discuss their implications
Oriented
for Results
- Stays focused and driving
for results - monitors progress and makes timely corrections as needed
- Sets and communicates
clear, compelling goals and priorities for his/her area of responsibility
- Able to stay focused
and on track when changes occur and can stabilize quickly when distractions
or problems arise
- A decision-maker - manages
systems and processes well - manages performance well
- A problem-solver - adept
in planning, organizing and coordinating in order to gets results
A
Strong Customer-service Focus
- Works to establish and
maintain clear and open communication with customers
- Gives priority to activities
that provide value to employers
- Asks, listens, learns,
and adapts in order to create customer value
- Builds and uses feedback
loops with customers - is committed to meeting customer needs
An Excellent
Team Player
- Works efficiently with
others in his/her group and with other people and groups across the company
- works hard to achieve group goals
- Takes the interests of
other people and groups into consideration when making decisions or taking
action
- Is respected and trusted
by others - helps to build team spirit through excellent communication skills,
negotiation skills, and conflict management
- Demonstrates organizational
agility along with strong interpersonal skills
Takes
a Long-term Approach
- Takes long-term approach
to business, technology, people, and customers - thinks and acts strategically
- keeps the "big picture" in mind
- Defines, communicates
and stretches the scope of his/her contribution
- Aligns his/her efforts
with higher-level direction, strategies, commitments - shows strategic leadership,
especially when developing other people
- Able to sort through
the information flow and identify what is critical and what is not