IT job seekers need to have the gift of the gab

‘Street-smart' is overtaking ‘book-smart' on the list of desirable attributes of job candidates, as UK businesses have voted a positive or 'can do' attitude and soft skills as their highest priorities when recruiting IT staff.

A nationwide survey of 5,000 business owners saw 85 per cent of respondents vote for this positive attitude and soft skills, including interpersonal and communications skills, as the most important attributes when considering new workers.

Academic and professional qualifications trailed behind, at 27 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

Phil Stewart, director of customer service at Virgin Media Business, who commissioned the research, said: "The IT managers of today are not just expected to fix things when they go wrong, they're expected to work with their colleagues across the business to provide the necessary technology.

"As a result, communication skills are a vital attribute for anyone considering a job in IT."

He added that one of the best ways IT job seekers can develop such skills is by getting the right experience early on.

"Getting some work experience in a business environment will always prove useful and help to gain an understanding of how to work well with colleagues.

"But provided a candidate has the desire to succeed, is ambitious and looking to make a beneficial impact on the business, a good organisation will see these personality traits and develop the necessary skills."