It is now widely known that empathy and communication are essential as a programmer. More and more employers are favouring candidates who still need to improve their technical knowledge but are strong in soft skills. But what soft skills should a programmer have and how much can these skills be developed? To what extent can the rise of ChatGPT and similar systems transform these expectations? We asked Annabella Ádám, psychologist at Green Fox Academy.
The personal skills that facilitate smooth cooperation with others and thus contribute to successful work. For the latter reason, soft skills are also highly valued in the selection process for IT positions. From time to time, we see that our best students from a technical point of view find it harder to get through HR interviews if they are less strong in soft skills. The reason is that it is usually more challenging to teach someone to collaborate with others than to deepen the technical skills of a candidate who already has some coding knowledge.
Self-awareness is very important: we must be aware of our own abilities, limits, strengths and weaknesses. It is good if we know about ourselves what makes us tense and frustrated, because if we recognize these signs in time, we can prevent them from ruling us.
Good communication skills are also essential in work, also in the field of programming. For example, when we have to cooperate with people with different personalities or mindsets than ours, minor or major conflicts may occur. Assertive communication is needed to handle such situations properly. The appropriate feedback technique is also important in order to be able to give feedback which helps the other party improve. We need to be able to solve a problem together with others in an unemotional way, and here I use unemotional in the positive sense of the word.
Empathy is important, which is the ability to put oneself in the other person's perspective. Empathy is strongly linked to communication skills. If we feel empathy and openness in a situation, we are more likely to express our opinions and share our ideas. This is particularly important in a workplace brainstorming session, which is all about coming up with new ideas. Also, in the case of developer jobs, we may need to consult with someone whose technical skills are at a lower level than ours. In such cases, it is essential to remain patient, to understand the need and to come up with a suitable solution.
Don't forget presentation skills, which are also useful in job interviews. As part of the selection process, we need to present ourselves, but we may also need to present a solution to a coding problem during a technical interview. As a programmer, you will also need to present (demo) frequently in your day-to-day work, even on a weekly basis.
In addition, IT positions are particularly characterized by flexible working hours, so you manage your own working time and allocate your resources independently. This freedom needs to be managed well, so time management is important.
Adaptability is also a useful skill as a programmer, since change is constant in this field, and there are always situations at company level that require a flexible approach.
These skills determine not only working with colleagues, but also cooperation with customers and partners. That's why we put a great emphasis on their development in our programming courses, and this is already reflected in our selection process.
Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time and energy to assess these skills, and we also strive to make our selection process as compact as possible. Thus, our applicants fill out a short, playful test at the beginning of the process, and at the interview we try to get a more complete picture of the candidate's personality by asking questions about their skills. As a final step, a simulation exercise requires candidates to solve a task in pairs, with the help of a mentor. Here, we mainly observe how open the candidates are to the other's thinking, how they communicate with each other, whether they support each other if, for example, their initial technical knowledge is not the same.
They can be developed, but depending on the type and depth of the deficiency, it takes shorter or longer time. For example, if someone is a perfectionist, it may have deep roots, so it may take more time to change. It is true for all soft skills that they can be developed most effectively through experience and exercises, which is why at Green Fox, this is done in small group trainings. In the presentation skills training, we give tips on what makes a good presentation, then the students give presentations and receive feedback. We already see progress during the trainings, and the students seem to incorporate what they have learned. We also hold productivity training, focusing on time management and energy allocation. We also provide training on self-awareness, where we deal with different personalities, what stressors they are sensitive to, and how they can deal with them. Once the students know each other better, a feedback technique training session comes, where they give each other feedback on what it's like to work with whom.
Clearly presentation, although it is an essential skill. During the course, as is often the case in the world of work, our students have to give presentations in English, which is stressful for many, even if they are fluent in English. Many of those interested in programming are introverted, task-oriented individuals who are not comfortable selling themselves or being pushy in an interview situation. We try to train them to see it as an opportunity to develop their skills. We also provide coaching opportunities for our students, so if a deeper problem or personal blockage comes up in the group training sessions that they want to resolve, we can help with my psychology colleagues.
Many experts already argue that ChatGPT could replace the "hard part" of programming in the near future, but in the case of soft skills, this is currently impossible. Companies are looking for programmers who are not only technically skilled, but also collaborative, open, fluent, empathetic and take responsibility for themselves even in difficult communication situations, which AI cannot replace. In fact, empathy is needed to be able to ask ChatGPT the right question, so that it can really help us. Even if we assume that we can rely on AI in the future, the skillset required of programmers may shift even more towards soft skills.
Újrakezdeni egy másik szakmában senkinek sem könnyű. Ugyanakkor hiszünk abban, hogy egy hiteles és tapasztalt gyakorlati szakember jelenléte és iránymutatása hatalmas segítség, pláne ha egyszer ő is hasonló cipőben járt. Ismerjétek meg Dóri történetét, aki egykor irodavezető volt, ma pedig már Business Analyst és a CRM Specialist kurzusunk mentora.
Hiszünk abban, hogy naprakész tudás átadásával biztosíthatjuk hallgatóink versenyképességét a munkaerőpiacon. Ezért a képzés során néhány alkalommal vezető fejlesztők és elismert szakemberek is megosztják gyakorlatban szerzett tapasztalataikat hallgatóinkkal, köztük a SEON szoftverfejlsztője, James Tang is.
Az informatikai szektort érintő szakemberhiány a munkaerőpiac egyik legnagyobb kihívásává nőtte ki magát. Ebben a helyzetben egyre nagyobb jelentőséget kapnak a speciálisan vállalatra szabott megoldások. A corporate bootcamp kifejezetten a cég igényei alapján kidolgozott képzés, ami akár azonnal projektre állítható szakembereket biztosít. A gyakorlati működést és előnyöket a Lufthansa Systems Hungáriával kialakított együttműködésünkön keresztül mutatjuk be.
A technológiai trendek által előidézett iparági változások a kihívások mellett lehetőséget kínálnak a vállalatok számára, hogy növeljék bevételi forrásaikat. Ahhoz azonban, hogy az élen maradjanak, a szervezeteknek lépést kell tartaniuk a fejlődő technológiával, alkalmazottaiknak pedig a szükséges készségekkel.
Technological enhancements often evoke strong emotions in people; this is no different when ChatGPT made its explosive public entry. Some believe that the dominance of AI leads to the end of the programming profession, while others see exciting opportunities arising from it. Where does the truth lie? In our article, we deep-dive into those changes that AI tools bring to the lives of developers. Will ChatGPT truly be the programmer of the future?
In the world of software development, one of the most referred technologies is full-stack at the moment. HR professionals flood job search platforms with numerous open full-stack positions, which highly suggests its dominance across the whole IT industry.
Besides challenges, the changes in the industry brought about by technological trends also present opportunities for companies to increase their revenue streams. However, if they want to stay ahead, organisations must keep pace with evolving technology, and their employees must have the necessary skills.
Nowadays, it is not enough for a programmer to write excellent lines of code; it is also becoming more and more important what soft skills they have. What is the added value of a psychologist developing these skills? What methods are worth adapting in a corporate environment? Our psychologist Fruzsina Fejes answered these questions by presenting the Green Fox strategy.
The lack of professionals in the IT sector has clearly become one of the biggest challenges in the labour market. In this situation, solutions tailor-made for a company’s needs are gaining ground. The corporate bootcamp is a training specifically designed to meet a company's needs and expectations. Its graduates are professionals who are ready to join a project immediately. Now we explain the practical operation and the advantages through the example of our co-operation with Lufthansa Systems Hungária.