Students' Views of the Importance of Techncal and Non-Technical Skills for Successful it Professionals

The dynamic environment of technology and changing business needs require today's IT professional to possess a wide range of technical and non-technical abilities. Profit seeking and non-profit organizations expect their IT employees to combine business skills, analytical thinking and the ability to exhibit expertise in an array of technology areas. In this paper an empirical investigation is conducted to determine students views of the importance of various skills that would be required for a successful IT professional. The skill set was developed by reviewing certain skills identified by companies as necessary in the IT profession. The survey was conducted in upper level required information technology courses at the undergraduate level. The results indicate that according to students, non-technical skills including communication skills, analytical, and managerial skills are at least as important as technical ability.