USE YOUR WORDS

Building up your ability to communicate effectively is vital to IT career success

Yeah, I guess I’m old. I’ve worked in the information technology (IT) industry since 1997, which means I’ve been at it for more than 20 years. It seems like only yesterday that I was a wet-behind-the-ears newbie with idealistic visions of how IT worked in the real world.

Not everything I’ve learned in going on three decades is directly related to technology. I could talk for hours about the evolution of the public cloud or the future prospects of Windows Server. Knowledge is important. You also need so-called “soft skills,” however — especially good communication skills — to thrive in IT. Almost as much you need to understand technology itself. Yes, it’s that important.

Communication skills have been, for me, a double-edged sword. On one hand, my ability to communicate clearly has led to my career blossoming beyond my wildest expectations. This year I presented three sessions at the Microsoft Ignite conference. That was unthinkable to me during the first years of my career.

On the other hand, my willingness and ability to express how I feel in precise detail has also resulted in a couple of RGEs — “résumé-generating events” — none of which were very fun for my family or me at the time. A key subset of the ability to communicate well is knowing when not to communicate at all.

I have come to understand quite a lot about communicating effectively that could probably help novices and newcomers who are just diving into the sink-or-swim waters of a professional IT career. Bearing in mind that crystal clear communication can sometimes be a bombshell, I’d like to lead offwith my most valuable tip.

Don’t call or send e-mail in the heat of the moment