Soft Skills Are Almost As Important As Tech Prowess

Love ‘em or dread ‘em, Java and JavaScript skills are what employers are most often looking for when hiring software developers.

The same goes for C#, Python and SQL, according to an analysis Burning Glass did of tech job postings.

Dice.com, the tech careers site, took a deep dive into what skills employers most often list in their job descriptions and what they’re willing to pay to get the talent they want. Pulling together data from a variety of sources, Dice notes that while the term “software developer” covers a lot of territory, the five programming languages are the ones most frequently included in job postings.

Fortunately, a Stack Overflow survey found a high percentage of developers regularly use JavaScript, SQL, Python, C# and Java. In fact, almost 70% of professional developers said they most commonly used JavaScript in their work. More, though, told Stack OverFlow they loved Python; fewer dread it.

Regardless of the technical skills, Dice tells us that Burning Glass found employers also want their hires to be good communicators, collaborators, problem solvers and troubleshooters. The other “soft skills” that most frequently show up in job posts are creativity, planning and writing.

Dice points out that, “It’s one thing to code an awesome app; you also need to express your needs and wants to your team members, your manager, and even senior management.”

“Your ‘soft skills’… ultimately matter as much as your technical and coding skills, especially if you aspire to become a team leader or even run a company at some point.”

Employers may be asking for a lot, but they are willing to pay well to get the right people. Right out of school with no experience, starting pay ranges from a low of $66,000 to as much as $99,000. The top end goes to developers with specialized and high demand skills. And, though there are jobs that don’t require a degree, 88.9% of job ads ask for a bachelor’s degree.

With the demand for software developers growing every year and not enough developers to fill all the jobs, it’s taking employers an average of 40 days to hire. And that was before COVID-19 slowed everything up.

Is Covid-19 Back or Are We Just Seeing a Surge in Cases?
General Interest Healthcare Pharma

Is Covid-19 Back or Are We Just Seeing a Surge in Cases?

Strategic Networking: A Secret Weapon in Job Searching
Accounting + Finance Architecture + Engineering Financial Services General Interest Healthcare Human Resources Information Technology Legal Support Marketing Technology Pharma Professional Support

Strategic Networking: A Secret Weapon in Job Searching

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Justin Nadelman
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Leadership + Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Justin Nadelman

Navigating the Tech Interview Maze: A Guide to Success
General Interest Information Technology

Navigating the Tech Interview Maze: A Guide to Success

Green Key Unlocked: How to Succeed in Payroll Management
Accounting + Finance General Interest Human Resources Leadership + Management

Green Key Unlocked: How to Succeed in Payroll Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jenny Rehkugler
Accounting + Finance General Interest

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jenny Rehkugler

Handling Mistakes & Failure in the Workplace
General Interest Worklife

Handling Mistakes & Failure in the Workplace

How to Support Those Affected by Hawai’i Wildfires 
Green Key News

How to Support Those Affected by Hawai’i Wildfires 

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Halle Sarfin
Green Key News Professional Support

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Halle Sarfin

Advantages of Offering Exit Interviews
General Interest Human Resources

Advantages of Offering Exit Interviews

Tracking Metrics: Learning & Development
General Interest Leadership + Management Worklife

Tracking Metrics: Learning & Development

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Leanna Gallagher
Green Key News Human Resources

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Leanna Gallagher

How to Beat the Summer Productivity Slump
General Interest Leadership + Management Worklife

How to Beat the Summer Productivity Slump

Questions to Ask When Hiring a Recruiter
General Interest Leadership + Management Worklife

Questions to Ask When Hiring a Recruiter

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Chianté Vidal
Architecture + Engineering Green Key News

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Chianté Vidal

Celebrating 10 Years of GKR in Rockville
Green Key News Leadership + Management Professional Support

Celebrating 10 Years of GKR in Rockville

Internal Mobility: Retaining Top Talent
General Interest

Internal Mobility: Retaining Top Talent

Green Key Unlocked: The Future of Telemedicine & Virtual Healthcare
General Interest Healthcare Information Technology

Green Key Unlocked: The Future of Telemedicine & Virtual Healthcare

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Melissa Sanchez
General Interest Green Key News Healthcare Leadership + Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Melissa Sanchez

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Rory Valan
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Rory Valan

Latest Blog Posts
View All Posts
Is Covid-19 Back or Are We Just Seeing a Surge in Cases?

Is Covid-19 Back or Are We Just Seeing a Surge in Cases?

With the recent increase in hospitalizations and Covid-19 cases across the U.S. the question of How to protect ourselves and...
Read More
Strategic Networking: A Secret Weapon in Job Searching

Strategic Networking: A Secret Weapon in Job Searching

Networking is more than connecting with other professionals on LinkedIn or collecting contacts; it's about building relationships that can lead...
Read More
#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Justin Nadelman

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Justin Nadelman

Almost seven years since he first joined Green Key, Justin has seized many growth opportunities in his role and truly...
Read More