Most Important Skills for an IT Manager at a Leading Company
As an IT Manager, Freida believes that "empathy" is the most crucial skill, even more so than technical expertise, because it enables effective teamwork and treating end-users as valued customers, ultimately leading to greater career success. In Frieda's experience, a lack of empathy hinders success regardless of technical certifications.
Executive/Leadership, Communication, Teamwork, Career Development, Industry Realities
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Freida Kreitzer
IT Manager
Industry leader
UC Berkeley
Philosophy
Technology
Cyber Security and IT
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Empathy is crucial for IT leadership roles, enabling effective teamwork and customer service.
2. Technical skills and certifications alone are insufficient for career success without empathy.
3. Empathy is a key skill that hiring managers look for in candidates for IT leadership positions.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
I would say, which might be surprising to many technical leaders and deeply technical people, is empathy. I've been a hiring manager and led teams of various sizes, and usually, what I look for is that skill.
If someone has empathy, I know they'll work very well on a team. They'll treat end users as customers and do a good job overall.
You can have many certifications and be the most technical person. However, without empathy, I think it will be very difficult to be highly successful in your career.