Softs skills aren't as important as hard skills, amirite?

I've worked in engineering my whole life and my experience has been the opposite. The only time I've seen a professional engineer fired was because they were horrible with people. I was just promoted ahead of a guy who has been at my company for 11 years because, and I quote, he "had trouble dealing with others".

by Ucarter 1 week ago

This is so factually incorrect. It is easier to get jobs and grow up the corporate ladder if you have a lot of soft skills and sufficient hard skills then other way around. There are exceptions where "crazy engineers" go far but much more often okay engineers with good social skills get promoted.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I'm not yet in a position in my career where I've made made major personnel decisions, but I have made a few. Whenever I've had to choose between someone who maybe has a little more experience but is bit surly or stand-offish, and someone less experienced but with an engaging personality suit to work with our other employees and clients, I'm picking the latter every, single time. And it's not a difficult decision. You can teach someone how to do a particular job. You probably can't teach them to be a likeable person.

by SecondBeneficial1024 1 week ago

You felt that but that's not to say that you indeed had those soft skills. My experience is the exact opposite, and I work in IT, field that should be absolutely dependent from hard skills.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

No they don't. Haven't you ever worked for a company where you have one of those people on your team who is completely useless but super nice and kisses ass all the time? Usually they're an older woman.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

HAHA, so true, but nobody minds that woman. Would you rather have the middle aged condescending asshole who thinks he's Ron Swanson? That's who I picture saying "soft skills don't matter"

by Exciting_Toe 1 week ago

I never really use the term soft skills, but it's just a fact that they are important. If you are difficult to work with, I don't give a F how smart you are, I'd rather have someone on the team who is going to cooperate and not be difficult. That's not to say, you should hire someone who sucks at their job but is a nice person, but most people are somewhere in between, and can be trained and improve if they at least have a good attitude.

by Exciting_Toe 1 week ago

I just realized why I hate the phrase be a team player so much. It's almost always said by people who warm the bench.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Good point, but even in the military there's such a thing as tact. There's a huge difference between being a strong stoic leader and being a straight up bully even though they might appear the same on initial impression. They need to work with others to be successful, just like a brain surgeon.

by Exciting_Toe 1 week ago

Without a doubt, you are correct. There's a line there somewhere, being good vs nice, and finding the right mix. Being a jerk and best, or being super nice and clueless, are neither one a good situation. There has to be some balance.

by Anonymous 1 week ago