On 22 April 2026 I attended a session by the careers and employability service that was about people skills. I went to this session since ‘people skills’ remains a research interest; I’m interested in the ‘people part’ of software engineering. Given that software systems are intrinsically invisible, I hold the view that soft skills are of fundamental importance. I’m also aware that there has been some criticism that computing graduates are not as prepared for the workplace as they should be. From the school perspective, I do feel as if we need to be doing more.
The session had panellists from four employers. The broad aim was to ‘build awareness’ of communication, collaboration, global citizenship, self-awareness, and digital information literacy.
What follows are a set of rough notes I made during the session. I should add that I also share some of my own views too.
Considering skills
The session opened with a broad discussion about the difference between people skills and technical skills. It was suggested that whilst technical skills can be taught, softer skills are harder to develop. Technical skills will look different everywhere in every organisation. A good employer will train you in the tech skills that you need. Plus, any technical skills you have are likely to change.
In some (technical) roles, people skills are valued more. People skills are more transferrable. Some terms used to describe people skills include leadership, empathy, listening and the ability to motivate others. Leadership skills are important. Moving beyond technical roles, how to you go about leading and engaging your team? People skills enable both yourself and others to grow.
A notable question was: who are your role models? Also, who do we not want to be like?
Which people skills are most sought after?
Effective communication. This is quite a broad ‘bullet point’; what is considered to be effective may be different in different situations and roles.
Adaptability. Characteristics under adaptability include personal resilience and continuous learning. To repeat a cliché: change is a constant. It is necessary to be able to navigate new and unknown environments. Foster a a curious growth mindset. Ask yourself questions.
Emotional intelligence. Consider the significance of situations and make sure to facilitate self-reflection.
Resilience. This was presented as ‘a skill’ and can be related to all three of the above points.
How can you demonstrate people skills in an interview?
Prepare. Research the organisation and its values. Think about questions that might be asked, such as ‘what development might you need?’ This shows open for leaning, and open for development. Identify examples.
Examples. What difficult problems have you solved? can you share an example of when you worked with others? What have your most significant challenges been? Write examples on cue cards. Remember them.
How have people skills evolved during remote and hybrid working?
In the workplace, know what your communication preferences are, and what are those of your colleagues. Not everyone likes to have a call. Not everyone prefers email.
Be a good listener. Give others the space to talk. Prioritize people; check in with others.
Make efficient use of your diary. Blocking out time tells others about your availability.
Can you use AI in the application process?
An opinion was shared by the panel: since employers use AI to screen candidates, so there’s no reason why candidates shouldn’t use AI to help to prepare for interviews. You could, for example, ask an AI product to generate a series of questions that could be asked during an interview for a particular role, but do be critical about what it asks.
A personal perspective is: if you’re asked to participate in an AI interview, where there is no human involved, I would be inclined to refuse. The only exception to this is if I had the technical skill to get my own choice of AI product to respond to the AI product of a potential employer. If an employer can’t be bothered to include people in the recruitment process, then I would seriously question the values of the organisation.
Reflections
There were useful practical tips that were shared in this session. I felt that the guidance about preparing for interviews was particularly helpful, and the comments about the use of generative AI helpfully provocative.
Two of the most significant points I took away from this session were:
- Soft skills are transferrable, whereas technical skills are less so.
- It is easier to learn technical skills (and knowledge) than it is to learn soft skills.
This begs a question that wasn’t really addressed in this session, which was: how does one go about learning soft skills? I’m certainly not an expert in this, but my own answer to his question would be through authentic practice. The posh sounding pedagogic word in this context is ‘experiential’; the significance of gaining experience.
The follow on question is, of course, how might you go about gaining authentic experience? A good way to answer this is to consider your personal aims and interests. Find and then join groups and societies where you meet others. Another notion that I consider to be useful is the principle of the comfort zone. Participating in activities that are ‘slightly’ uncomfortable than you are used to is a good way to develop not only your abilities, but also to gain an understanding of what like, dislike, and might be good at.
During the session the importance of ‘effective communication’ was mentioned, I asked a slightly provocative question to the panel, which was ‘what should I do if I have a communication impairment?’ I specifically asked, how might this be addressed within the interview process, in terms of reasonable adjustments? There is a tension between disclosing at the start of the process (and worrying that one might not be shortlisted), versus raising points during the recruitment process, or even at the start of an interview. Although the panellists didn’t specifically answer my question directly, a link to some practical guidance was shared, which was welcome. To conclude this point, people who have communication difficulties (whatever they may be) can also be excellent communicators. This links back to an earlier point about the importance of examples.
A final reflection is one about the importance of questions. This is also linked to the importance of curiosity. In my day job, I’m always asking two related questions: ‘what do I need to know?’ and ‘who do I ask to find out what I need to know?’ Being able to ask that second question confidently being a fundamental people skill.
Resources
A useful place to look to is the OU Careers and Employability Services Careers and Employability page. Students have access to this service after graduation. The service offers one-to-one careers consultations, which is really recommended. The Employability Skills page could also be a helpful resource.
Relating to the question that I asked, the Explaining a disability when applying for jobs offers some useful guidance.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the career service who ran this session, and the industrial panelists. I do hope my notes do justice to the discussion, and the points that were made.