Key STEM Job Skills: Not What You Think

Companies in STEM industries want candidates who are the best of the best in technical skill sets. However, as Christine Chmura reports via TimesDispatch, even in STEM technical skills alone simply aren’t enough to get the job done.

She reports:

“…STEM skills are not sufficient to succeed in the workforce.

Jobs requiring that knowledge in STEM fields often pay much more than the average job. Many STEM jobs, such as computer programmers and operators, also are growing much faster than the average of all jobs.

A growing number of companies and government agencies across the state and country complain that workers don’t have the necessary “soft skills” — anything from teamwork and communicating to critical thinking.”

The takeaway? Knowing how to engineer something properly or execute a scientific experiment may very well require skills that are universal in business, such as the ability to get along and communicate with team members to get a better result.

Read the full article  for more on the importance of soft skills in the labor market.