Overview

Key Takeaway: Communication and soft skills are equally important as the hard skills!

Two Critical Skill Pairings

  1. Hard11. e.g., data structures, algorithms, core CS and programming principles & Soft22. e.g., communication, teamwork, resilience and tenacity Skills
  2. Interview & On-the-Job Skills
Aside: Prerequisite Hard Skills

In terms of hard skills, you should know how to build, use, and analyze these data structures:

Additionally, you should know intermediate programming knowledge like:

Soft Skills

Soft Skills: Critical interpersonal skills about relationships with others.44. e.g., social graces, communication, language, personal habits, managing people, leadership, etc.

Skill Benefit
Interpersonal Teams + Support
Communication Teams + Beyond
Leadership Advancement
Perseverance Achievement
Example: Ability to explain something at a high level

A common mistake is jumping directly into coding and failing to explain your approach at a high level.

You need to communicate what you are thinking!

Aside: Communication = Talking + Listening (Take a Hint!)

If an interviewer gives you a hint like, “can we just pause for a second and just go over your high level approach”, you need to take a hint immediately!

Do not just barrel-through or otherwise disregard hints.


  1. e.g., data structures, algorithms, core CS and programming principles↩︎

  2. e.g., communication, teamwork, resilience and tenacity↩︎

  3. e.g., introducing yourself to new people, describing your work, writing code, solving new problems↩︎

  4. e.g., social graces, communication, language, personal habits, managing people, leadership, etc.↩︎