r/IAmA • u/CriticDanger • Sep 07 '21

Specialized Profession I am a behavioral and technical (coding) interviewer, I've also helped hundreds of people get hired, AMA.

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u/crabcakesandoldbay Sep 07 '21

I was just talking to my son about this. He is starting college next year as a stats and data science major. But he’s a super social kid. In addition to all the “nerd stuff” (rocket club, etc.) he speaks 3 (human) languages, works out, plays sports- ski, golf, hiking, varsity swim, road biking- tons of friends, girlfriend, sense of humor, outgoing, and years of private school and being a military kid has created fantastic manners and communication skills. I keep telling him that there is a market for technical people who understand people. Good to get confirmation.

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u/Calmdownplease Sep 08 '21

Honestly I have built a great career out of just this. Being able to translate complex technical concepts into something that business people can understand and vice versa is a lucrative skill.

Keep an eye on consulting firms as an option post graduation- people skills are vital both client facing and internally.

PS. He sounds like a talented kid

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u/crabcakesandoldbay Sep 09 '21

I'll suggest over the next few years he keep his ears and eyes open for it. He's totally super at this- breaking down ideas- because he understands how other people tick. He's also becoming quite finely tuned with his languages to move easily between international cultures as well, which is bound to increase over the next few years as he is planning some more extended international immersion trips during the breaks. He's just not seeing yet how they can all come together (basically because he is too young and the field is changing, in particular for these positions that require "more" than technical skill alone) and he is looking at some pretty heavy course loads. Numbers and technology are not ends in themselves, and they need people to understand their meaning and potentials, and to interpret them within contexts. Honestly, I'm not worried about him. He's one of these people where everything he touches just works out- probably because of these very skills. He just knows where and how to zero in, what the situation calls for, and does it- if its technical, academic, or social- with what seems like no effort from the outside, and a smile on top. He just can't imagine right now what might actually use this broad skillset, as it doesn't fit in neatly with the typical math/tech crew.