Following on from the last two months where we have spoken of the importance of technology skills and how we stay up to date with them, this month we will focus on the other end of that spectrum – the non-technical job.
Obviously, there are many jobs that simply don’t involve technology as such – things like plumbers, law enforcement, bakers, etc, etc. Interestingly, in the Australian Government’s assessment of the 10 most in-demand jobs by overall demand, 7 of them are non-technical. But in this blog we want to focus on non-tech careers within technology industries.
Paradoxically, technical professional success no longer depends solely upon technical skills.
The changing nature of industries have made human-centric jobs critical. A company cannot thrive on technical skills alone – a diverse set of strengths is necessary to produce a productive and successful team. It is claimed that 39% of employees working for technical companies are non-technical business professionals. Skills like strategic thinking, communications, and leadership have become critical.
Some of the non-technical roles tech companies require are:
- Business analyst
- Technical writer
- Product manager
- Marketing manager
While not diminishing any of the above, one new area of concern is the expected impact of AI on both technical and non-technical careers. The role of AI is growing beyond mere automation. Up until recently, most of us have encountered AI through what is known as Generative AI – i.e. it generates new, original content such as texts and images (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc.). But the focus is shifting from Generative AI to Agentic AI – i.e. systems that can perform tasks autonomously, learn from experience, and make decisions.
In either case, the rise of AI will emphasise the increasing importance of the so called “soft skills” that we have been talking about in these recent blogs. Mirroring the findings of the Australian Government above, a recent American study looked at 82 million job postings across 22 sectors and found that 7 of the 10 most requested skills called for were these “soft skills”.
Some of the soft skills particularly necessary for a non-technical career are:
- Critical thinking
- Teamwork effectiveness
- Collaboration
- Adaptability and flexibility.
These skills are increasingly important because non-technical professionals must be able to work effectively with both technical and non-technical teams.
These skills will be critical for adapting to the evolving work environment. Professionals who can blend traditional expertise with AI knowledge will be very important.
Consequently, it is claimed that the most relevant concern for workers is not whether AI will eliminate jobs, but how it will shape the labour market value of expertise.
In summary, non-technical skills are more crucial than ever, with employers seeking professionals who can effectively manage communication, compliance, processes, and people. Non-technical skills such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and the ability to make informed decisions are now highly sought after.