Technical Skills Are Essential For MBA

By Dr Monika Arora

The time from the grade school, everyone hear the most common degree that is MBA. MBA is a lifelong continuous learning activity. Continuous learning is one of the keys to success in life, no matter what you do. Learning is a part of life, and it is absolutely true. We all learn to gain knowledge. Knowledge is in the air, and we can gain it anywhere and anytime. Knowledge is also a free thing. You can learn from your surroundings. Everybody has to learn. Learning is a continuous process that never stops. It is not necessary that learning and gaining knowledge exist only in classroom or just in schools but it can be gain from anywhere and whatever you do.

Every day, in every aspect of our lives, it’s essential to gain all the knowledge that we get from the surroundings. Knowledge can also be gained when we look the world around. This is very true when we are in the phase of building our career and looking for opportunity. But, learning can different for people who are at the middle level of their career, a level up of success in their professional life, may be managers or supervisors.  For them, it is all about continuously reinventing and up skilling themselves to stay abreast with the competitive market.

As job hunting becomes more aggressive, when the same skills of candidate are applying for the same job. There the candidates have to learn to work harder to differentiate themselves from others vying for the same jobs. Acquiring the right technical skills is quite possibly the most effective way to achieve this goal. While it's hard to boil down precisely what makes for a "good" manager, there are certain skills and qualities that anyone aiming for a career in management should possess. In the 1970s, social psychologist Robert L. Katz identified three basic skill sets required for effective management: technical, human and conceptual. The technical skills includes the most concrete, measurable and specific skills. The opportunities are endless; one has to dedicate some time in enhancing technical skills and one will be on the path to success.

Technical skills are those that evolve according to company or industry-specific uses, methods and processes. It can also be formal problem-solving techniques, technology systems or machinery, or any other tools. Technical skills enables the individual to work more efficiently, boost their confidence and make them more valuable for employers.

DESIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS

Because they are so specific to the task(s) at hand, technical skills will vary significantly by industry and position. The individuals should know how to leverage the technology in their day to day life and in business too. The right technology at the right time can be used in business to increase performance, productivity and competitive edge. One cannot survive without technology these days. The decisions made around technology, and the ability to identify new products and services that will take an organization to the next level, are among the most important in almost all organizations. A few of the commonly desired important technical skills used by administrative and middle management positions people are as follows:

• Office Skills: The current world is technology-driven. It is essential for managers to have basic proficiency with office software like Microsoft Office, Adobe, Google Docs, and any relevant industry-specific programs.
• Computer and Digital Literacy: Every individual should know the basics of website programming and maintenance. This can also include a general understanding of web design and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), or it could involve training in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style sheets (CSS).
• Technical Writing: Managers may have to communicate goals and give instructions to employees for create training materials, document important processes, generate product and service descriptions and relay department and project statuses to upper management. All of this requires clear and concise professional writing skills and technology for communication.
• Information Technology: Because IT is such a significant part of so many companies' operations today, it can provide a leg up to have a working knowledge of IT basics (even if your business has a dedicated IT department).
• Project Management: These skills require to understand the basic processes required to plan and execute a long-term project.
• Data Management and Analytics: A good manager must be able to gather relevant information efficiently and accurately, analyze this data for significant trends or potential issues, and relay these findings to upper management for continue operations of a business.
• Flexibility and foresight: The rate of technological change is staggering, and employers require IT pros who are able to not only adapt to that change but to be out in front of it.
  
  

IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS

Companies hiring managers are looking for people who can integrate knowledge of technology with knowledge of business. Technology no longer just supports business – it drives it. There are some importance of technical skills as under:

• Communication: One of the most important reasons to invest time in the development of your technical skills is clear communication. For example, managers need to be able to communicate with machine shop operators about problems with a piece of equipment while also communicating the larger picture implications of that malfunction with executives.
• Efficiency: Without a working knowledge of how different technologies or processes operate, it’s almost impossible to identify opportunities to increase efficiency. To continue with the machining example, it would be very difficult for a manager with no knowledge of a particular piece of equipment to determine if current processes are wasting valuable time during operation.
• Respect: To earn a respect over managers and other subordinates, one has to be technology savvy. For many new managers, commanding respect from those they supervise is one of the most challenging tasks. If one is able to demonstrate to the team that you have an intimate knowledge of everything they’re required to do during their workday, you’re more likely to be greeted with trust when you give them feedback or make changes

The technical have-nots are becoming a mandatory in professional progression of an individual. It also helps in progress, self development and promotions. Your technical skills signal recruiters that you are a qualified and ambitious candidate. Your resume should contains your up-to-date IT skills training and certifications. It should clearly showcases you as a person who is invested in their personal and professional development. So why not earn those extra points for caring about your learning and career? In the future, nurturing your thirst for knowledge will pay off more than ever before. Organizations love fresh-thinkers, and nothing helps reset your love for your career like learning a new skill to enhance it. Thus setting yourself up for success and mastering some new skills, mainly technical skills will give you a prominence on your life.

About the Author:

Dr Monika Arora is an Associate Professor and Head of Department of IT and Operations at Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka, New Delhi. She has done Masters in Computer Application from Govt. Gitanjali Girls College, Bhopal and PhD in Computer Science from MPBHOU, Bhopal. She has over 20 years of experience in industry, teaching and research. She has authored over 80 papers in national, international conference, national and international Journals. She is also co-chair and chair of various conferences in Delhi Region. Her research area is in the field of intelligent and efficient data retrieval in semantic web, search engines, social network analysis, database system, knowledge management systems, Project Management, Business Analytics and E-Commerce.