How To Shed the "Techie" Stereotype

I work in technology. Have for quite some time, and will for the foreseeable future. It wasn't that long ago that when someone asked me what I did for work, and I told them, they would almost immediately jump to the conclusion that I loved role-playing games, lived on energy drinks and candy bars, and wouldn't talk to anyone other than fellow egg-heads.

While the first couple of things I mentioned won't have much impact on your career, the last one will. Gone are the days of technology professionals being locked away from the rest of the company to focus on one task. Soon, as business needs continue to change, so will organizational structures, forcing tech pros to work dead smack in the middle of cross-functional teams - working with marketers, sales professionals, product managers, and so on.

So, what should you do? Round out your skill set. Chances are, you're going to need to brush up on your "soft skills" to keep your head above water. Here are some suggestions for broadening your skills in order to work better in a collaborative environment:

1. Seek training in communication skills. While it may seem silly to have to seek "training" in communication, it really isn't. Consider taking a course or two in business communication, writing or public speaking. Not only will the skills you obtain from these classes help you directly in the workplace, taking a class in something other than Programming 101 will get you working well with other people.
2. Seek out a mentor. Either in your own company, or another IT company, a mentor is great to have. Most likely, if an IT professional is in a position to be a mentor, then they have already dealt with having to work on cross-functional teams, and would be willing to help you do the same.
3. Learn more about the organizational behavior of your company. This will give you a much better understanding of how the company is moving as a single entity, helping you to understand the company's goals, rather than just why you need to focus on writing that next killer app.
4. Reach out to people. Simply put, talk to people. It's the easiest way to build communication skills, and it doesn't cost you a dime!
5. Go back to school. Techies can also be helped by pursuing an advanced degree like an MBA. Advanced education, especially for someone in the technology field, can really broaden your view past the level of the individual contributor.