Why Your Technical Skills Aren’t Enough Anymore
Career Foundation Series - Day 3 of 90
You’ve spent years building your technical skills.
You’ve got the certifications. You’ve mastered the tools.
Maybe you’re the go-to person when things break.
But here’s the truth:
Technical skills alone won’t take you where you want to go.
If you want to grow, lead, or make a real impact, you need more than know-how. You need clarity, presence, and the ability to move people, not just projects.
1. Tech Changes Fast. People Skills Carry Further.
That tool you mastered last year might be replaced next quarter.
But your ability to lead, listen, communicate, and adapt?
That sticks with you. It grows with you.
It turns you into someone others trust, recommend, and want to work with again.
Two of my last three roles came from past coworkers who vouched for my people skills. Not just my ability to solve problems, but how I showed up under pressure, how I collaborated, and how I made others better.
The further you go in your career, the more it becomes about people, not platforms.
2. Good Work Doesn’t Always Speak for Itself
You’ve probably heard someone say,
“Just focus on doing great work and people will notice.”
That may have worked early in your career. It doesn't scale.
To get noticed, you have to:
Share results in terms your stakeholders understand
Tie your work to team and company goals
Communicate clearly across technical and non-technical teams
Speak up for your growth and value before someone else misrepresents it
I learned this the hard way.
A while back, I had a new manager who rarely attended our standups. He didn’t understand my skill set or what I was responsible for. I kept my head down and kept delivering, assuming he would notice.
Then one day he said,
“Whenever the VP asks what you’ve been doing, I’ve been running out of excuses for you.”
I was floored. From that moment on, he knew what I was working on, when I was working on it, and who I was collaborating with. Less than three months later, I left the company.
Lesson learned. If you don’t communicate your value, someone else might define it for you.
3. Businesses Care About Outcomes, Not Just Output
It’s not about the hours you work or how many tickets you close.
It’s about what changed because of you.
Did you save time or money?
Did you reduce customer friction?
Did your work unlock new opportunities?
Did your initiative create momentum for your team?
The people who get promoted understand how their work moves the business forward.
I see it on my team all the time.
When someone automates a repetitive task that reduces churn, it's a win for everyone.
When a teammate builds a tool that turns 20 manual steps into one touch, it saves us hours each week.
When a proof of concept becomes a team favorite and gets rolled out across the org, that teammate shines.
Impact matters. It is bigger than just productivity.
4. The Next Level Requires More Than Code
The people who grow fastest are the ones who can:
Translate between business goals and tech implementation
Lead across teams and priorities
Mentor junior teammates with patience and clarity
Stay open to feedback and curious about new ways to work
Influence decisions without needing a specific title
Technical skill opens doors.
People skills move you through them.
5. Think of Your Career Like a Product
Your tech stack is the feature list.
But your growth comes from:
How well you collaborate
How clearly you communicate
How reliably you deliver value
How aligned you are with your mission
If you want a career that lasts, build more than just skill.
Build trust. Build presence. Build upward momentum.
This Post Is Part of My 90-Day Challenge
I’m sharing 90 days of career-building insights to help you grow with intention and clarity.
If you’re ready to shift from technician to trusted leader, here’s your next step:
👉 Book a coaching call: https://calendly.com/mikey-maven/book-1on1
👉 Subscribe for more: https://substack.com/@mikeymaven
Being good at your job gets you noticed.
Being great with people and outcomes gets you promoted.