Introduction to Human Skills
The Big Idea
Technical skill gets you an interview. Human skills get you the job — and keep it. This part of the curriculum is about developing the self-awareness, communication, and collaboration skills that make you someone people want to work with.
Your Roadmap
| Section | Time | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| What Human Skills is about | 3 min | ⚑ Required |
| What you will learn | 1 min | ⚑ Required |
| How it is assessed | 1 min | ⚑ Required |
What Human Skills is about
Programming is a team sport. The ability to collaborate, communicate clearly, and handle feedback well is what separates developers who grow quickly from those who plateau.
"To be a good web developer, study code. To be a great one, study people." — Joshua Vial, Founder of Dev Academy
Employers consistently say they can teach technical skills but not how to work well with others. That is what Human Skills builds.
What you will learn
- How to understand yourself in the context of a team
- How to work with people who think differently from you
- How to give and receive feedback
- How to reflect on your own learning and growth
How it is assessed
Human Skills is assessed through your blog posts and participation in cohort activities. Your facilitator reads your reflections. Write honestly — generic answers do not demonstrate growth.
The Big Idea (revisited)
Technical skills are learnable by anyone. What makes you stand out is how you work with people. Human Skills is not a soft add-on — it is half the job.