What sets one IT professional apart from the crowd?  In March of 2018, CIO.com published an article with 16 ideal traits. They asked several longtime IT professionals, including PlanetMagpie’s Robert Douglas, to list their preferred traits.

IT's most wanted: 16 traits of indispensable IT pros - CIO.com (March 2018)

Three Traits PlanetMagpie Looks For in Hiring Team Members

Robert actually went farther, giving 3 traits of successful IT pros. These three help us gauge potential team members, to see if they're a good fit for the work we do.

Trait #1: Dedication to the team and the project. Think of the IT pro who focuses on the task at hand so much he forgets lunch and misses the last train.  By no coincidence, 3 years later he finds himself running the department.

Trait #2: Technical Curiosity. These are the IT pros who build their own mini-datacenter in their garage, out of e-waste they scavenged at the office.  Why?  To figure it out.

Trait #3: MacGyver-Like Innovation. These IT pros can think way outside the box. They can bring a downed network back to life with discarded gear and a few cables they had lying around . . . and keep it running until fresh components arrive.

A Degree Doesn't Make You an IT Pro

You'll notice that "a bachelor's degree" and "10 years' experience" are nowhere to be found. That's because they aren't nearly as important.  Technical curiosity and dedication count far more than a degree in IT.  They mean you're engaged in the work, driven to do your best, and willing to put in the hours. That's what makes the exceptional IT professional.