Whilst true technical skill are important. I would counter that they are most definitely not the first priority over soft skills. When a hiring manager meets a potential employee the first thing they look for is compatibility in the company, ability to communicate well, manners etc. Especially when someone has no technical background and is coming straight from education, the ability to communicate and learn pro-actively is valued far greater then technical skills. Again im not dismissing the importance of technical skills, I am just claiming that soft skills have the first priority