| - Be aware of new trends. You don't have to learn everything. But pickup and try those that are promising to solve real problems in your current position. - You should be able to move back and forth between management and technical positions. They are not mutually exclusive. You can a skill set that allows you to do either. It gives you greater perspective and flexibility. One piece of advice that I was given in college is that even if you are the Director of IT you should leave small (non-critical) pieces of software for you to work on. So you never lose touch. - Try to work for good companies. My definition of good companies are those where you can be productive every day. - Some skills will be helpful all your life. I learned Unix in 1989 and have used it almost every day. - Learn the fundamentals. Data structures, algorithms, relational theory, structured programming, object oriented programming, functional programming, networking, Operating systems, theory of computation, et al. - Understand the business domain in which you are working. That makes you extra valuable for your current company. - Develop your soft skills. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/soft-skills.html |