Tech keeps evolving, and so should you.

It’s a good time to be in a technological field. The industry is vast and ever-growing, you’re paving the way for the evolution of society and its capabilities, and besides everything, you can do a lot of it at home. Technology is, however, still a young industry, relatively speaking, only appearing within the last hundred years or so. There are habits one can adopt while working in a tech field that may prove detrimental down the line. For your personal improvement, consider examining yourself for these traits, and if you exhibit them, work on improving them.

First and foremost, inflexibility. Because tech industries are so new, they’re constantly in flux. What was brand new one year is outdated and passé the next. You need to be able to adapt to changing processes and methodologies on the fly, or else you may find yourself the “outdated guy” at work who still uses an old programming language or doesn’t know about new shortcuts. Ask your coworkers to teach you about any new tricks of the trade that may have popped up behind your back.

On that subject, it’s good to have interpersonal skills, because communication is a linchpin of these industries. Even if you don’t work with your coworkers face-to-face, you need to be able to quickly and concisely tell them what you need, why you need it, and when you need it. Don’t just curl into yourself and expect everyone else to magically know what they need to give you, because they won’t, and they’ll get annoyed at you for assuming that.

Lastly, try to have some fun. I don’t mean slack off at work, but rather squeeze whatever entertainment you can out of your daily stuff. Sneak a little joke into your code and give anyone who finds it a cookie. Harmless little things that make you and others smile will make work feel a lot less like work.