Someone on a Codecademy discussion board asked what skills I thought to be most useful for people transitioning into technical careers or who want to grow in them. This was my answer, edited lightly.
Communication skills are your first building block. They aren’t specific to tech, but you won’t go far in any endeavor if you can’t get your ideas across to others.
You must learn how to learn, as you will constantly be upskilling. Dr. Barbara Oakley has created a Learning How to Learn class on Coursera that is based on evidence-backed learning practices. She has also written a book, A Mind for Numbers. I recommend both.
Next is troubleshooting. Whether you are providing technical support or coding, you must know how to approach problems logically and break them down into smaller pieces.
Coding of some sort is a helpful skill because it forces you to think critically. Of course, it’s also valuable for automating tasks, even if you aren’t working as a programmer. I like Python because it’s powerful, flexible, and easy to learn.
These tools will open many doors!