10 Tips to Stay Young and Relevant in Tech (Based on 30 Years in the Field)

We become more experienced daily, but here are 10 tips to keep you relevant and desirable—coming from a career more than 30 years old.

Image of my birthday cake in 2024.

1. Focus on Today

Talking about the past and past achievements is for museums. Focus on the last 5 to 8 years of your work. What have you been doing in the previous decade?

2. The Past Is Behind You

Talking about how interesting it was in “back in your day” can be fun for you, but only older adults do that. Resurrect some experiences only if they are practical for the current situation, and don’t be overly nostalgic when talking about them.

3. Learn One New Thing Every Day

Information technology is a full plate for those who want to learn, and there will never be a shortage of things to explore. No one knows everything, and you can learn more about something every day. I like to take courses and specializations and be engaged in some technology communities to help me stay current.

4. Compete with Yourself, Not Others

Competition is excellent in school. When you want a career, the focus is on yourself. Many companies started in the garage, and maybe you don’t even have a garage, so success depends on your continuous effort.

5. Be a Machine

A machine is defined for us humans as strength and persistence; to win in life, you must be persistent and advance every day with more strength.

6. Family Matters

Family is a brake on your career; you can choose to be a parent or be a person with phenomenal success, and happiness is finding a middle ground. Take advantage of your single life to work and study; your effort will be doubled after the family arrives to get the same return.

7. Help Friends and Partners

A successful person has good acquaintances, friends and partners who can lend a hand or refer someone who can help you in difficult times, just as you should help others find their way or lend a hand as you would like it done for you.

8. Eat Technology

If you work with technology, you know that everything becomes obsolete, so you must strategically change your position and get to know new tools and techniques. What can age is the skin; the brain must be younger, and to be younger, feed it with new experiences and new bits of knowledge.

9. Do a Little Bit of Everything

Don’t just focus on one area of technology. The more you know and delve into other areas, the more attractive you will be to the job market and to companies looking for complete professionals who understand the whole process and detect what can improve or not along the way.

10. Be a Good Person

No matter the technical experience, titles, courses or salary, or if you are not a good and ethical person, all of this is worth nothing. You will be forgotten as soon as they no longer need you. Being cordial and loving with all your colleagues is the recipe for being forever in people’s minds. Be at least polite and courteous. Be even more attentive to those you know don’t like you and show your quality as a person.

Bonus Tip: 11. Surpass Yourself

You will keep going through the same experiences in your life until you understand what they want to teach you, and then you will move on to the next level of life. This applies to anything in life—college, family, marriage, profession, etc. Be open to learning from your own life, and level up!

Conclusion

Don’t be afraid to grow older. Today, I am as young as I was at 20. The difference is that life’s setbacks are more significant. But you will succeed if you learn from your mistakes and surpass yourself daily.

Each new day is a new opportunity, a new chance. Life happens in cycles. There is a cycle of 24 hours, 7 days, 15 days, 1 month, 1 quarter of a year, half a year and a year. Learn to see what repeats in them and each season. Start to anticipate what will happen, and then you can avoid the potholes that your road has in the same places, and instead pave the road to success.

There is no guide you can read or checklist of things to learn by a certain age. You only realize how much you’re learning as you experience it and discover the lessons along the way.

I wish you good luck and success in your life, career and endeavors.

Me, my family and close friends.