In a good to great organization, these tips are timeless but since not all companies fall with this category, I would add Situational Awareness - getting the feel for the corporate culture, the attitude of management, and the needs and wants of the customers your support. I would also suggest you aim for a well-rounded set of job experiences with ever increasing rolls of responsibility along with finding a mentor who can guide you through tough times and help prepare you for attaining the right jobs at the right times. Mentors can save you years of struggling and prevent you from missing the mark you set for yourself.

To connect with your business customers you have to know what the need and want. You need to explore cost effective ways to support them that improves their productivity with the smallest amount of learning curve. Make them more effective and efficient on their job by knowing what is really needed then prioritize these needs and creating aplan of action for achieving the goals of effectiveness and efficiency.

IT is a team sport but many managers believe to be on their team you have to do things their way and within their time table. In this environment, thinking you are an equal with autonomy to express yourself could be a job-ending event. If you have multiple managers each with their own definition of a team member then you have to find ways to juggle the situation until you can find a more productive atmosphere.

Day to day operations should be the top priority to which the budget is geared toward and to which the largest amount of effort is expended. However, many managers want the latest, greatest toys and will not be pursuaded otherwise. Scheduled upgardes to network infrastructure is postponed while iPads, iPhones, and other technologies are acquired and implemented which place an even greater strain on existing bandwidth provided over aging components.

Yes! We should all enjoy our jobs. That's why most of us got into the IT business in the first place but office politics is the bain of many an otherwise pleasant experience. If you cannot enjoy the job, don't take it. If you find a change in management has made your job onerous, find another.