Networking, some people hate it but it makes careers so learn to do it.
I didn't see it until after the fact but preventing burn out. I was tech 100% and loved every bit. Eventually I burned out and it severely impacted my ability to stay up to date with new tech.
I count that as an engineering skill. If someone didn't learn engineering in a series of attempts to automate away tasks, they're not going to be a good engineer.
so much this. I’ve been in the industry for three decades and absolute thread that connects the best people I’ve ever worked with is that they are lazy at their core. laziness breeds automation, removes duplication and redundancy (and boredom).