Ah yes more people to continue the simulation

Focus on your communication skills. I've worked at three start ups in the states and I can tell you that those who get promotions or more salary almost always are good communicators. Not always is it your hard skills that advance your career

I hear that advice a lot. Seems to be consistent with what I see happening around me.

What kind of skills in particular would you recommend to work on and how does one go about improving said skills ?

In would recommend two things 1) learn to negotiate 2) take an improv acting class. These classes help you learn to connect with others and read them better

Eat till I'm sick

For whatever reason a lot of companies are going laptop only. The company I work, for example basically banned workstations in the latest round of upgrades. So a lot of people who need what would be a moderately powerful desktop computer end up having to buy ridiculously powerful laptops like this one.

Who even needs a laptop that powerful

When my cowokers and manager make me feel like we are in this together and treat me like a human not just someone taking in coffee and pumping out code