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Here's a few things I wish I had seen with more clarity when entering the software industry. Being aware of these when starting out can safe you lots of time and frustration. A short 
for those relatively new in the field.
for those relatively new in the field.
Understand the difference between software product companies, companies building software as a tool to support their (non-SW) core business, and consultancies. Each has their pros and cons, but where you go, should be a conscious decision based on your preferences and goals.
Try and have a mentor. Having access to and support from someone with greater experience, a few career levels ahead, is invaluable for understanding how things work, opening doors, and avoiding common mistakes.
Look for companies which have a well-defined technical career path leading up to high seniority levels. Nothing is worse than feeling you have to transition into a management role for the sake of "making career", if that's against your actual interests.
Network, make yourself known internally and externally. Really cool jobs often are filled via recommendations and references. Really, really cool jobs are those which you define by yourself (you won't be able to that from day 1, but be aware of the possibility).
If it fits your personal situation and constraints, contributing to open-source and blogging can be a great way for moving your career forward: you can solve interesting problems, learn new things, establish connections. It's how I got my current job.
Do good stuff at work and make sure people know about it. Don't be ashamed of speaking about your achievements; you can do the best job in the world, if no one knows about it (in particular those deciding on your next raise or promotion), it's only worth half of it.
There's much more, but that's what's coming to my mind right now. Thanks for attending my independently organized TEDx talk ;)~~ Fin ~~
