5 Habits Of Highly Effective Data Engineers To Master in 2025
Hi, fellow future and current Data Leaders; Ben here 👋
Today, we’re going to talk about the skills and traits I’ve seen in many of the top data engineers and analysts that I’ve worked with.
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With that out of the way, let’s jump into it!
Intro
It’s almost 2025, the season of fresh starts and ambitious goals. While many of us resolve to hit the gym or finally pick up a new language, it’s also the perfect time to reflect on our careers. For data engineers and analysts, it’s easy to gravitate toward technical resolutions—learning a new programming language, mastering the latest tool, or exploring the trendiest framework.
But technical growth, while important, isn’t the whole picture. The skills that truly propel careers forward often go beyond coding and tools. They’re practical, foundational habits that enhance your technical expertise while helping you see the bigger picture—how technology drives real business outcomes.
If you’re ready to elevate your game in 2025, here are five habits to adopt that will set you apart.
1) Be Proactive
If you want to grow quickly and stand out, be the person who solves problems before they even arise.
Early in my career, I was hired as the “data operations guy.” My job was to manually run scripts that ingested data and executed a quality assurance suite to ensure everything looked good.
It was honestly really boring. I wanted to code, to build, to develop something meaningful.
At first, I was disappointed. But then I realized this boring process was actually an opportunity. Instead of running scripts manually, I could automate the workflow by creating a UI on top of the meta-database. With this change, data ingestion and QA could be triggered with the click of a button.
Excited about the idea, I demonstrated the UI to my manager, explaining how it could improve our day-to-day. Did they implement my solution?
No.
But they did recognize that I wasn’t content to just execute tasks—I wanted to improve processes and add value. That impression stuck. When new projects came along, I was given the chance to spearhead the development.
Was there some luck involved? Absolutely. But, as the saying goes, luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
If you want a cheat code for career growth, tackle problems no one else sees before anyone asks. However, proactivity alone isn’t enough. You also need to ensure your contributions are visible to the right people. It’s not just about solving problems—it’s about making sure your impact is recognized and valued.
Practical Advice
When you encounter an issue, don’t just flag it—fix it.
Look for ways to cut costs or improve efficiency before being asked.
Plan ahead: Draft your own roadmap for the next quarter instead of waiting for your manager to do it.
2) Be Unmistakably Visible
I get it—many of us cringe at the idea of tooting our own horn. It feels annoying and obnoxious, and let’s be honest… shouldn’t people just notice?
In a perfect world, yes. But the reality is that most work goes unnoticed outside your immediate team. If no one knows you’re the driving force behind a project, you might not get credit for it—or, even worse, someone else might.
Think of sports. There are the players we all know are technically good, but then there are players we know are technically good and have the “it” factor. They’re confident, they make big plays, and they make sure everyone knows it. Now, I am not saying you need to strut into meetings with an over-the-top swagger. But you need to step up and let people know what you’re working on and where you’re adding value.
When you score a big win, take a moment to slow down. Share it with your team, your leadership, or even your professional network. Visibility isn’t about bragging—it’s about ensuring your contributions are recognized and your career momentum builds instead of just hoping for the next project.
Practical Advice
Regularly update stakeholders on your progress, even if they don’t ask for it.
When you deliver a project, don’t just move on to the next one—share the results in meetings, emails, or posts(whatever your companies platform is for sharing this type of information).
Make noise about your achievements.
Stay close to projects tied to revenue or other high-impact outcomes—those tend to get noticed more.
3) Be the Go-To Person
In large companies, it’s easy to blend into the crowd. We already established the importance of working on visible projects, but to truly stand out, you need to become the person everyone thinks of when they have a problem.
Be the expert—the go-to person. But don’t just pick any area to specialize in. Focus on something highly valuable to the company. As
has noted, when you commit to a specific project, domain, or technology, you’re effectively staking your reputation on it. So choose wisely. Opt for an area that delivers high impact because you’re likely to stay tied to it for a while.Once you’ve established yourself as the go-to person, your next move should be to scale your influence. Share your expertise, create infrastructure, and establish standards that enable others to succeed. This not only solidifies your role as a subject-matter expert but also positions you as a key driver of your company’s long-term success.
Practical Advice
Own a high-impact area, such as mastering a crucial tool like Apache Airflow, streamlining workflows, and supporting your team with clear documentation.
Specialize in a niche area like predictive modeling or a specific internal domain and become the trusted advisor for related projects.
4) Be a Force Multiplier
Up to this point, we’ve focused on actions that benefit your individual growth and visibility. But if you want to create a lasting impact at your company, it’s not just about finding projects for yourself—it’s about amplifying your influence across the team and organization.
Being a force multiplier means expanding your contributions beyond what you alone can deliver. This means getting more involved in areas like:
Project decisions
Team growth
Data infrastructure and standards
It’s about scaling your skills and expertise by enabling others to succeed. For example, teaching and upskilling your teammates isn’t just about sharing knowledge—it’s also a chance to learn from them. Junior engineers often bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas you might not have considered. So, it works both ways.
The benefits of this approach go far beyond collaboration. Here’s what you stand to gain(from
’s article):Burnout is less likely because the “hard” work is distributed across more people.
Team members grow faster when they’re given opportunities to tackle challenging problems.
Productivity increases over the long term as more team members become capable of solving complex issues.
Engineers get to work on a wider variety of projects, which keeps work interesting and fulfilling.
Practical Advice
If you notice that no one has defined a set of standards, take the initiative to establish them.
Volunteer to lead projects when opportunities arise—this positions you as a leader and enables you to guide others effectively.
5) Be a Communicator
At the end of the day, projects, initiatives, and companies can’t succeed without strong communication. There are thriving organizations out there running on dated technology, proving that while tech is an enabler, it’s not the sole determinant of success.
If you can’t communicate, can’t secure buy-in for a data warehousing project, or can’t excite stakeholders with your ideas, your technical expertise won’t matter. The gap between business and technology is too vast to rely on technical jargon and hope the value is understood.
Instead, you need to meet the business where they are. Speak their language, frame your ideas in terms of their goals, and focus on what matters to them. This approach will take you farther than learning yet another programming language ever could.
Practical Advice
Regularly provide project updates before being asked, keeping stakeholders informed and confident in your progress.
Tailor your messaging to your audience by focusing on what they care about and explaining the value in terms they’ll understand.
Closing Thoughts
No matter how technology evolves, the world will always need people who can proactively apply it to solve business problems without being told and clearly communicate its impact. If your goal in 2025 is to truly grow your skills and competence, the key is to step outside your comfort zone.
If you’re not used to being proactive, take a chance on a project you believe in.
If you tend to hide behind your work, celebrate your wins and make them known.
If you prefer working solo and avoiding collaboration, take on a project that forces you to engage with others.
You can watch and reach all the tutorials and how-to books in the world, but at the end of the day, growth comes from action. Take risks, try new approaches, and embrace discomfort—it’s where the real progress happens.
With that, thanks for reading. Here’s to leveling up in 2025!
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Good stuff. In well organized team, the honest effort will not go unnoticed, sun will shine naturally. In other words, the genius act and contribution will be recognized by the team and also clients. Atleast it is the case with highly engaged environment like agile engineering teams. It is my perspective though. Btw, I do agree that, at times we have to market ourselves. Not all the situations are seemed to be ideal.
Great post 🙌🏾