That's not a bad list of things to strive for, but the whole concept of "this is what I know, I'm awesome, so this what it takes to be awesome" puts me off. Pe

That's not a bad list of things to strive for, but the whole concept of "this is what I know, I'm awesome, so this what it takes to be awesome" puts me off. People can do perfectly well if they are lacking in some of these areas, especially if they bring something else valuable to the table. Also, I don't agree with the assumption about younger and senior engineers. Whether you focus is on technical or soft skills should be a personal thing, not a function of age. This exactly the attitude that tends to force older engineers into management and out of technical roles.