Some advice to aspiring IT professionals

I was recently interviewed by a young college student studying MIS. One of the questions he asked me was:

What advice do you have for someone entering the field?

I responded with probably more advice than he wished. I wish more people followed this advice, and I hope I follow it as often as I think I do.

Herewith:

• Always be open to new experiences.
• Be open-minded.
• Stay up with current industry trends, but develop wisdom to know when to not follow those trends.
• Wisdom comes from experience.
• Learn from your mistakes.
• Learn how to get along with people of all kinds.
• Realize that when you work in IT, you are a service provider; those you serve are your customers; your purpose is to meet their needs and make them happy, in that order.
• Pay attention to your customers.
• Realize that your customers don't always know what they need: your first responsibility is to help them determine what they really need, and your second is to meet that need.
• Respect your boss.
• Keep your boss informed, as he is responsible for your work.
• Loyalty to your boss and your company is important.
• Respect the law; always keep your work in the law.
• Respect your customers' privacy; don't abuse your elevated privileges.
• Be a trustworthy employee.
• Be punctual.
• Communicate clearly.
• Use good grammar.
• Communicate in a positive rather than a negative manner.
• Think about who you're communicating to; adjust your message to their level.

BTW, what is the difference between MIS and IT? I there really any difference anymore? I think so, but I don't think the answer is clear. I asked the student, and am eager to read the response.