Learning while working

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. " Henry Ford

Learning while being a full-time employee can be a real challenge if not done properly. It is quite challenging, but not impossible.

This Thursday (14th April, 2022), we got together to discuss "learning while being a working professional". This talk was attended mostly by working developers and interns from various parts of the globe. Here's what we discussed.

Need of Learning

To get a decent job, you prepare hard for it by working on the basics, learning new concepts, and preparing for interviews. Eventually, you get the gig! Now what?

Some developers just seek stability in their careers and thus stop learning, working only on their previously learnt skills. This, my friend, is not a good decision. Given the booming industry of computer science, one cannot afford to stay behind. Therefore, learning is a constant process, and one cannot overrun it. So why keep learning? Here's why:

• Staying relevant: it helps you stay in touch with the latest trends in the field of technology and enhance your skillset accordingly.
• Employability: Increased employability as one doesn't stay stubbornly crushing on a particular language or framework.
• Survival: learning increases your chances of survival in the industry. By being open to new changes and learning, you become a skilled developer, opening various opportunities in your career. You are not depending upon the status of your present company, but rather becoming a good engineer who can be incorporated into any other organization easily.

Challenges

Now you know that learning is important and inevitable. So you make a huge list of things to learn. You have high motivation, and you jump on to all things at once, like a beast. You finished learning everything! NO! :/

Various challenges faced are:-

• Improper time management:  leaves us with no time to learn.
• Lack of consistent efforts: less learning , more breaks.
• Unclear goals: too many goals, but lacking priorities.
• Unrealistic expectations: asking too much of yourself.
• Lack of motivation: day 1 🥳, after some days 😖.

learning the correct way

There is not a particular way of learning, but here are a few tricks:-

• The big list: Before you start learning, make a list of all the things you need to learn. Prioritize them and then proceed systematically, one skill at a time.
• Mini-projects: Learning is a two-phase process: first you learn, and then you master anything. To make it to the second phase, try to make small code snippets or projects to test your learning.
• Consistency:  Habits are difficult to form and even more difficult to break. So start with baby steps. Begin by devoting 30 minutes to learning and gradually increase the time.
• Depth of knowledge: You are curious about some technology, and you deep dive into concepts and get lost. A better way is to try starting with shallow learning and then diving deep. If you're still interested, you should learn the fundamentals.
• Aim: Keep your objectives in mind. Do not set vague goals, but only clear and precise ones.
• Stay realistic: Your goals should be realistic and practically possible. You can do everything, be sure of it, but aim only for the goals that are possible within the given constraints of time and effort.
• Discipline: It's the key. Plan your week in advance and help yourself to be punctual. You should have a daily plan of action as well, so that you are not lost after certain tasks of the day and end up wondering what to do next.
• Holistic approach: Learning is about more than just technologies and concepts. It's about being a knowledgeable human being. So other than technical skills, work on yourself as well. Be more humble and improve your soft skills. They will help you a lot in the long run. Keep your mind and body fit by exercising regularly.
• Break the monotony: Do not stick to a boring routine. Introduce some cool-off time and plan some recreational activities with friends. This helps to keep you happy and more productive.

This was a long one, but I hope you liked it😊. The right time to begin is now, so get started and be a better version of yourself. Join us every Thursday for more amazing events; we'll be waiting in the lounge. Come join our Discord now!

📨 discord.gg/JdqGX7YvHm