Fwd: Why (and how) to learn new things as a techie
As a developer or designer, it's easy to become comfortable. Maybe you've landed a cushy job with flexible hours, so you slowly stop trying new things and updating your knowledge of best practices. If you've already got the gig, what's the point, right?
Here's the thing: if you want to remain relevant, it's important to keep learning.
Even the most experienced designers, developers, and engineers need to stay in the know. Otherwise, they run the risk of becoming obsolete. Below are three ways you can stay on top of things, and thus in demand, as a techie.
1. Build or experiment with new things.
Learning by doing is a great way to keep learning and pushing your boundaries. There's this thing called the 70:20:10 rule which says that for adult learners,
- 70% of learning is experiential. It takes place during day-to-day tasks, challenges, and practice.
- 20% of learning is social. It happens with and through others, like coworkers, peers, and other collaborative environments.
- 10% of learning is formal. It happens through structured courses or programs.
This rule originated before the internet age, so take it with a grain of salt. But the point is that adult learners learn best through experience.
As a person in the tech industry, you should keep building new projects and apps, experimenting with new tools and techniques, writing blog posts and how-to guides, etc.
This kind of experimentation doesn't even need to wholly relate to tech. For instance, when I started my podcast in early 2016, I had the chance to learn so many new things, like:
- How podcasting works
- What goes into planning a show
- How iTunes works
- Audio considerations - from equipment to soundproofing a room
- How to interview people (which I am still learning)
- And more
Sure, I did research first and took a course online. But nothing could beat simply getting out there and just doing it.
Investing the time into trying something new is paying off, too. Having experience podcasting has made me more lucrative in the job market. (You'd be surprised how many companies want to start a podcast as part of their marketing efforts!)
2. Connect with new people.
Connecting with people in the tech industry is a must. Not only for learning purposes—the 20 in the 70:20:10 rule—but also as a way to grow your network and get the contacts that can lead to new opportunities.
These days, getting jobs or clients is less about resumes and applications and more about recruitment and referrals. If you can develop professional relationships with people in your industry, they'll think of you next time they hear about an opening in their company or someone needing the services you offer. And even if it doesn't pay off that directly, it's always helpful to know people who've been where you want to go.
That was another benefit of starting the podcast. I got to learn new things on my own, AND connect with new people—whom, in turn, I also learned from. It was a total win.
3. Consume new information (through coursework, training, and books).
Finally, go back to learning the way you learned in school: from coursework, training, and books. AKA formal learning, the last 10% in our equation.
Depending on your learning style, you can use a variety of methods. Visual learners can watch videos, verbal learners can read books and listen to podcasts, kinesthetic learners can take hands-on project-based courses, etc.
Or, try all the methods—something's bound to stick! (Besides, some studies have shown that combining styles while learning is the most effective approach.)
BONUS: Monitor industry news
When you're educated about the changes going on in your industry, you stay relevant. You never know when you may bump into someone or be at an event and need to know about the latest release of your preferred programming language, or the hottest framework that's all the rage, or the latest company acquisition.
There are three main ways I like to stay up to date:
- Newsletters (I love the Viking Code School weekly newsletter)
- Podcasts (my absolute favorite tech podcast is Hanselminutes)
- Forum-like news sites (my two favorites are Reddit and Hacker News)
However, there is a balance to strike when consuming news and the latest information. While it's a great way to stay informed, spending ⅓ of your day on Reddit or reading curated newsletters isn't exactly productive. Aim for moderation.
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These three things—experimenting with new things, connecting to new people, and consuming new information—will help you stay sharp. And when you stay sharp, you stay in demand (or a good candidate for that promotion or raise!).
Cheers to trying new things, meeting new people, and staying brilliant,
Laurence
