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Ask HN: When do you block out time to learn new things?

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Re: Ask HN: When do you block out time to learn new things?

#31

Post by supergoogler »

AbstractH24 wrote: post #30
supergoogler wrote: post #29

As other mentioned networking is very important I recently open up and the result is beyond my expectation i was working alone for years, but now i am a technical team leader on big company all this happen was because of networking, to your surprise i am a self-thought developer and the only one without cs degree within an elite programmers who are graduated from top university with high GPA, i get out of my comfort…

That’s an inheriting point! Congrats on your success!

thank you, that was just my 2 cents

Re: Ask HN: When do you block out time to learn new things?

#33

Post by thorin »

solumos wrote: post #24
slyall wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

However failure to update your skills will eventually catch up with you if you are in a technical role. You don't want to be 40 and an expert in some legacy technology that even the trailing edge companies are phasing out.

All the more reason to make the jump out of a purely technical role, in my opinion

I'm inclined to agree with you however I know a few C++ developers, DBAs etc approaching their 60s who don't have any inclination to do anything non technical. I myself have moved from development to solution architecture. I'm quite surprised how non-technical it is most of the time, although it does require a lot of understanding of concepts which most managers seem to struggle with.

Re: Ask HN: When do you block out time to learn new things?

#34

Post by Desafinado »

Oras wrote: post #3

From someone who’ve been 23 years in the industry, go out, have fun, and build a network. Your skills will not take you further, your network will.

I'm not sure I'm in full agreement with this. Yes your network has a big impact on your success, but your network is going to be a lot more helpful if you're a skilled developer who delivers.

Put another way, if you put in the effort to become a consistently excellent developer, that's most definitely not going to hurt your career prospects. If you're mediocre and cause problems people will be less likely to refer you.

Re: Ask HN: When do you block out time to learn new things?

#35

Post by Desafinado »

In any sustainable role you should get some natural lulls here and there where you can do a little extra during work hours. I don't intentionally block time out, but if a few hours present themselves I'll often take advantage of the extra time.

It's not entirely unrelated to your job if it's making you better in your current role. And if your employer doesn't contribute to your growth, you really need to take it into your own hands.

Re: Ask HN: When do you block out time to learn new things?

#36

Post by BOOSTERHIDROGEN »

oceanplexian wrote: post #2

> I’m tired from working all day. This is the root of the problem. The reason I say that is because I feel this post describes myself. I often feel tired when I’m working somewhere that’s not intellectually challenging, and after working at a couple companies I have enough perspective to recognize it fairly quickly. Work shouldn’t feel draining. My best recommendation would be to take some time off, at least 2+ weeks…

genuine question: What if the energy does not come back?
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