3 Traps That Lead Developers to Stop Learning

As software developers, learning is a vital part of our role. We work in an ever-changing field where new technologies and ideas are continually being introduced. The high level of complexity that we deal with means there is always a better way of tackling a given problem. We wear so many hats and need so many different skills that it can be challenging just keeping up to date, let alone expanding our knowledge.

Despite the dynamic nature of our chosen field, I often see developers that don’t feel like they are learning as much as they want to be. They don’t feel they have sufficient opportunities to keep their skills relevant and up to date, or they have exhausted what is available. They can grow frustrated and become passive, delaying growth, and waiting for the right set of circumstances to present itself.

It seems that many developers have accumulated misconceptions about learning in the working world. Perhaps we failed to transition from the methods that were effective while we were learning at university. We mistake thinking that learning has to occur in our own time and wait for the time, energy, and motivation to start a side project. We think that our manager should be providing us with training resources and a learning plan. We believe that the only things worth learning are the newest and shiniest technologies, and so wait for…