EPISODE 15 - Education: How to learn a new Topic?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidl and our topic today is how to learn new things or what is the best way to learn new things. Background is Lucas from Vienna asked this question via LinkedIn. So he had a very long question. So I will read that question. It was in German, so I translated it to English and then I will try to answer as best as I can. So the question from Lucas is, where is the best place to get further training in IT sector? But I don't mean studying part -time, but rather the opportunity to familiarize yourself with a topic as quickly as possible and get started with this knowledge, so that you can cover the first few meters in a new project and only then specialize. Maybe the answer to that question would be an interesting podcast episode. Definitely. That is a really good question. Thank you. Thank you for this. And I will try my best to answer that question. in my opinion, and as I said, my podcast, my opinion, so you can have a different one. But in my opinion, to learn a new topic, it can really help to go to a classroom to any studying companies to have two, three, four days, whatever. to sit there and learn the basics of topic. in our case, I do a lot of PowerShell, you might know. So we have this example for this podcast. I think it fits on every other topic. But for example, you want to learn PowerShell and have no clue, no idea what to do. So I would definitely recommend to go to a study, to a class, to whatever, two, three days. In Vienna, we have a very popular a schooling company with three letters and to provide, I think, lessons for every topic. So I would definitely recommend to learn the basics in a very short time. And that's definitely a good idea. But what I think more important is the time after this two or three days. So for example,

Michael Seidl: I had a customer, they have four or five core IT guys in the main IT infrastructure department. And three of them went to a class of PowerShell for, I think, three days. So more than 50 % of the department was away for three days to learn PowerShell. To that point, nothing bad. But it costs a lot of money, costs a lot of time, costs a lot of effort and everything. The problem afterwards, they came back to their department and they came back to their routine to -dos and tasks. They haven't written any PowerShell code in the next one, two, three, four months. So in my opinion, the lesson they had the three days. have been completely useless. And that's the main thing I want to provide or inform you in this podcast. You can sit in some lessons for how many days, whatever you like, but it is more important to take that learnings and to bring it to your department, to bring it to your field and to use that new knowledge. and to evolve that knowledge. Otherwise you can cancel the lesson, it wouldn't make sense. So if you really want to learn something new, first thing is of course, have a lesson, have some courses to learn something, but most important have time and also the feedback or the... the support from your IT leader, team leader, whatever, that you get time and you get the time to do the new things. So for example, when you go to a PowerShell course, a lesson, you should have time after this lesson constantly, not only for one week, you should do it constantly.

Michael Seidl: do new stuff with PowerShell that you try to write PowerShell scripts and you also should have the support of your teammates and your IT leader or team leader that it is okay that you need time to learn, to evolve and that is okay that you make mistakes. For example, I do PowerShell, I think, since 20 years and really hardcore since 10 years. now. And of course, I still do mistakes, not so many as before and not so bad mistakes as before. For example, think at the very beginning, I made a mistake and sent an email to every of 3000 employees at one customer. It was not a good idea. So you should need the support from your team, from your IT leader, from your team leader, whatever it is that you get. time to evolve with that new topic and you get also support if you make a mistake or maybe if you're not that fast with a new topic. So as I said, I'm doing PowerShell in 10, 15 years. don't reclaim that I am the best PowerShell script on that planet. Definitely not. There are way better PowerShell script on that planet and in my area than me. That is absolutely fine. So you're not finished with learning with any topic. So there is always something you can learn. And this is very important. if your team, if your team leader, if your whatever is suggesting you to learn, in our example, PowerShell, it is not only important to have that course, that lesson, it's also important you have that. ability and support from that guys, from your team that you can work with that in your department on on on ongoing after the lesson. So that is very, very important. And the second thing is what is very important, the mindset. So if you learn something, there will be throwbacks, there will be mistakes, there will be phases where you think.

Michael Seidl: I'm stuck. There is no solution for this. And that's a mindset thing. If you go above those steps of above those, those blocks and that's, that's your mindset. Nobody can, can help you on this. So that's your mindset. that you, you go that extra mile to learn something new. And if you're new in a topic, there will be a lot of throwbacks. There will be a lot of, I don't know, long evenings. You have to learn something. That's definitely something your mindset is very important. Also, that's not so much related to the learning stuff, but it's also mindset related that if you learn something new, this is rarely done in an eight to five job. Also, make sure that if you dip your toes in a new topic, And if you see, if you don't like it, try to skip it. So it's absolutely okay if you learn something new and you don't like it or it's not what you expected, then try to focus on something else. But if you like it, then it's definitely good to know that you will not be a very professional, a very pro in a topic from an eight to five job. So you should be aware that you. You need some time outside your office hours to learn a new thing, to be good at a new thing, be might be a professional or call the professional in a specific topic. It is not done in an eight to five job. it is also some kind of mindset. If you want to learn, if it makes fun, then do it. You don't have to work. 24 -7. That's not what I'm trying to say. you have to really dive into the topic and to try to be on the top in that area. So I hope that was a good answer for that question. Once again, Lukas, thank you for your question. To summarize, if you want to...

Michael Seidl: learn a new thing or you want to start fast and learn fast a new thing. I have several, several topics. Of course, you should do some lessons, but every lesson is useless if you don't have the time and the mindset and the support to work with that new topic in your daily business. So the second thing is what you learn, you should try to use. Otherwise it doesn't make sense. And the third thing is your mindset. If you want to learn something new, there will be throwbacks, will be things you don't like, you have to put some effort in it. It is not easy, but if your mindset is right, you will go over that things and evolve and learn and so on. So that's for this week, my podcast, the answer to this question. Thanks again, Lucas, for your question. If you have any questions for this podcast, you can send me a text or voice message on LinkedIn. I would be happy to answer one of your questions in the next episode. And for this, we are at the end of this podcast. I wish you a happy and productive week. See you next time. Bye bye.