SharePoint is big now, really BIG. If you are already experienced with it, then it’s a constant battle to keep up. If you are new to it – it’s a big mountain to climb! My question this week is :
How do you learn SharePoint and keep your skills up to date?
Win-an-eBook Wednesdays is a small three day contest that we hold every week. The Prize? An O’reilly eBook for your choice! Furthermore, if you win, you also get the chance to ask the community whatever question you want and be the judge for next week’s contest!
You have until Sunday, June 2nd (10pm GMT) to answer this question!
Right now my favorite mode of learning is the old-fashioned one… I buy books (mostly Kindle format) but some hardcover/paperbacks as well and read.  I keep my Kindle with me all the time… so if I’m in the dentist office waiting for an appt.  I can read a chapter or two.  If I’m on the bus or commuting (not driving), I am reading.  At lunch, I’m reading… and many  a night I fall asleep with Kindle in hand. Â
I also take advantage of my SharePoint Videos subscription, Microsoft Virtual Academy, the blog posts here, SharePoint Magazine. And I’m using SharePoint Power to test ideas/concepts.
That’s what I’m doing for now. AND IT NEVER feels like enough!
Like SharePoint, they are two different challenges to learn SharePoint, which to scale in and scale out. There are way too many things SharePoint covers like integrated security with AD, SQL, Search etc. As a SharePoint dev or Infrastructure expert(IT Pro), we need to be aware of many things even though there is a level of abstraction and we have DBA’s and other admins because it will help to utilize SharePoint better which is better ROI for business. So, taking one topic at a time to scale out and learn about them is one way to familiarize yourself with various components, so far being book smart is sort of alright. But to scale in, we need understand the plumbing details in certain areas to be an expert and to quench our thirst, for which we need to work on few things again and again to be able to do them seamlessly which happens only through real projects, although dummy projects would not hurt but it does not beat the real experience where you face issues and address them.
To stay up to date,
1) Join Sharepoint-community.
2) Follow and connect to many skilled people through blogs and twitter.
3) Keep reading and experiment.
4) Have fun 🙂
I agree that Hands on Experience is the best, especially in a real project.
I love to learn from MOC’s as well, and of course community content.
By experience at work, helpful coworkers, Ameriteach school, going to monthly SharePoint meetings in my area, and by researching on the Web with TechNeT, LinkedIn users groups blogs, SharePoint comunity blogs, etc.
I am expereicned in 2007, but trained in 2010. My current job is in 2007 and will be jumping right over my head into 2013 at the end of the year.
So much to learn……but one day at a time and having an actual project from work is helpful
