The Ever-Changing Landscape of Learning

My passion for learning has always been strong. I'm not merely referring to traditional education; I mean experiential, hands-on learning. For instance, I taught myself how to build a website at 13 and developed a game using ActionScript during university. Currently, I’m delving into topics such as leadership and psychology.

In the realm of Software Engineering, it often feels like a relentless pursuit of the next significant trend. I vividly recall the excitement of landing my first legitimate web developer role, immersing myself in PHP and Drupal. My ambition was to become a “Drupal Guru.” Then, the trend shifted to “going full-stack,” which involved mastering just enough to independently create and launch a client site. However, my journey as a “full-stack developer” was short-lived, as I soon needed to migrate that website from the server room to the cloud. Consequently, I began attending AWS conferences and studying for certifications. When AngularJS re-emerged as a popular frontend framework, I pivoted back to frontend development, and the cycle continued.

Staying Ahead: Prioritizing Depth Over Breadth

Job postings previously required Software Engineers to devote their free time to learning and keeping up with the latest developments in their field. I recall one interview question that asked which newsletters I subscribed to (and they were not referring to the Tesco baby offers, which happened to be the only ones I was reading at that time).

Fortunately, I sense a shift in this perspective. Companies are beginning to appreciate depth over breadth, valuing diverse experiences rather than relentless upskilling. It has dawned on many that technical knowledge can be transient (remember ActionScript?).

What remains enduring is the essence of learning. Although I can no longer write a line of ActionScript, I have no regrets about acquiring that knowledge. It provided me with a solid foundation in Object-Oriented Programming and made JavaScript significantly less daunting. I discovered design was not my forte, learned about Creative Commons licenses, and immersed myself in the art of integrating various APIs into frontend applications. Additionally, I realized that the final 5% of a project often consumes 95% of the time, and that things frequently “work on my machine” alone.

Give Your Mind a Break

A quick search for “Software Engineering” on Udemy yields a staggering 10,000 results. If I narrow my focus to learning NodeJS and filter for English courses rated 4.5 and above, I still find myself with 487 options. Even if I concentrate solely on the top three courses, that amounts to around 125 hours of content. While there may be some overlap, the message is clear: opportunities for learning abound, but that doesn’t mean you should seize every one of them.

Consider this: The Sleep Foundation estimates that workplace fatigue costs U.S. companies approximately $136.4 billion annually. Neglecting sleep not only leaves you feeling lethargic; it hampers your focus, affects problem-solving and decision-making skills, stifles creativity, slows reaction times, and increases the likelihood of errors.

In this fast-paced tech environment, where dramatic changes can occur during your eight hours of sleep, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The fear of missing out (FOMO) can drive us to perpetually seek new knowledge. However, it’s important to acknowledge that constant learning isn’t the solution. As one of my colleagues wisely pointed out, job performance isn’t solely determined by the knowledge you possess or how much you’ve learned. In fact, high achievers often prioritize rest.

The Importance of Rest

The evidence is irrefutable: neglecting rest leads to decreased performance. In the software field, where the stakes may seem lower than in other professions like surgery, consider this statistic: 85% of cyber incidents in 2020 stemmed from human error. The primary contributors to such errors are stress and fatigue.

Genuine rest should not involve engaging in work-related learning during breaks. It’s not about cramming another Udemy course into your weekend schedule to stay updated; it’s about truly taking a break and caring for your mental and physical well-being.

Interestingly, we generally understand this principle. This is why many labor laws mandate rest periods, and pilots will ground flights if potential delays threaten to extend their shifts beyond safe limits. Some of history’s most devastating incidents, such as the Challenger space shuttle disaster, were directly linked to insufficient rest.

In the fast-paced tech industry, it’s easy to overlook the significance of rest. While job postings often highlight learning opportunities, details about total work hours, lunch breaks, and expectations for commitment beyond contracted hours are rarely included.

Perhaps my colleague’s remark holds merit. Maybe it’s time we learn the art of resting, and perhaps incorporating it into our personal development goals isn’t such a bad idea after all.