Two developers, one new tool
Josh and Mia both work for the same company. Ten years ago they were equal.
Josh stopped learning. He still writes code the way he did then. Mia takes a short course each year and reads about new tools.
The company now moves to a new system. Who is ready? Who may lose their job?
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Professional development | Learning that helps you do your job better and grow in your career. | A course or a certificate |
| Competence | Being able to do a job well. | Fixing a fault quickly and safely |
| Employability | How likely you are to get and keep a job. | Many skills and a good record |
| Industry | All the companies that do one kind of work. | The computing industry |
| Industry standard | A rule or method that most of the industry agrees to follow. | A rule for safe code |
| Certificate | A paper or online proof that you passed a course. | A cloud skills certificate |
| Mentor | A more experienced person who helps you learn. | A senior developer who reviews your code |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Quick check: Josh and Mia
Have a go
Quick check: Josh and Mia
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Three benefits
Professional development helps in three ways.
- More competence. You know more about your industry and do the job better.
- More employability. Employers want people with up-to-date skills. Your job is safer, and a new one is easier to find.
- Knowing the standards. You learn the rules of your industry and you follow them.
Ways to keep learning
| Way | Example | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| A course | An evening class or an online course | A whole new skill |
| A certificate | A cloud or security exam | Proof for an employer |
| A mentor | A senior colleague reviews your work | Learning how the job really works |
| Reading and videos | Tutorials, blogs, talks | Keeping up each week |
| A professional body | Joining a group such as BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT | News, events and codes of conduct |
| Doing a project | Building a small app on your own | Practising and making a portfolio (a set of your work to show) |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Start small
data-callouts.tip.label
You do not need a big course. Learn one small thing each week. Write down what you learned. In a year you will have 50 new things to show.
Put a learning plan in order
Have a go
Put a learning plan in order
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.