I have been pushing myself hard since November of last year to one again revisit my skills as a developer. Setting high goals with a demanding schedule and uncertain circumstances has been a challenge.
Sometimes it can be a struggle to reach these goals. Since one learns more, one realises how much more there is to learn. It feels at times, that I am not entered into a race as much as a triathlon:
- Improving my skills as a JavaScript developer.
- Learning Node.js to add backend JavaScript skills to my repertoire.
- Learning cloud and server managments in order to better adopt the devops role I now play.
Above all of these, trying to improve as colleague, teammate and human being overall.
While I have no doubt that my skills are improving, some days, I feel as if progress has ground to a halt. One starts to focus on the gap between what is, and where one wants to get to. In that light, I thought it time to reflect on some of what I have learned about in the past year:
- Become the lead (and for 95% of the time) only developer on a small but growing, international project.
- Built a multi-lingual, multi-directional interface (LTR - RTL).
- Taken responsiblity for the hosting and management of hosting for the project.
- Learned/learning to use Git daily after using Subversion for many years.
- Using Atlassian tools such as BitBucket, Jira and Confluence daily.
- Learning Azure and working hard to upskill myself in devops.
- Learning Node.js in order to deliver backend JavaScript functionality and APIs.
- Learned Sketch in order to mockup/design interfaces.
- Trying React in order to see what is out there other than AngularJS. (Angular, TypeScript, Unit Testing... all the things still to come)
- Learned to navigate my way around Linux, generating CSRs/SSLs, getting increasingly comfortable with the command line.
- Implemented app and server updates in order to meet Penetration/Security Test criteria.
- Spent some time learning Java in order to get a better handle on the language, environment and mindset the larger company works in.
- Adopting Agile in project and team work.
- Becoming increasingly efficient on a Mac (after a lifetime of Windows usage).
- Working remotely.
- Taking reponsibility, ownership and trying to improve my work in general.
There is still a mountain to climb and most likely a further mountain range behind it. Here's to the journey, more than the destination!