One of the barriers to learning is fear of change. Many people don’t change jobs, relationships or locations because they’re afraid of what will happen. They will stay in those spaces indefinitely because it’s safer and it’s what they know. Are you stuck in a dead-end job because of fear? Have you been sent on SharePoint training against your will? Not interested in learning it? We have heard every excuse in the book – I’m too old, I’m too stupid, too fat, too thin, too short, too tall, too busy, having a bad hair day. None of that is true if you really unpack it. Instead of looking at reasons why you shouldn’t learn a new skill, let’s look at some why you should.
- Use your innate skills and personality – SharePoint has features that can support your skills whether you are a strategist, creative, organiser, control freak, analytical, realistic, intuitive, disciplined or a good listener. There is something for everyone. And no matter what you’re working on, there will be an element SharePoint can do better. Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert or even a recluse, there is a place for you in the SharePoint world.
- Keep your brain active, it keeps you young – it’s never too late to do anything, ever, there is always time to learn something new. You have a magnificent brain, use it. Did you know that a brain that is 70 years old is just as capable of learning and changing as a brain that is 30 years old? No more excuses about being too old hey.
- Get help from anywhere almost all free – the SharePoint community is packed with the most generous, kind and giving souls you could ever hope to meet, (well most of them anyway). If you are stuck with something, there is an army of people across the globe prepared to help you just because they can. And there’s no such thing as a stupid question.
- Become part of something bigger – being a member of the global SharePoint family is really special. You’ll meet people you’d never normally come into contact with, and you’ll always have something to do. It’s a real sense of belonging in a community that will have you for as long as you want to stay. You are not alone, ever.
- Change your life forever – countless people have changed their stars by one little word coming into their lives – SharePoint. Develop, brand, teach, manage, install, extend, evangelise : there’s scope in every sphere and SharePoint is just getting bigger and bigger. Starting is the hardest part, but once you do you’ll gain the momentum and confidence to keep going.
- Change your company forever – tools like SharePoint can fundamentally change the way work together. Embrace them, specialise in them, share your knowledge and become one of the most valued people in your organisation. There are many ways to achieve success, find the one for you.
- Personal satisfaction – that you get from building something just cannot be measured; to look back and be able to say “I did that” will make you smile for a month, regardless of whether it’s one document library or an entire farm! Challenging yourself and meeting your own challenges is priceless.
- When you love what you do, it’s no longer work – the more you get into SharePoint, the more you love it. And then it doesn’t feel like work anymore, you want to do it. Work becomes play.
- Lifelong skills you can re-use – you will learn creativity, self-discipline, curiosity, passion, management skills, delegation skills, to pay attention to detail, to work with people, listening skills, the ability to learn. All skills that can be leveraged in any field.
- Travel – you could attend a conference or event every single week if you wanted to, budget permitting. There isn’t a corner of the globe that isn’t being taken over by SharePoint, (have a look at the ClustrMap on the right). Job offers and learning opportunities abound and the world is your oyster. Go for it.
Views from Veronique 