Veronique Palmer

10 Reasons Why Learning SharePoint is a Good Thing

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.  

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

20 comments

  6. John,

    If Veronique doesn’t mind, may I refer you to my YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXJzph8f1tc . It’s named How to Learn SharePoint Foundation 2010.

    Finding Veronique’s blog gave me inspiration and help, LinkedIn has helped me find new SharePoint friends around the world, and I know you can build a SharePoint Foundation 2010 or 2013 site “on the cloud” for less than $10 (U.S) per month.

    Learning SharePoint for free on your own isn’t easy, but I’m doing it inexpensively and so can you.

    Best Wishes.

    Like

  7. what is a good way to learn sharepoint on your own? i dont have the money to buy sql server or sharepoint. thanks.

    Like

  8. I heard at the SharePoint Conference that there has been a 900% increase in SharePoint jobs in the past 5 years – 900%!!!! Madness. And it’s just getting worse. We need as many people as possible to upskill, there is lots to do!

    Like

  9. Veronique,
    I studied and built WordPress websites for 2 1/2 years. It was a hobby and a belief that it would be valuable in the marketplace. Not so much.
    Without insulting my WordPress friends, I would say the job recruiters in Chicago, IL USA seem incredibly excited when you mention you are building your own SharePoint websites.
    Have you ever fished? Ever toss out a bait and nothing happened? Then you switch baits and all of a sudden the fish are nibbling?
    So Microsoft SharePoint seems to be the hot “bait” for 2012 and beyond. And the best part is I enjoy using it and learning it.

    Like

  13. Thanks Usman, looking forward to reading your blog too! And you’re most welcome.

    Been trying to check out your website but it just won’t load. Will try again tomorrow.

    Like

  14. Hi Veronique,
    I came accross to our blog by chance. I must say it is very informative. I just recently started my blog. I will use your knowledge as a reference point.

    Thanks for sharing you SharePoint knowledge 🙂

    Like

  18. […] 10 Reasons Why Learning SharePoint is a Good Thing (Views from Veronique)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. […]

    Like

  19. […] 10 Reasons Why Learning SharePoint is a Good Thing (Views from Veronique) 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. […]

    Like

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