Recently I came across the topic of learning and documenting progress. You may be interested in this topic. I want to share my opinion about the advantages I see.
Sharing our development with others can be done in many ways. It can be a blog, video, or podcast - form depends only on us and our capabilities. I chose the blog because of the possibility of sharing knowledge in an accessible way. I encourage you to check my post about thoughts on blogging.
What can we achieve by sharing knowledge?
Steep learning curve
Instead of just reading and remembering only bits of information, we can learn better. We organize knowledge our way. We can achieve this by creating notes and sharing them. It is often indicated that to present a topic to someone else, first we must understand it well. To understand, not just to know.
By documenting, we can indicate where we learned something. This will reduce situations where we have the impression that we already know something. We can also go back to our own materials and repeat what we have learned.
Become an Expert
Several people in each company can be indicated as experts in their field. Often, such people, despite their vast knowledge, are not visible outside the company. By documenting our path, we can more quickly confirm our development.
It is a myth that companies are looking only for infallible and already fully experienced people. Most companies are looking for people who learn and can share knowledge with others. Blog entries can show our change and commitment.
Especially at the beginning, we notice the most new topics. I want to note my understanding of the programming languages or other IT topics from the very beginning. Currently, I have been programming in languages such as Elixir, Python, Kotlin for many years. However, there is no indication of this change and personal development.
Helping and teaching others
Man does not live by programming alone. By sharing knowledge, we can help others. We often fear that everyone knows it already. Nothing could be more wrong.
There is always someone a step behind, someone who knows less than we. Thanks to our creativity, (s)he can develop.
You can think of it as paying off your community debt. IT is amazing. Few professions share knowledge so openly and willingly. We can share and make the world better.
Summary
Don’t be afraid to document your learning. By pointing out what we know and how we understand it, we can help ourselves and others. We can also get tips on what to watch out for or suggestions for the next step.