I won't dilly dally, that's the point of this article...

But I do want you to know where these ideas came from, it’s important to understand that these are not just pulled out of thin air.  Instead, these are things I do, almost daily, as I continue to build my skill sets every day.

Work with something that excites you...

Are you at the helpdesk and wish you were working in digital forensics?  Maybe you’re the server guy/gal and wish you could work in DevOps?  Whatever your desire is, FIND 15 minutes every day to do something about it!  Examples below:

  • Don't have time?  Do you shower?  Listen to a podcast in the shower, fast forward through the intros and adds, find the good stuff and get clean.
  • Instead of social media, spend that time researching the field you want to go into.  What skills are popular?  What vendors dominate the space?  Who are the big names?  Learn these things!  The next time your pop open Facebook or Twitter, remember that someone/somewhere is building their skill set and they might just be applying for the same job as you.
  • Get an e-reader.  Don't use your phone or iPad, use something meant for reading and only reading.  Eliminate opportunity for distractions, find a book or white paper that you say, "I wish I had time to read this" and read at bed.  Read it when drinking coffee, waiting for the next zoom call to start (late), etc...

Get uncomfortable...

I am naturally very reserved; I will happily sit silently with my thoughts.  It takes an active effort on my part to go out and (e)meet people but I do it.  Its uncomfortable, yes...but I also know that almost every person I meet teaches me something I would not have known otherwise.

Side benefit: Opportunity. There is a very good reason why the last three jobs I have been offered came from my network, it’s because I have a network.  If you don't have one yet, get started today (connect with me on LinkedIn  -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-ray-i4h/). Don't join and watch from the sidelines, get in the mix, share your thoughts and meet some of your peers!

The main point here isn't to build your network, that's my example.  The main point here is to get comfortable being uncomfortable.  Dive into the deep end then learn how to swim.  You will probably surprise yourself.

Learn python in 5 minutes...

Ok fine, no one will learn how to build with Python in 5 minutes.  But you can learn something from this lunatic that released this video.

Once you get the basics, check out some of the content available on YouTube for free (or places like Udemy for a few $).