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Tips for learning new technologies
Technology doesn't stop evolving and neither should you. Stay sharp on your tech expertise with the strategies outlined in this article to adapt to the changing tech landscape.
You've decided to sharpen your tech skills. Perhaps you're changing careers. Maybe you're switching from Windows to Linux system administration. You might even be headed down the cloud administrator path or looking to learn a new programming language.
With so many hardware and software innovations available, it can be challenging to know where to start. The IT industry has never had so many learning options.
This article offers tips for learning new technologies, including identifying the right technology, setting clear goals for yourself, choosing your best learning method and organizing your studies.
Identify the right technology to learn
Begin by carefully selecting the specific technology you want to learn. This might seem obvious, but analysis and planning are essential.
Many of your choices are based on outside forces, such as the cloud platform your employer prefers or the in-demand programming language in your field. In addition, multi-cloud, multivendor or multilanguage environments require you to possess skills in multiple areas.
According to top IT certification lists found on sites such as Indeed and Skillsoft, some popular options for learners in the above environments are the following:
- Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform or Microsoft Azure. Cloud service providers -- Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure -- offer many career paths and learning opportunities. Consider your experience and scrutinize the cloud-computing job market you're targeting.
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu Server or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. While all Linux distributions share common traits, large-scale server and application support varies among the more prominent vendors, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu Server and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Have a clear direction when selecting an enterprise-class Linux distribution to learn.
- Windows Server 2022 or Windows Server 2025. Windows Server 2022 is the current version, but Windows Server 2025 is in public preview. Pay attention to what your employer, or potential employer, uses.
- Python 2 or Python 3. Many older applications were written in Python 2, so supporting those remains useful. However, Python 3 software development is the path forward since Python 2's end of life was 2020.
Ensure the skills you develop match the field's demand and your overall career strategy.
Set clear learning goals
Plan for success and hold yourself accountable. There are often multiple steps to learning a new technology. For example, if you're pursuing an intermediate or advanced cloud administration certification, you'll attend several classes, pass multiple exams and find ways to demonstrate your experience to potential employers.
Create a learning plan that defines your goals and establishes a schedule for meeting them. Understand the training options and when they're available. You'll also need to set goals for passing the exams. Since many exams contain information from multiple courses, taking tests after attending two or three classes is often better.
Consider the following goals:
- Determine your desired result. Are you looking for a promotion? A career change? Skills updates?
- Choose a certification or job skill. Pick a way to meet that result, whether achieving a certification or learning the skills necessary to earn the promotion.
- Research the learning requirements. Define the path toward earning the certification or mastering the skills in the job role.
- Organize and schedule your study time. Decide how to learn the new technology and how to dedicate time to achieving your goal.
- Define a timeframe. Establish a realistic schedule for achieving the goal. Don't forget to set incremental milestones to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
For example, what if you pursue the Red Hat Certified Engineer certification? There are two exams involved, with three official Red Hat online courses. Your plan might begin with the following checklist:
- Attend Red Hat System Administration I (RH124) and System Administration II (RH134).
- Prepare for the Certified System Administrator (EX200) exam.
- Pass the EX200 exam.
- Attend Red Hat System Administration III: Linux Automation with Ansible (RH294)
- Prepare for the Certified Engineer (EX294) exam.
- Pass the EX294 exam.
You could attend all three classes, learn and practice all technologies in the exam objectives, and then take the two related tests. There are multiple paths to the goal.
Consider how you learn best
Many adult learners don't stop to analyze how their learning styles have changed as they've aged. You remember pulling all-nighters in college 20 years ago, but that doesn't mean that's the best system for you anymore, especially with household and career responsibilities. Choose your pace. Carefully consider how to learn your chosen technology.
Learning methods include the following:
- University-level computer science degree classes.
- Vendor-related certification training.
- Conference and user-group membership.
- Mentor-led studies.
- Video and text-based tutorials.
- Self-study using online, video and book resources.
Each has pros and cons. Consider cost, time investment, availability, employer reimbursement, enrollment schedules, etc. Do you have the discipline for self-paced learning, or do you need the structure of formal classes?
Check out these top study tips for adult learners.
Group skills into related categories
One great trick for organizing your learning is to group skills into logical associations. Various services or control structures are interrelated, so learning them as a single unit often makes more sense.
Here are a few examples of related areas:
- IP addressing, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), domain name system (DNS) and firewall settings.
- Installation, service configuration, application management and update services.
- Cloud service settings, cloud virtualization and cloud container management.
Grouping technologies and skills help organize your studies and highlight the relationship between various topic areas. For example, the Windows Server DHCP service automatically registers client devices with the DNS name resolution service. DNS is also closely associated with Active Directory. Rather than learning these three individual components, it's preferable to visualize how they are related.
If you're pursuing a technical certification, sometimes the associated test objectives aren't organized into learning blocks and don't necessarily represent the true use of the technology. Closely review the exam objectives to determine which sections naturally flow together. For example, the current CompTIA Cloud+ objectives are separate for installing security best practices and troubleshooting security issues, even though security is one overarching body of knowledge.
Gain hands-on experience
It's critical to apply your knowledge to real projects or business initiatives. Here are a few ways to become involved with technology pushes within your organization:
- Contribute to open-source projects using sites such as Up-For-Grabs.
- Join technology steering committees.
- Join proof-of-concept teams developing new ideas.
- Volunteer at nonprofit organizations.
- Offer freelance services as a side hustle.
- Develop an iOS or Android-based app.
Consider internships or other volunteer opportunities to enhance your skill set if the above options aren't available. Otherwise, build a personal lab environment that relies on virtual machines. Operating systems, such as Linux, are free; some applications offer evaluation versions; and many programming languages do not require proprietary software to learn.
Stay current
Industry veterans recognize we must continue learning all the time. Future-proof the time and hard work you've invested into developing your technical skills. Monitor news on artificial intelligence, machine learning and DevOps to spot trends.
Consider these approaches:
- Follow technology news sites and social media focused on system administrators, cybersecurity and software engineering.
- Attend conferences, especially if your employer helps with costs.
- Participate on Slack and Discord channels.
- Subscribe to vendor information and releases.
- Talk to other industry professionals to understand their challenges and how they meet them.
Consider adopting a 10-10-80 strategy using these time divisions:
- 10% of the time reviewing existing material.
- 10% of the time learning new material.
- 80% of the time doing your job.
Continuous learning is critical to IT professionals. Don't neglect soft skills, which are attractive to employers, as they typically reduce your frustration and improve work relationships. Project management is another excellent skill for your resume.
Learn effective communication soft skills for network professionals
Wrap up
There are plenty of options when sharpening your tech skills. Start by identifying what you need to know and why, then set learning goals based on this information.
To improve efficiency when moving to actual training and study, carefully examine the topics to see which logically fit as a single unit. One of the most beneficial tasks is gaining real-world experience, so watch for ways to put your new tech skills into practice.
Finally, nothing remains the same in the technology field. Keep your skills current and watch for the next in-demand area as you steer your career.
Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction and provides freelance IT writing and editing services. He has written multiple CompTIA study guides, including the Linux+, Cloud Essentials+ and Server+ guides, and contributes extensively to TechTarget Editorial, The New Stack and CompTIA Blogs.
