We all know the technology landscape is rapidly changing. There's too much for any one person to learn everything. And we all know if you aren't learning, you're regressing. But how do we know what to learn and when to learn it? Enter Just-in-Time learning!
What Is Just-in-Time Learning?
JIT learning is the process of learning things when you need them. Instead of trying to predict what you will need to know, you learn what you need to move forward. JIT learning benefits you by reducing wasted time if you guess incorrectly and ensures you only learn things that will bring value, whether in your personal projects or professional work.
How Should You Implement JIT Learning?
The ideal situation is one where you know the basics of everything and use JIT learning to dive deeply into what will bring the most value. For example, if you are working with databases, you should learn the benefits, tradeoffs, and situations to use NoSQL vs relational databases. Then, if your job decides to adopt MongoDB, dive deep into NoSQL theory and MongoDB. This makes you knowledgeable enough to contribute to discussions without investing too much time into things that won't immediately provide value.
Another example is the age-old question of which UI library to learn. You should learn the basic information (again, the benefits, tradeoffs, and ideal situations) about React, Vue, and Angular and then choose one to dive deep into once you have a need.
Takeaway
Time is our most valuable asset. We need to maximize our available time, and JIT learning provides a way to do that. By being familiar with all technologies in a particular area and deep diving as needed, you will maximize your time and learn things to provide the most value to yourself or your organization.
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