I'm looking for recommendations on how to use my $250/year professional development budget from work. I know I could learn many things for free, but I have to spend this money or lose it. My background is in web development, and I'm interested in diving deeper into system design, data structures & algorithms, and AWS. I'm open to courses, certifications, books, tools, or even conference tickets.
I've thought about options like LeetCode Premium for practice and getting the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification. I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! Thanks in advance!
6 Answers
If I had your budget, I'd distribute it between different resources instead of investing it all in one spot. For system design, check out *System Design Interview* by Alex Xu; it's super practical for real-world application. For data structures and algorithms, LeetCode Premium can be a solid investment, especially with its company-tagged questions that help in interview prep. As for AWS, Stephane Maarek’s courses on Udemy come highly recommended, and the Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect Associate certs are great starting points. You could mix it up with:
- LeetCode Premium
- One good system design book
- One AWS course or certification
That combo really covers your bases!
Is there a specific technology you’re currently using at work that excites you? There’s likely a conference that covers it, and those can be excellent for both learning and networking!
Good idea, thanks!
I really like hellointerview.com; it’s run by ex-staff engineers from FAANG who break down system design and even have exercises where you can whiteboard your solutions. Certifications and conferences are beneficial too; just find a niche you want to master.
Why the interest in learning algorithms and data structures? It can feel a bit useless in some jobs; many people study it mainly for interview prep. I landed my first job as a data engineer focusing on Python, SQL, and cloud skills without a heavy emphasis on DSA. I did learn DSA in theory during my studies but didn’t find it necessary in practice. If you’re looking to invest that budget, AWS certifications or courses might pay off more directly for your career path.
A few reasons. I don’t have strong fundamentals in DSA, and I eventually want to aim for a role in big tech where DSA knowledge is important. It's also a personal interest of mine. I appreciate your insight, thank you!
If you're focusing on system design and architectural thinking, spending that budget on books could be your best bet. Titles like *Designing Data Intensive Applications* or the *System Design Interview* book series are often recommended for good reason. They make you consider tradeoffs and scaling, which is crucial. Pairing that with an AWS certification course could really strengthen your understanding from both a conceptual and practical standpoint.
I struggle to learn from books, but I will definitely check these out since they're covered by my budget. Thank you!
If you're into frontend development, I’ve heard great things about Bruno’s three.js course. It could be an innovative direction for your skill set.
Thanks for your input!