Hey everyone! I'm a 24-year-old working with Power Platform development, Azure, and a bit of Python. While my salary is decent and I've been in my current job for around three years, the work has become pretty monotonous. I'm concerned that I'm not learning enough during this crucial phase in my career. I'm really looking to upskill and explore new areas. Some peers suggested diving into Copilot Studio, AI agents, or advancing my Python skills, but I'm unsure where to go from here. My main interests lie in automation and backend work rather than frontend development. I'm looking for advice on what skills to focus on next, project ideas I could work on to learn by doing, or even potential volunteer opportunities where I could contribute and gain experience. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
At your age, I'd recommend going deeper into your existing skills rather than trying to learn too many new tools simultaneously. Focus on solidifying your Python knowledge, understand backend frameworks like FastAPI or Django, and get familiar with databases like Postgres. Also, think about learning cloud infrastructure beyond Power Platform. Here are some project ideas: build a simple automation API, create a mock SaaS backend, or automate something in your daily life.
Given your experience, you can explore several paths. If you're proficient in Power Platform, consider delving into cloud technologies. You might want to look into AI-related projects like Copilot or even focus on Microsoft 365 integrations and DevOps practices. Alternatively, if you're leaning towards coding, think about enhancing your Python skills, or take on home lab projects to refine your programming and DevOps knowledge.
I suggest doubling down on Python and automation. You could create backend tools using FastAPI and connect them to Azure services. That combination is highly valuable. Just keep building small projects; your skills will solidify quickly, and you'll feel more confident in your abilities.
Thanks for the response! Any project ideas you can suggest?
Honestly, if I were you, I'd focus more on Python, especially as it relates to Azure. Learning to write scripts and create small services will offer you a lot of flexibility, especially in automation and backend tasks. Consider doing projects to pull data from APIs and storing them in a database. This will teach you about authentication, error handling, and deployment processes. Don't stress about being a 'vibe coder'; everyone goes through that phase before they really start to get it.
Appreciate your thoughts!