It’s Time To Learn

Right now, the world is in a very strange place. We are each trying to find our new normal. You might be lucky, and can carry on doing what you’ve always done, working from home on projects you love. You could also have found yourself with less, or even no work depending on the industry and/or organisation you have been working for. When we finally get through this pandemic, we don’t quite know what our new ‘normal’ will be. What we can do, as individuals, is take this time to consider what we might want our own future career to look like. If the Power Platform looks like fun, well, that’s because it is. Here are a few places you can learn, and either increase your current skill set, or set yourself up to completely change the direction of your career.

Microsoft Certifications

Depending on who your connections are on LinkedIn, you may have noticed an increase in the number of posts shared where someone has passed a new exam, or gained a new certification. A certification can be awarded by passing one or many exams, depending on the complexity of it. You can check out the list of certifications here. You aren’t likely to find many places where you can take an exam in person right now, but an online proctored exam should be an option. For this, you need to have space in your house where you CANNOT BE INTERRUPTED. I appreciate this might not be possible for some, but if you can make it work, it’s a great time to start taking some exams.

Microsoft Learn

If you haven’t looked at the Microsoft Learn website before, now is a great time to do so. As Microsoft states on the site, “whether you’re just starting or an experienced professional, our hands-on approach helps you arrive at your goals faster, with more confidence and at your own pace”. Each learning path consists of one or more modules, with each module comprised of multiple units. So, for a taster, you could start learning about Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform, or why not start looking at one of my favourites, Forms Pro!

Online Training Courses

Along with the content from Microsoft, you can find online courses created by people within the Power Platform Community. My own course delves in to every area of Forms Pro possible. Not only do you learn about the survey tool, but a lot of it focuses on variables and using Power Automate. There are 10 units to go through, with a ton of lessons, videos and content. With many organisations turning to Forms Pro as their choice for volunteer sign up or for a registration option, it’s a great tool to learn more about.

If you want to learn about Power Apps Portals, fellow MVP Nick Doelman has just launched a course. The Power Apps Portal In a Day is an introduction to Power App makers and citizen developers who want to learn how to extend Common Data Service (CDS) based Power Apps to external stakeholders. His class will introduce you to Power Apps portals with overviews, demos and hands on labs to build a working portal application. So, if that’s of interest, you can check out his course here.

Another MVP, Neil Benson, has a whole suite of courses designed to help Microsoft customers and partners use the Scrum framework to successfully implement Microsoft Business Applications. Along with his Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps course, he has several free courses designed to give you a taster, so there is nothing to lose by checking out one of those before going in for the big course. If you are considering a change in career, and want to start working for a Microsoft Partner, or just want to sharpen your knowledge and understanding of Scrum, check out his courses here.

Everything Else!

Along with all of the content and places above, some of the best places to find content and learn from others are just by searching YouTube, Twitter or any of the Power Platform forums. Ask for help, you might be amazed by how many people are ready, willing and able to share knowledge and advice when you most need it. Have you found any great resources for learning? Share them in the comments below so others can benefit!