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This is a question I am asking to get help from the community here, I want to be able to work as a freelance SharePoint Developer.

It's been few years for me now getting into the development world, I began with C#, but all my knowledge about it is just simple stuff, like define a class, handling button event to insert data into table, get data from table display it in grid. All my work is related to SharePoint so I don't have to deal so much with C#.

Now am at a point where I am having some projects (small projects) from people around me and through my linked in, and they require me to do it, whenever I start with a technology like SharePoint, I find out some stuff depends on something else, so when I go to study that other thing, I find out that it depends on something else, I feel I am not that good developer, and my work in SharePoint requires GREAT understanding of JavaScript, C#, MVC, SharePoint itself, and Windows Azure so I can handle these opportunities.

I am currently working in a company, and am doing only SharePoint with them, I don't know if I can become a guru in all the technologies I have previously mentioned, should I study a book about each? Should I watch videos? Should I quit from the company and stay for few months learning all these technologies as I find working in my current company is just a waste of time as most of the stuff am doing are like "donkey work". How do you manage to learn new things and be super @ them so you can do your own work.? I haven't known any friend who's good with these ones, so I don't have someone to advice me on how to study, how to become too good in a short time.

Thank you community.

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    For a big new skill set to learn I will first break down it into a skill list, analyze them and find out the "most interesting skill" (for example MVC) and the "biggest impact skill" (for example C#). Then I will schedule at least one hour everyday to learn the most interesting skill and one hour every two day to learn the biggest impact skill. Arrange more time to learn other related skill if needed. You just need to keep learning as daily-based habit. After 2 to 3 month you will feel significant improvement and you can start some freelance job if you have confidence after then.
    – Zeal Lin
    Jun 10, 2015 at 7:29

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The broader you go, the weaker you shall be!

Narrow the field and try to be good at it, the best one. Try to see if there is a demand for your field. That's the only way to succeed as a freelancer.

Another idea is to try to collaborate with a good programmer so he does the programming part and you do SharePoint part. The con of this is that you'd have to share profit. Pro of this is that you don't have to learn programming.

EDIT

To add on your enquiry on resigning the job and sources of learning. You should NOT quit your job unless you are 110% sure there is a market for your expertise and you have funds to support your living and learning for the next 12 months (!). Yes, 12 months. I would suggest you try learning along your regular job as you can always quit it, but cannot always return to it.

Regarding the source of learning, books are the best but the slowest method. I prefer books thou I know a bunch of people who learned from YouTube videos. Regardless of the source of learning, you should not just learn it like you're learning a text for school drama. Think of a project and start developing it. Since you have experience with SharePoint, I am sure you will think of a good project. Once you have finished the project, you will not only have concrete knowledge, but you will also have something to put in your portfolio.

Good luck!

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  • Thanks Peter, But I do want to learn programming, I want to attend meetings and be able to discuss stuff. I want to learn C#, JavaScript, CSS, Azure, SharePoint, Bootstrap, etc.. am I wrong with that?
    – Brittany Rutherford
    Feb 28, 2015 at 14:05
  • Absolutely not. If you have time and willingness to leans, then go ahead. After you leans how to use C#, JavaScript and CSS, you will see that knowing programming language is only a part of the deal. After that you will have to dig inside each framework of interest and learn its specifics. Right now this "each framework of interest and learn its specifics" may sound confusing, but at the time you come to this step, you will know what I meant. Good luck!
    – Peter MV
    Feb 28, 2015 at 19:14
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Is anyone in the company pushing you to learn faster than you can?

If this is happening. Relax and tell them that you are doing your best work. Also, propose that company hires an expert for training if this knowledge is urgent.

If sponsored training is not an option. See videos to learn the basics. Ask and answer questions actively in SharePoint communities. Try several communities and find the most helpful and active ones. Also you can ask SharePoint developers for they preferred communities.

Here are some links that might be helpful. Notice there is a Stack Exchange community too. Also, do not forget to participate in each content you see, for example on Youtube.

If community is not answering fast enough you can hire an expert for a short session or by retainer basis.

You should not be worried about your job. And about nothing. Try to follow your natural speed. Learn new things as you want it. And be sure that you will do fine.

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Sharepoint is one of the most distinguished technologies that a lot of professionals ( developers, designers, Admins...) Don't like to deal with or don't choose to work. And that's for many reasons. I worked with SP for few years. Both as a technology I wanted to learn at the time and professional for an organization. The first advice I will give you: SP is more than one thing and very few people in the world really "master" everything connected to it. It requires more skills than technicals. The main aspect of SP. Is to manage and share data and that's beyond one technology to cover. Most importantly : client don't know what SP is and what is it good for or how to get the best out of it. Let's talk about SP itself from a practical standpoint: _ do you want to be a SP site admin ? _ do you want to develop apps on top of it? _ are you willing to spend a lot of time gathering requirements from your client ( very important) _ are you willing to provide training for staff on how to use their team sites or shared space, wiki's...? If you can answer those question then you can start thinking about learning technologies to implement around SP.

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This pertains to the learning aspect of your question.

Certainly watch videos, google google google any questions or tutorials. Best way to get started. Once I've gone through a few online resources and I've decided I need to get more in depth information, I will then get a nice big book on the subject, (just purchased Java the Complete Reference 9th Edition by Oracle). I am learning on the side, (AWS lambda and the Amazon echo, programming in Java) while working as an installer programmer for custom home/small business networks and control systems. I barely have any free time! But don't forget to make some for others like family and friends. It's not good for your health to be a shut in.

You sound like you've got at least a solid fundamental understanding of C#, which is more than most can say. That's your foot hold. Yes a lot of things depend on other things as with any applications but take it a piece at a time.

Are you the only one on this share point project? Maybe you could master a piece or two and let others master the other pieces, come together and use teamwork to reach the end result. It's impossible to be 100% efficient at everything.

My two cents. Hope you learn what you need and use it to get what you want.

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