Solving problems is something that “tickles my brain,” says Poornima Nayar.
This inherent love of troubleshooting issues and masterminding solutions is what got the Developer Technologies MVP into tech in the first place, and it is a genuine curiosity that has not subsided more than a decade later.
Now, even with the title of MVP, Poornima continues to upskill and spread the word of its benefits.
“I think there needs to be an awareness that being an MVP is not the end of the learning journey, it is actually the beginning,” she says.
“I think blogs, talks, interviews, short videos introducing technology and above all being approachable to people can help a lot … In short, spread knowledge and show that it is possible.”
Poornima certainly did this shortly after the birth of her daughter.
Upon returning from maternity leave, Poornima felt pressure to dive back into an industry that is known for its breakneck pace of change. To stay in step with the competition, Poornima decided to earn an Azure Certification with MS Learn.
“Having a child totally changed my perspective of learning – learning can be fun! It doesn’t stop the minute you are out of school,” she says.
“I use MS Learn to quickly understand and pick up something new. It gives me that quick starting point to understand a new technology and then build on top of it. I have collected a few badges on MS Learn which is like a little trigger to get me going and make learning fun,” Poornima says.
Today, Poornima is an advocate for upskilling and encourages all tech enthusiasts, regardless of skill level, to never stop learning. One of the best places to get started, Poornima says, is with open-source communities and learning resources.
“Open-source is more about giving than taking. I think it's the ‘giving’ part that daunts people and this can pose a challenge in having more contributors. The fact that what you contribute or discuss is out there in public is something that can scare people. I have been in that situation myself,” she says.
“It is crucial to educate that open source contribution does not necessarily mean coding alone. There are many more ways to contribute – testing, documentation, issue logging, even giving ideas about a new feature are some of the ways that someone could contribute.”
The most important part, Poornima suggests, is getting involved and learning along the way. For more on Poornima, visit her Twitter @PoornimaNayar
