My manager asked me today to give him some insight into the things I would like to learn more about, with a particular focus on my own development, and I thought it a good idea to spend a few minutes posting a blog on the topic. My personal interests lie in a few areas at the moment, and when I say personal interest the context is work, and more specifically the technologies that I work with. One area I really want to focus a lot on in the coming months is the C# language itself and in particular:

• Generics
• Delegates with the specific aim of better understanding Linq
• Linq to Objects
• Linq to XML

I would like to know and understand the C# programming language in a comprehensive manner. In addition to the language I would also like to understand design patterns and overall system design, with a very strong OO flavour. I think if I can spend the next 6 months learning C# I would be a better developer for it. In addition to C# I would like to learn a second programming language and I have been thinking Python is a good candidate in this regard. I would like to apply the knowledge directly into what I do though. So if I learn Linq to XML now, I want to start using it now. If I learn the yield keyword now, I want to use it now.

Other aspects that I would like to incorporate in my learning of C# would be areas of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. I really enjoy SEO (search engine optimisation) as well, I love the metrics and the art that goes with it. I believe I can develop many aspects of this in C#. I also believe I can develop a total marketing solution that encompasses email and social media.

I am interested in topics such as ASP.NET MVC and Silverlight, but I am also interested in developing full-blown client applications in WPF.

My manager also mentioned that each new thing that we learn should be set as a target for each day. You have set yourself some goals and stick to them. One way to determine a few goals is to reflect on yourself and see what you do each day, and through that reflection set some ideals and goals.

We are at work for a purpose after all.