blackI got my week off to a great start this morning by becoming an Umbraco Certified Practitioner (Level 1)!

I was really pleased to pass the exam and become certified as although I’ve been using Umbraco as a content editor for a few months (running the LocalGov Digital website) the level one practitioner training and test is focused on the skills you need as a developer or designer using the system. This meant there was plenty of code I needed to get my head round in order to pass!

I was fortunate enough to do my training with a great teacher – Doug Robar – who was kind about my lack of confidence and coding skill but also demystified the science and art of code.

My current projects may not call for huge amounts of coding in Umbraco but from a content strategist view this training and certification will be really useful. It means I have my head around how all the pieces in the system fit together, what the limitations may be (although these seem to be few at the moment) and how we are best to prioritise building work so the system works well for us technically, but also supports content authors to create and manage post-launch.

On a personal note I’m reflecting that while I wouldn’t class coding in my core skillset (especially as I’m lucky enough to work and associate with some who are absolute masters in this arena) with a good teacher, some time and some resources I am capable of understanding and doing. It reminded me that getting hands on and having a go, whether alone or part of a group, can be great fun and yields real practical gains.

Never fear exploring and never stop learning.