Mastering Drupal Development: Navigating the Learning Curve for a Successful Career

Drupal is a leading content management system that has been reigning in the CMS market for more than two decades. From giant organizations such as Tesla and General Electric to small businesses, Drupal has evolved into the preferred choice of all. This has made Drupal development a promising career for developers. If you have also decided to step into the field, it is imperative to get all psyched up for the steep learning curve involved. As Drupal CMS is high-tech in nature, the initial phase of getting acquainted with the system might seem challenging. But, over time, you’ll get the hang of it.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the Drupal learning process to help you sail your ship in the right direction.

Drupal CMS Learning: The Factors That Can Make The Journey Challenging

To begin with, our paradigm about something has a direct impact on our perception of our experience with it. If you read the stories of a majority of successful Drupal developers or read forums, you might begin to think that learning Drupal development is one of the most challenging things on the planet. Hence, it isn’t for you. However, it is crucial to remember that currently, Drupal has a community of more than 1,000,000 developers and contributors. If others can learn Drupal CMS, so can you.

No doubt, you may experience some learning difficulties as a beginner, but that is true for every technological discipline and career path. Given the high demand for Drupal development experts, these complexities will soon fade in comparison to the opportunities you’ll avail as a Drupal CMS expert.

Now, let’s discuss the major challenges associated with Drupal learning and how to overcome them. Afterward, we’ll explore a strategic Drupal learning process.

The 3 major challenges associated with learning Drupal development

Long waiting time for getting your queries answered

Drupal has been around for more than two decades now. Consequently, you may find it challenging to find active users to get your queries resolved at the earliest. Though frequently asked questions are available everywhere to beacon you in the right direction, getting your unique questions answered might be difficult.

The solution:

• Turn into your own mentor
  One of the best ways to overcome this challenge is to turn into your own mentor. You’ll have to research, find the appropriate information, and employ it wherever required.
• Contact a Drupal development agency that renders proper training
  If you cannot connect with active Drupal community members, you can contact a Drupal development agency that renders training programs. This way, you can get access to the needed one on one guidance.

The risk of getting outdated information

If you face any code or syntax-related queries, you run the risk of coming across outdated information. Earlier, many active users posted solutions to problems that users faced with respect to the older versions of PHP. Hence, you may find solutions that do not work at all today and feel disheartened.

The solution:

• Be careful of when an answer or solution was posted
  Whenever you find a solution, do not forget to check the date on which it was posted. This will help you identify outdated solutions.
• Contact a Drupal development agency for training
  If you undertake training from a reputed Drupal development agency, your mentors will help you resolve your queries.

Complicated documentation

There is plenty of documentation available but as it is written in a complicated language, it is difficult for beginners to understand. This is another challenge you may come across.

The solution:

• Enhance your language capabilities
  One way to overcome this challenge is to enhance your language capabilities. This will make you capable of understanding complicated documentation effortlessly.
• Contact a Drupal development agency and enroll in a course
  Contacting a Drupal development company and enrolling in a course is a simple yet effective way of overcoming this challenge.

After discussing the problems you might face while learning Drupal CMS and their solutions, let’s proceed to discuss the Drupal learning process in detail.

A Systematic Breakdown of the Drupal Learning Process Into Individual Phases

As you begin the journey of learning Drupal: the cutting-edge content management system, you’ll realize that there is an abundance for you to learn but the number of platforms you can consult is scarce. This is not something that happens only in the case of Drupal, it is true for every technical learning endeavor.

So, do not let the scarcity of available resources discourage you. Every Drupal developer who has ever accomplished enormous success also suffered from a lack of resources. However, the only thing that made them who they are today is their relentless pursuit of Drupal mastery. If you also pledge to become adept at Drupal development, nothing can stop you.

As with everything else, Drupal learning will seem easy in the beginning but as you keep moving forward, you’ll begin to face numerous difficulties. But, remember, only those who muster the courage to battle the difficulties, emerge into sought-after Drupal masters. If you are determined to become proficient in Drupal, this four stage strategic training process can be of great help to you.

Stage 1: Getting Acquainted With The Basics Of Drupal CMS

At this stage, you’ll work toward getting acquainted with the basics of the Drupal content management system. There are plenty of materials available online which you can consult to understand the basics. But, be careful to consider only those resources that employ simple expressions and have embedded examples.

Here is what you’ll learn at this stage:

• The system’s terminology
• Different Drupal features and modules, their applications, and benefits
• Implementation of templates in your modules and how they work

Some tips to ace this stage:

• Be motivated and always keep the end goal in mind. Remember the results you’ll achieve after mastering Drupal development. This will keep you going no matter how challenging things get.

• Gain as much information about Drupal as possible as it will lay a strong foundation for further learning.

• It is better to opt for a ready-made training system as it will lead to strategic learning.

• Do not jump to the next stage until and unless you perfect the basics and master stage 1. This is imperative for you to turn into an in-demand Drupal developer.

Stage 2: Self-Study And Growth

Platforms and resources cannot provide you with all the knowledge and information you need about Drupal CMS. This is because the content management system is enormous. Hence, you’ll have to explore it on your own and take charge of expanding your skillset.

Most of the time, you’ll feel that you don’t know anything and can’t understand things at all. But, don’t give up. Just know that you are not alone and everyone who embarks on the journey of learning Drupal development has a similar experience. So, without getting discouraged, shift your focus to finding a way to understand things in depth.

One of the best strategies you can employ in this regard is mastering Google usage. Whatever problems you face just Google them. You can find old forums and abandoned discussion threads that’ll help you figure things out. There is nothing to worry about as Google is likely to have a solution for almost every problem you come across at this stage. So, trust your capabilities, be motivated, and let Google guide you.

Some tips to ace stage 2:

• Devote a dedicated time period to self-study and growth each day. This will keep you disciplined and ensure you do not go off track.

• Do not move to the next stage until you feel confident that you have explored Drupal CMS well and can proceed to do projects.

Stage 3: Diving Into Drupal Development

At this stage, you are finally ready to experience the life of a Drupal developer to some extent. You’ll start doing your own projects and find yourself stuck with hundreds of perplexing questions. For instance, you’ll know what a hook is but find it challenging to choose the most appropriate hook for your project. The key to sailing through this stage is to trust your knowledge base and know that everyone experiences the same.

Further, the good news is that at this stage you can utilize profile resources and publications that’ll support you and make things simpler. However, still, you’ll find it difficult to do something productive at times and lack of progress will make you feel disheartened. As your unique project will make you face unique problems, you won’t even have access to any direct solutions on Google.

But, you can use other people’s code as an example and try to devise a solution on similar lines. The biggest benefit you’ll avail from all this is the expansion of your thought process and the sharpening of your intellect as a developer.

Some tips for excelling at this stage:

• The better you use Google, the easier this stage will turn out to be for you. So, search Google well and you’ll see yourself excelling.

• Keep trying and you’ll succeed. Whenever you find yourself stuck with a problem, take a five-minute break and try to solve it with a fresh approach.

Stage 4: Turning Into A Confident Drupal Developer

At the final stage, after making all the mistakes and learning from them, you’ll finally gain immense confidence and realize your true potential. You’ll become aware that you can now tackle any Drupal project that comes your way. As you keep doing more and more projects, your skill set will continue to expand and you will gradually turn into a Drupal master.

However, it is crucial to not let your knowledge and expertise get to your head. It can stall your progress and take you away from the success to aspire to accomplish. As you continue working hard, you’ll succeed in getting a job offer from your desired Drupal development company and earn your dream package.

Some tips to excel at this stage:

• Always look at the Drupal developers who have made more progress than you. This will keep you grounded.

• Keep doing more and more projects as it is the best way to create an impressive portfolio and outperform the competition.

But Things Don’t Just End Here…

Even after you start working as a professional Drupal developer in your desired company, you cannot stop learning. Drupal CMS is an ever-evolving software. As soon as a new technology is released that can take it to a whole new dimension, the Drupal community begins the process of integrating it into the software.

Hence, it is imperative for you to consistently upgrade your skill set in alignment with the new features of Drupal, its modules, themes, and everything else. This is the only way to set yourself apart from the crowd and stay in demand.

Let’s Wrap Up

Drupal development is a promising field as Drupal developers are in demand across the globe. Numerous organizations have chosen the cutting-edge content management system as their companion. If you also aspire to establish your career in Drupal development, you’ll have to follow a steep learning curve. The four stage strategic Drupal learning process discussed above can help you overcome any challenges that come your way and achieve your goal without fail.

If you require any kind of assistance with your learning process, LN Webworks is always there for you. We have a top-notch team of Drupal developers who can share their experience with you and beacon you on the right path. So, reach out to us anytime you need help.