Some anecdotes and random thoughts drawn from ten years of running Perl training courses.

1. Perl Training

2. Experiences, Anecdotes and Vague Conclusions

3. Dave Cross [email_address] @perltraining_uk

4. I run Perl training courses

5. Doing so since 2001

6. Sometimes alongside conferences

7. YAPC::Europe UKUUG Conference LPW

8. Internal courses for companies

9. [Names redacted]

10. Growing part of my business

11. Public courses

12. Perl Teach-In UKUUG/O'Reilly

13. Perl Teach-In

14. June 2007

15. Free training course

16. Sponsored by BBC Backstage

17. Not originally my idea

18. Simon Cozens

19. Japan

20. Many Perl jobs in London

21. Not enough experienced programmers

22. One-day advanced level Perl course

23. Turn beginner programmers into experienced programmers

24. 50 places

25. All booked in days

26. (Remember it was free)

27. Very positive feedback

28. ThamesValley.pm

29. Who attended?

30. BBC people

31. A few london.pm people

32. Lots of people I didn't know

33. Marketing success

34. A less successful story

35. July 2008 Public Perl courses in London

36. Five days of training

37. Priced competively

38. Marketing failure

39. Charging money makes a difference

40. Need good contacts

41. Word of mouth is not enough

42. Commercial advertising on Perl Monger mailing lists?

43. Cancelled due to lack of interest

44. Need better marketing

45. UKUUG and O'Reilly

46. February 2009 Two days of courses

47. Central London hotel

48. One day beginners One day advanced

49. Not aimed at the same people

50. Recommend three months experience between courses

51. Marketing needed to make that clearer

52. Twenty places on each day

53. Almost sold out

54. A few london.pm people

55. Lots of people I didn't know

56. University staff

57. Large companies

58. Interesting omission: Internet start-ups

59. UKUUG and O'Reilly were happy

60. Did it again in November

61. This time three days

62. Beginners Intermediate Advanced

63. Now become regular event

64. Now two-day courses

65. mag-sol.com/train/public

66. University of Westminster

67. Evening class in Computer Forensics

68. Computer programming for data munging

69. Invited to give evening class in basic Perl

70. Four hours 6 – 10pm

71. With practical exercises

72. To people with no programming experience

73. Some vague conclusions

74. People are still interested in Perl

75. People still want Perl training

76. Various levels

77. Intermediate and Advanced are most popular

78. Still plenty of Perl jobs in London

79. Maybe look at cross-training

80. Maybe time for another free Teach-in

81. Marketing is important

82. Marketing is hard

83. Magnum Solutions Perl Training in London mag-sol.com/train/public