IT Professional Guide

Learn in this order

1. 1 Keyboard practice Optional Skip it if you already type fast. But terminal work rewards accuracy over speed — a single typo can change an entire command. If you're not at 95% accuracy, it's worth a tune-up first. Start
2. 2 Terminal commands Required Required. Learn the basics — moving files, permissions, pipes, redirection — by typing them into the in-browser virtual terminal. Everything after this stands on it. Start
3. 3 Shell programming Required Also required. An eleven-unit curriculum covers variables, conditionals, loops, functions, Node.js commands, and developer-tool installs so you can automate work and run AI CLIs. It carries over almost unchanged to zsh, the macOS default shell. Start
4. 4 GIT Required Before you hand code to an AI you need a way to undo. Nine steps take you through commits, branches, and pull requests — from using GIT alone to using it on a team. Every AI-made change still gets reviewed as a diff and recorded as a commit. Start
5. 5 VSCode (Visual Studio Code) Required VS Code is one editor with extensions, debugging, terminal, and Git integration. AI tools also come as standalone apps, command-line tools, browser services, and extensions for other editors. Choose what fits your workflow. GitHub Copilot — suggests the next line as you type and explains or edits code through chat. The gentlest place to start. Claude Code — works both in the terminal and as an extension; an agent that reads files, edits them, and runs commands itself. Strong when you hand over a whole task. Codex — OpenAI's coding agent extension. Hand it a task and review the result as a diff. Try all three and keep the one that fits your work. Open site
6. 6 AI fundamentals Required Tools in hand, now get precise about what AI is. Once tokens, context, and models mean something concrete to you, the settings on every AI tool stop looking arbitrary. Start
7. 7 Advanced AI track Required Build training data, train a small model yourself, and evaluate the result. This is where people who use AI and people who build it part ways. Start
8. 8 Prompt engineering Required Open the lesson, compare a vague prompt with one that supplies a goal, context, and output format, then test both in Lyen. Explain which answer meets your goal and verify its claims. The application selects messages, instructions, and permitted attachments within the context limit. It may truncate, summarize, or retrieve older material. Omitted details are not automatically remembered, and summaries can lose information. The application selects messages, instructions, and permitted attachments within the context limit. It may truncate, summarize, or retrieve older material. Omitted details are not automatically remembered, and summaries can lose information. Give the task, relevant context, constraints, and a desired format. Save verified decisions for later. A function may need its callers, types, or configuration too; the right context depends on the task. Start
9. 9 Working with AI Required On the job, conversation quality is throughput. Pasting a whole error log is slower than giving the reproduction steps and the expected behavior alongside it. Practice that habit with your Lyen learning buddy. Start
10. 10 Agent Skill Optional A skill packages instructions, and may include scripts and reference files. A compatible agent can load relevant parts when needed. The Agent Skills website defines the format; it is not a guarantee that a skill is safe or correct. A skill packages instructions, and may include scripts and reference files. A compatible agent can load relevant parts when needed. The Agent Skills website defines the format; it is not a guarantee that a skill is safe or correct. The payoff is largest for things a team repeats — deployment steps, review criteria, document formats. The method survives even when the people change. Read a skill's instructions and scripts before using it. Try it on a small reversible task and check the result. Adapt it to your project's permissions, tools, and review process. Open site
11. 11 Vibe coding Required The shell is useful for running programs, managing files, and automating development. AI can also run through browsers, apps, notebooks, and APIs. A terminal is one useful interface, not a requirement for every AI user. Start