Obtaining Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) certification

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Introduction

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Arnold alias Azure Buddy is proud to share that he recently achieved the status of Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), a certification that means a lot to me as a Microsoft Technology Expert and Microsoft Valuable Professional (MVP). For me, this step not only symbolizes the confirmation of my technical knowledge and experience, but especially my dedication to educating, coaching, mentoring and didactically supporting professionals in their own learning process.

The route to the MCT certification is one of in-depth knowledge and didactic skills, but it is also a learning process in which you discover how you can help others to make complex material understandable and easily consumable. An important part was the ‘Train-the-Trainer’ course by RBL Training, which helped to get prepared, work on essential skills and finally be ready to get certified as a classroom trainer. This training really gave me new valuable insights into the different learning styles and techniques to effectively transfer technical knowledge, with a focus on interaction and practical exercises.

Already convinced becoming a MCT yourself, just visit Microsoft Learn MCT Certification page for more information.

The Value of MCT Certification

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As an MCT, I’m now certified to deliver a training using the official Microsoft training material. This means I can share my cloud security knowledge in a new way and help professionals gain deeper insight into essential tools and concepts. Think of working with Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM, SOAR), Microsoft Defender for XDR and Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence (MDTI/TIP) within cloud environments, areas where the right guidance is crucial to optimize the learning experience and to be able to apply it directly in practice.

What also makes the MCT status special is the network of fellow trainers and experts that I come into contact with. The MCT network or MCT lounge not only offers valuable support, but also a community of like-minded professionals who share the same passion for technology and knowledge sharing. Last week I enjoyed the first community meetup in my hometown Amsterdam.

The ‘Train-the-Trainer’ experience at RBL Training

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The ‘Train-the-Trainer’ course at RBL Training proved to be a crucial link in obtaining the MCT certification. RBL Training uses a hands-on approach, where you not only gain theoretical knowledge, but also receive direct feedback on your own training style and approach. In this course I learned how to present technical topics in an accessible way, and I was given practical tools to create interactive and engaging training sessions.

Thanks to the ‘Train-the-Trainer’ training, I now feel more equipped than ever to guide my target group in a coaching and inspiring way. This experience has deepened my vision on training and given me extra confidence to make complex cloud security solutions clear and accessible. Many thanks and big shoutout to Rick Kerssens. More info on the training can be found on the RBL Training website.

Now what?

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The MCT certification opens doors to new possibilities to share my knowledge further. For me it is not only a recognition of my technical expertise, but above all an opportunity to help others grow and feel more confident in using Microsoft Security products. I’m convinced that together, by sharing knowledge and developing skills, we can fully utilize the power of the cloud, applying cloud security and maximize the benefit of using observability tools.

I am very grateful and very much looking forward to taking the next steps with this certification, to giving high quality training, and of course taking my trainees through their learning journey becoming proficient students, gaining technical skills and improving their experience with Microsoft products. That’s why I’ve started an exclusive partnership with OptiSec, which is a provider of Cyber Security training courses to extend their portfolio with Microsoft focussed courses that help Security professionals become more aware of cloud security architecture, engineering and administration topics.

Stay tuned for upcoming training sessions and insights, and feel free to contact me if you want to know more about how my MCT certification can help you on your own learning journey.

Hopefully you have enjoyed reading this blog and also got excited becoming Microsoft Certified. If you want to learn more, just subscribe to my socials for more great content!

-Azure Buddy