Empowering Learners: Making People Feel Capable, Not Discouraged

How did your journey in technology begin, what sparked your initial interest, and how did you transition to becoming a Field CTO?

I started out at the very beginning working at the Service Desk. I didn’t have much experience or knowledge, but I had a drive to learn. And I found out I loved technology. It all felt like I was solving puzzles all day, and I loved making things work. I became a system administrator and later a cloud engineer in the early days of Microsoft Azure. I had roles where I was able to learn so much, like communicating customers, writing quotes, and teaching juniors, but the tech stuff always won. I am one of those people that will spend a day on the weekend to create the perfect Bicep template.

Now, I am the Field CTO for OGD, an IT service provider in the Netherlands. I work on the connection between business strategy and technology, which is a great new adventure. Additionally, I am in charge of creating a system for knowledge sharing across the company, which fits my love for teaching and community. However, technology will remain my primary focus, as it is something I will always enjoy and it can make a big impact on any company or individual.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey in tech?

First, you are getting into a lot of fun! Tech is amazing as a profession, with a lot of passionate people. If you feel comfortable, ask about things you want to know about! I found so many people that took the time to explain things to me, which has helped me learn. The worse that can happen is that they say “no.”

If you want, you can engage with technical communities and find inspiration in their blog posts. You don’t have to start your own blog site straight away, if that feels scary; you can start by reading and learning. Don’t forget to have fun while you are learning.

If you can, find yourself a mentor. Someone who sees your potential and who can guide you to your next step, or who can just encourage you to keep going. When I started out, thinking I was doing ‘just ok’, my mentor told me, ‘you are going to be great. You are going to make it’. It made a huge difference for me.

And finally: You are allowed to make mistakes, even if they are silly. You are allowed to not be sure of what you are doing. If you look around you and see the people that you look up to, you can be pretty sure that they have made mistakes and that they also are not always sure of what they are doing. Some of them are even able to admit it

What inspired you to create a LinkedIn Learning course on Git, and how do you feel about its impact with over 150,000 learners?

I have always loved to teach people. When I started out in IT and was still learning how everything worked, I noticed that some people felt uncomfortable with not having answers. There was a fear of asking questions. I think we all know that feeling, worrying if someone might think you’re stupid. When I got more comfortable with my work and with inspiration of people who taught me along the way, I wanted to make sure everyone could follow along and to make technology approachable. I felt it was important to make anyone feel like they were capable of mastering the material they were just starting to work with.

I have been an Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) for 5 years and have been doing workshops and sessions where I still find this very important. When LinkedIn Learning asked me to do the course on Git Essentials, I knew this would be my focus. Git is an awesome tool, but the threshold to start is big! I remember how long it took me to make it part of my daily work, because I just couldn’t get the concept. So, my goal for the course was to help anyone learn in a practical and approachable way. I created a video to inform people that this can be quite challenging and to encourage them not to feel discouraged.

I was amazed to see this course grow. Recently, it hit 150,000 learners. I can’t even grasp that amount. It is almost three times the size of the biggest soccer stadium we have here in Holland. How does that even happen? But it feels amazing to be able to reach such a large crowd and I am hopeful that I have been able to encourage a lot of people to  understand git well enough to use it on a daily basis.

What motivated you to start contributing to the tech community, and how has being a Microsoft MVP and GitHub Star influenced your career and personal growth?

As I mentioned I always loved teaching. But I also love learning. I wanted to do something with all the things I learned and mastered, to help out someone else. I started with a blog, as writing was something that came naturally to me. I discovered that I have a passion for creating step-by-step guides, enabling people to follow along and experience the process without feeling like any parts are missing. Before I knew it, my blog started gaining popularity, and people began messaging me, saying they finally understood how to work in GitHub. How amazing is that?

I was absolutely not planning on being a public speaker. Although I love to entertain in a classroom, speaking in front of a crowd made me nervous. But I was encouraged by Sander Berkouwer, my mentor in my tech journey. He convinced me I could do it and he  helped me create my first talks when I got accepted to conferences. Turns out I wasn’t that nervous, because I loved it so much! If you see me now, you would never imagine that I once hated speaking in front of a crowd. It feels so natural now, and I am happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone to discover this.

Being a Microsoft MVP and a GitHub Star has meant a lot to me. I love being able to use my skills and talents to help others. Being able to  stand in front of a group of people and share my journey and learnings in a confident way has been life changing.  Whether you’re  an architect, a consultant or  a system administrator you have something worth imparting with others so they can learn from you.

Traveling, designing slides, meeting with people in the community, and organizing conferences, have all helped me grow and get to where I am today. I am very thankful to be able to experience it.