"I've never taken so many training courses before"
- Date: 21 April, 2021
IT professional on GK Polaris: "I've never taken so many training courses before"
Freelancer Joeri Kumbruck (41) has followed more than 25 training courses in 1.5 years through GK Polaris, the unlimited training subscription from Global Knowledge. He opted for the most comprehensive plan: GK Polaris Discovery. He wonders why any IT professional wouldn’t do the same. "For less than € 3000 a year, you can develop yourself to the maximum, with no hidden catches."
Joeri has always been a fanatic when it comes to taking IT training courses, but never before has he spent so much time on his development as now. Since the arrival of GK Polaris, it has been very easy for him to develop himself to the maximum at a competitive price. Here’s what Joeri has to say.
Why did you choose the Discovery plan?
“I like to learn under the guidance of a trainer, and I wanted to continue to develop myself as much as possible. With GK Polaris Discovery, I have contact with fellow students, I do assignments in technical labs and I receive the same course material as with a classroom training. You can choose from a wide range of courses from Microsoft and AWS to ITIL, Scrum, Python, and Business Analysis.”
Why do you find it important to keep learning?
“I am aware that as an IT professional, you have to keep developing 24/7. I already did that when I was employed as a systems engineer, consultant, IT architect, and project manager. I continued to do so when I started as a freelancer.”
“When you’re self-employed, you manage your own training budget. You take a more critical look at whether a training is really necessary and what costs it entails. I have never followed as many training courses as in the past 1.5 years since I discovered GK Polaris.”
"I don't understand that not every IT professional is nagging his boss about a GK Polaris subscription. For less than 3000 euros, you have unlimited access to trainings throughout the year. Who wouldn't want that?"
Which trainings have you followed so far?
“I think I've already done more than 25 through Polaris. It’s the second year that I’ve opted for the subscription, and I usually plan half a year in advance. Until now, the emphasis has mainly been on technology training from Microsoft. For example, I did all the Azure training courses, as well as all Microsoft 365 courses.”
What was it like to switch from classroom to virtual training?
“I actually thought the switch was not that bad. Global Knowledge has everything in order technology-wise. The virtual labs are practically the same and you work with the same course material. The trainers are generally very good and if things turn out to be disappointing, you just plan the same course with another trainer. You don't have to pay anything extra for it."
"One of the great advantages of virtual training courses is that I can schedule these training courses in such a way that they can be perfectly combined with my daily professional activities as a freelancer."
What does GK Polaris mean for your career?
“I have increased my market value enormously and can now also sign up for assignments with technologies that I was not familiar with. I would recommend it to every IT professional. Really, what are you waiting for?”
GK Polaris Discovery
GK Polaris has three plans to choose from: Launch, Accelerate and Discovery. Joeri opted for the most extensive plan - GK Polaris Discovery, where you get unlimited access to Virtual Classroom trainings under the guidance of a trainer for a fixed amount per year for 12 months..
What's more, the Launch plan is included in it, which gives you access to more than 250 foundational on-demand training courses from Develop.com. View all the Virtual Classroom training courses that are available under the Discovery plan. Want to know more about the different subscription plans? Click on the button below.