ed2go Success Story: IT Training for a New Management Role

ed2go Success Story: IT Training for a New Management Role

With 33 years of facilities management experience, David Popp wasn’t looking for a career in information technology. But when his employer offered him the opportunity to manage an IT vendor relationship, he jumped at the chance.

“I have no background in IT,” David said. “But my employer knows I’m a good vendor manager and they needed somebody to take over management of a full-service IT vendor.”

Jumping Into the World of IT

IT vendor managers work closely with vendors to select and adopt products and services. In his new role, David would be his employer’s voice to the vendor and the vendor’s liaison to his employer.

He knew right away that he needed IT training.

“Managing a vendor is the same no matter what you’re managing, but IT has an entirely different nomenclature and different equipment,” he said. “It was a massive amount of knowledge that I didn’t have.”

This brought David to CompTIA A+ training. In the IT world, the CompTIA A+ certification demonstrates an understanding of computer hardware and software, troubleshooting, and installation. So, studying the A+ knowledge base was David’s way of bridging that gap. 

“I was looking for a broad overview of IT,” he said. “And ed2go’s CompTIA training was the quickest, most economical way to get it.”

CompTIA A+ Certification: Not for the Faint of Heart

David enrolled in the ed2go CompTIA A+ Certification course and quickly realized that the material was challenging.

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“When I first looked at the class online I thought, ‘Oh, okay. This isn’t so bad,'” he said with a chuckle. “I didn’t realize there was a second part! I didn’t realize there was this whole other section!”

David said the discipline of the course and its timeline helped him buckle down and get the work done. Although the course is self-paced, it is designed to be completed in six months. And while he has a full-time job and works a fair amount of overtime, David completed his course work in between projects at work and at home.

“There’s something to be said for having a deadline,” he adds. “And the fact that it was online was very helpful.”

Thinking like an IT Support Specialist

The CompTIA A+ Certification course material helped David become more effective immediately.

“Before I took the course, when I talked to the vendor, they had to stop and explain everything to me,” he said. “And without a background, even when things were explained, my understanding was very limited.”

This isn’t the case now though. David understands the IT jargon, from networking to installing operating systems, and how it impacts his facility.

“Before I took the course, forget it!”

Although he is content with his current job, David knows the CompTIA course improved his skills and elevated his value in the marketplace.

“I’m 58 years old,” he laughs. “I’m no spring chicken. And I’m not looking for a new job. But if I needed to or wanted to, I now have this education piece in place. This really expanded my opportunities. I can now list IT as a part of my skill set. It’s a great resume builder. “

Technical Training for Non-Technical Managers

As a vendor manager, David’s job is a great example of the cross-disciplinary nature of 21st century careers.

He needs strong business skills like relationship-building and communication. But, to be truly successful, he also needs a strong helping of technical knowledge.

The CompTIA A+ Certification course worked perfectly because it gave him the level of knowledge he needed, on a timeline that fit his schedule.

“I would recommend it to someone in my position,” he said. “If you need to get this type of information quickly all in one place and for a good price, the class is great for that.”

To learn how the ed2go CompTIA A+ Certification course can help you build solid technical skills for a cross-functional career, click on the link below.

CompTIA A+ Certification Training
290 Course Hours

Prepare for the CompTIA A+ Certification Exam 220-1001, which covers mobile devices, networking technology, hardware, virtualization and cloud computing and network troubleshooting.
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