When it comes to making a major career change, the support you receive can make or break your big move. But with the right people in your corner, starting a new career in an exciting new industry could be easier than you think.
It’s a sentiment that David Noble understands extremely well. As Principal Instructor for Professional Services and the training lead on the ReSKILL program for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, he’s seen first-hand what great training and support can do.
We caught up with David to find out why he’s so passionate about transforming lives through skills training, and how he sets every member of our programs up for success.
David’s journey into tech
David started his career working in call centers, aiming to earn some temporary cash while he was in university and studying to become a teacher.
“I stayed there for 20 years and that helped me develop a lot of skills—my coaching style, my leadership skills, training skills, stakeholder management, and consultancy skills. I’ve probably got a lot of people to thank for helping me to shape that.”
In 2022, David began to think more seriously about his future beyond the call center, “I thought: I wonder what I’m going to do when I grow up.” This led him to join the Business Central Talent Initiative in a training lead role.
“And that,” he says, “is where my passion lies. It’s hard to kind of put into words, really. I’m the luckiest man alive.”
The importance of support
As a key part of the Business Central team, David supports learners, helping them to not only be successful in their career moves, but also to enjoy what they’re doing.
“It’s a pretty daunting thing to be told that you’re going to stare down your laptop for eight weeks and be expected to learn something new for a certification,” says David, “so my job is to help them succeed.”
And in the face of ongoing skills gaps across the Microsoft ecosystem, it’s a role that’s critical to the continued growth of the Dynamics space. “Microsoft has brought us in to help bridge the talent gap,” says David, “and my purpose is to support new talent and help them make the most of the opportunity that they’ve got.”
“I spend most of my time delivering training, coaching, speaking to learners, answering any questions, and making sure they feel supported at every stage of the process. My main concern is that they’re successful and the Partners are happy.”
Finding strength in a diverse community
So, what does David believe makes the program unique? It all comes down to the diversity of experiences that the learners bring to the table.
“There’s a huge variety of people from a huge amount of backgrounds,” he says. “They all bring unique things to the program.”
“I’ve got a guy in Portugal who used to manage a ceramics factory. He’d never heard of Business Central or developing or anything like that! And then we’ve got more senior people who have all the professional experience in the world, but need to know the technical aspects of it. This mix of experience across so many industries creates an exceptional community of people. That’s what makes the difference in this program. It’s the community feel.”
David credits much of the success of the program to this sense of community, with the support and camaraderie on offer helping participants learn and build their confidence.
“Being part of that community makes a huge difference,” he says. “There’s no feeling as if you’re on your own when you’re learning something. It’s phenomenal. You have this community and that support around you. From a motivation perspective, it makes you feel quite secure when you’ve got other people in the same position as you.”
It’s this interconnected community that inspires David to do what he does.
“They support each other every day,” he says. “I think they underestimate how their little acts of kindness can really help somebody else out and shape the culture of their community. All I do is sort of steer it in the right direction.”
But this welcoming community is causing David a few logistical issues at the moment… “Right now, I can’t fit any more people into the Business Central chat group because it’s grown so much,” he laughs. “And that’s a great problem to have! That’s not a problem, that’s a success.”
Creating skilled Business Central professionals
One of the biggest advantages of a program that focuses so sharply on professional skills is that it can be embraced by people from many backgrounds—even if they’ve never used Business Central software before.
“Some people come into the program with so much experience in developing or consulting in a different technology. Some don’t.”
But that’s no obstacle for budding Business Central professionals, thanks to the program’s robust, in-depth, and holistic approach to training. “The way that we look at professional skills is that we base it on an individual’s ongoing development,” says David. “And that includes a focus on personal development as well.”
“It’s not a program where someone’s just going to be lectured to for three hours a week. We hold group learning and development sessions where participants can create solutions to problems, working together in teams. They collaborate with other learners and it gives them exposure to a different way of thinking. That’s how you give somebody the confidence to try something new.”
As for what participants can expect to learn on the program, the answer comes in the form of both practical product training and useful professional skills. “From a technical perspective, they’ll get to know how to consult and how to develop in Business Central,” explains David. “But also, they learn a lot about themselves. I think that boils down a lot to the fact that people bring a great attitude to learning with them.”
“We take their existing skills—whether that’s experience in finance or supply chain, for example— and we help them map that experience into a new technology. We’ve got some really good partners that support us with technical skills.”
“By the end of the program, our learners will be on track to achieve either the Microsoft Dynamics Business Central Functional Consultant or Developer Associate certifications.”
Reaping the rewards
So what part of this vital and multifaceted job does David find most rewarding? “The people.”
“I see people who go from knowing absolutely nothing coming into the program and then six months later they’re moving into Junior Developer and Consultant roles,” says David of his past students. “It’s very rewarding knowing that the program has such a positive and long-term impact—and not just on their careers, but on their lives as well.”
One particular learner stands out in David’s mind, having overcome not only a non-technical background, but also significant language barriers to achieve success.
“We have somebody in the program that used to be a speech and language therapist and found herself struggling for work,” he recalls. “She worked hard throughout the Developer program and was very enthusiastic about professional skills. She really grasped that opportunity and she’s now working as a Junior Developer.”
“Not only that, but she got on stage at a Microsoft event and shared her journey. She made herself a beacon of light for others by sharing that success story. It’s just amazing to see the difference we’ve made to that person by supporting and guiding the effort she’s put in.”
David’s two simple words for anyone thinking of joining the program
Having supported countless people through the program and set them on new career pathways as Developers and Consultants, what advice would David give to anyone eyeing a career change?
“Do it.”
“Come into the program with your eyes wide open, expect to learn new things, and have an accountability-focused mindset. I’m there the whole time to offer support, but someone who is motivated to push through and take charge of their own success is going to really make the most of this program.”
“Don’t underestimate the value of your experience. There are an awful lot of transferable skills that can be beneficial when people come into this program. We have people who are from finance, supply chain management, warehousing, even people who are from a background in ammunitions. Tech skills can be taught, so if you’ve got industry experience and good people skills, for example, you’re halfway there.”
“Technology comes and goes, but if you’re willing to learn, that’s going to take you an awful long way in this world.”
Ready to start your new career in Business Central?
Find out how you can join our ReSKILL program and kick-start your new career in Business Central with an official Microsoft Partner