Meet the Trainer: Kelvin Tran
Kelvin Tran, a CBT Nuggets trainer since 2023, brings a dynamic mix of networking, systems infrastructure, and DevOps expertise to the table. His fascination with tech started early — at just three years old, he managed to turn on his family’s Dell OptiPlex 740. That moment lit a curiosity about how things work.
His certifications are as diverse as they are impressive: 4x CCNP (Enterprise, Security, DevNet, and Service Provider), 4x JNCIP (Enterprise, Service Provider, Data Center, Security), VCIX-DCV, VCP-DCV/NV, and MCSE, to name a few. Right now, Kelvin’s working towards both the CCIE and JNCIE certifications.
Beyond that, Kelvin’s teaching philosophy is all about guiding learners to ask the right questions and helping them channel their passion into practical knowledge. Let’s dive deeper into our conversation with Kelvin Tran.
What attracted you to technology? What inspired you to pursue a career in IT? When I was young (approx. 3-4 years old), my sister had a Dell Optiplex 740 (complete with Athlon II processor and Win XP!) that I was in awe of - how was it possible that a black screen could suddenly light up with color because I pressed a button that looks suspiciously like a happy face?!?! At that point, I wanted to know how it all worked. That is still my motivation to this day, only in a more mature form. Technology is the most impressive house of cards ever - a bunch of disjointed innovations that somehow work together without falling apart. The work that goes into making that house of cards stand is what I find most fascinating and inspired my journey into IT.
Are there any tools or features you are particularly excited about teaching? The better question is whether there are any tools or features I don’t get excited about teaching! As long as it’s within my wheelhouse, I can get excited about pretty much anything. If I had to sum it up, I’d say the more involved, the better. I love the challenge of taking a super complicated technology and making it approachable.
The best part about being a trainer is…. that I get to make a positive impact on someone else’s life and career just by nerding out and discussing the technologies that I’m passionate about! It’s incredibly rewarding to see someone learning something new about a technology as a result of listening to my perspective.
I'm passionate about IT training because… I’ve always been a firm believer in two things:
(a) the power of education to change someone’s life, and
(b) the possibility of learning what you need to know in IT without a formal classroom.
When I started learning IT, I didn’t have anyone in my family or a professional network I could turn to for help. I know how hard that is—I remember all the late nights with 20 Chrome tabs open trying to wrap my head around whatever tech I was learning. I know what I do today exclusively because of the mountain of resources created by the experts who came before me. I want to be one more resource in the world for the people who are now in the shoes I was in 10+ years ago.
What is your general advice about learning IT? My biggest piece of advice for learning IT is to avoid skimping on your foundations. It's easy to come across an advanced or trendy 'buzzword' topic, like SDN, and want to dive right in. However, 9.999 times out of 10, those technologies are built on top of less flashy but equally important foundational technologies. If you understand those foundational concepts, you'll have a much easier time when you move on to advanced topics. A strong foundation will pay dividends throughout your entire learning journey and career.
Random fact: According to my parents, I was really close to starting our car when I was 3 - I had the keys in the ignition and just didn’t turn them. What a shame! It would have been fun to be the first 3-year-old to drive cross-country…
When I'm not making CBT Nuggets videos, you'll find me… interacting with online technical communities (primarily on Discord), spending time with family and friends, or playing musical instruments, badminton, and video games. I’ve been slacking on the music lately, so I want to get back into that. Oh, and I’m super hyped for COD Black Ops 6!
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Kelvin’s courses offer a solid foundation in the latest certifications, from VMware's Data Center Virtualization to Microsoft 365 Fundamentals and Cisco DevNet Associate. Whether you’re a beginner laying the groundwork or an experienced pro, his training equips you with the skills and mindset to crush your next cert.
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