The end of the year is one of my favourite times of the year. Not just because it’s my birthday or the holiday season but also because it’s time to fill in your vExpert application. It’s a good time to reflect on the past year and what you accomplished.
So what is the vExpert program all about
Unlike what some people may think, the vExpert program is not a certification that you get when you pass an exam. Nor is it necessarily a reflection of your skill as a VMware engineer. At its core, the vExpert program is a marketing and advocacy program, designed to help you, as an individual contributor in getting your messaging about VMware and its products out the door.
What’s more important though is that its a tight knit community of likeminded individuals that all have a shared passion.
Okay that sounds cool but what’s in it for me?
If you’re awarded the vExpert title, you also get a lot of benefits. One of the best things is that you get access to pretty much all the software that VMware has to offer with licenses. This will make it easier to try out new stuff in the lab and get new content out the door.
You also get access to NDA content and briefings by VMware and their partners.
But by far the best resource you get access to, is the vExpert slack channel. There’s a lot of great conversations about VMware topics but also about certification, homelabs, career and just random chit chat. It gives you access to people in the community that can help you out if you’re troubleshooting an issue in the lab or if you want another opinion on something you’re proposing, or whatever.
I’ve been in the program since 2016 and I can honestly say that I’ve made a lot of new connections this way and even built out new friendships. You can usually find a lot of the vExperts in the blogger zone at VMworld, which is great for getting those real world connections.
Speaking of VMworld, as a vExpert, you get an invite to the vExpert party at VMworld US & EU. When I went to the vExpert party in Barcelona in 2019, Pat Gelsinger popped in. A memorable moment for sure!
That’s great but how do I become a vExpert
In order to become a vExpert, you need to put yourself out there. There’s really a lot you can do:
- Write blogs
- Speak at VMUG/events
- Build a training course
- Organise a community event
- Respond to posts on VMTN
- Write cloud
- Publish videos
- …
As you can see there’s a lot of things you can do with a very low barrier to entry. By far the easiest way to get started is by starting to blog. Did you come across an issue that you spent hours figuring out, and you couldn’t find any good resolution online? Well, write about the problem you faced, what things you tried to get it resolved, why it failed and what resolved the issue in the end.
Or just start writing about things you do at your job or in your homelab. Use your blog as your personal documentation of how you deployed a certain product. This helps yourself but also others that might be wanting to do the same thing.
I want to apply but I need some help
Filling out your application for the first time can be daunting. But don’t worry, the vExpert program has your back. A few years ago, the vExpert PRO was introduced. A vExpert PRO is someone in your local community that is actively trying to build out the community. They can also help you with filling out your application and giving you pointers on how to improve it.
I hope this gives you some good information about what the vExpert program is and how you can apply to get in. Still have more questions or need help filling in your application? Don’t hesitate to contact me!