Experience as a VMware vExpert and How It Is Different?
The vExpert 2022 application going to start on 6th Dec 2021. This is the first round of the application cycle for vExpert 2022.
Before you head over to apply, you might want to read my experience when I first applied to have the application complete. If you need some help, reach out to your nearest vExpert Pro. They will be more willing to assist and advise you accordingly.
Now let's go into how been a vExpert makes a difference. I have been a vExpert over the last 10 years. It was not easy and doesn't just come by just because I am a VMware employee. So don't get the wrong idea, VMware employee needs to also apply and meet the requirements. There are people who have applied and rejected as they do not meet the requirements. There is no such benefit as a VMware employee. This program treats everyone all equal.
I applied for vExpert the year I joined VMware. However, the work I have done was the years before I joined VMware. I started jotting my technical experience as a record to what I have learned and done as keeping back up using Microsoft Word and is not helping to back them up. As a result, I decided to use a blogger from Google since it will be always be backed up. In additional, I recorded videos of some of my lab setup on YouTube. Why did I do that, don't other just claim their knowledge from my sharing? Yes. It does. The purpose was to share with the community where I learnt from the community and allows people to avoid some of the common mistakes I already encountered. It is all about giving back. I won't have come so far without first getting community help.
Doing all these helps me in building my knowledge and also it was a passion I enjoyed so I didn't purposefully just record a video or write a blog just so I can apply for vExpert. Whatever I did was out of passion and sharing and indirectly I get rewarded without purposefully trying to complete a requirement for vExpert. I just made it!
The reward definitely make a difference. The title not only show your contribution to the community and more so that you are someone to be respected from. Whether you are a general vExpert or into the sub programs, it indicate your expertise further. It opens doors to some great opportunities and differentiate yourself from those who ain't. You also be look upon who have more knowledge than most individual. Come to that later. Many companies do want candidates who are active in the community or helping. That adds to my credentials.
With that award, it also help me open conversation with my customers. I encourage fellow customers, partners, co-workers to apply for vExpert and guided some of them on it. That not just encourage people to do more to the community which they might already be doing but also helps them to open opportunities.
As vExpert do some with some perks like NFR license for your lab or some swags from events, etc., the experience is an unusual one. You will also get to attend webinars of some solutions session from VMware also even get some preview of new solutions earlier than the normal individual. Some information you might be surprise that employee like myself are not aware. So I still value my vExpert entitlement and attend some of the sessions by VMware or partners. You will also be added to a private channel together with other vExpert and if you are in any of the sub programs, there are private channels to them. That is where you can do the real discussion there and seek feedback, help, etc.
So if you are looking to reward yourself where you have unconsciously been contributing to the community without realizing it, don't wait. Check out my experience, and perhaps you could already met the requirement of a vExpert. Once. you are ready, head over to apply once it is open. Apply before 14th January 2022.
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