The vExpert 2022 applications are open again and there was an interesting blog post written on how to apply.
One of the things in the blog was about people sharing why the joined the vExpert program and I thought that is a great Idea so I am sharing my ideas as well.
The why
In the past I heard about the vExpert program but always thought is was only for the highly skilled, highly certified guru’s out there. But nothing is further from the truth so let’s dive in.
So back in 2019 when I started a new job I encountered a very passionate colleague that was evangelising VMware and VMware products with a lot of passion and drive. He already had a blog (this blog site) and when he asked if others would like to join in I jumped on the opportunity.
I already evangelised VMware based solutions as my employer back then sold Cloud products based on VMware products. New for me was the fact that I started to share my knowledge and know how with a wider public.
Seeing people reading and responding to your blog posts and social media post really was a great “ego” booster and encouraged me to apply for the vExpert program.
What it brings me
So all nice and well, I like sharing and like evangelising the VMware portfolio but what is in it for me (and if you are interested what is in it for you).
Writing about problems and or solutions really triggers my curiosity even more. After I started writing blog post I got more and more “sucked” into the VMware product portfolio and started to get interested in so much more products and solutions than before.
I learned so much more about VMware products and solutions when doing research for new blog posts. Normally I would read up about the latest releases and announcements but now I really do a deep dive into white papers, blogs, announcements but also using test environments to play around.
This deep dive research really helped me in my professional career as I am much better equipped to talk to customers and partners about their needs and challenges.
So great I am more skilled, but wait there is more. I got in touch with other vExpert and got to know some really nice and great people. The vExpert community is something special on its own, people are eager and willing to help out and provide guidance and giving advice.
I also noticed that when people know you are a vExpert you also have an advantage. Both when talking with other professionals but also with job hunting and publicising things on social media. People are curious and interested to hear your ideas and want to know more about your skills and knowledge.
Nice perks
You also get some nice perks as a vExpert. You get access to not for sale (NFR) licenses from VMware helping in building up your homelab and testing out different products and features.
Final thoughts
So well there you have it my story on why I became a vExpert. So if you are interested please consider applying as the vExpert 2022 applications are now open.
To summarise or the so called TL:DR on why and what:
- My knowledge and skills are increased massively
- I met a lot of new highly skilled people
- Job hunting is easier
- It is a conversation started
- Some nice perks
