As a vExpert, you have the opportunity to share your story and experiences in the technology field with others. This recognition highlights your expertise and achievements in IT, allowing you to inspire and motivate those looking to venture into similar areas.
By sharing your story, you can provide insights, tips, and advice to help aspiring professionals navigate their careers and overcome challenges. Your experiences, whether they are successes or failures, can serve as valuable lessons for others, helping them make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls.
Additionally, being a vExpert opens up new networks and connections within the technology community. You become part of a larger group of like-minded individuals passionate about different technologies. This network can provide collaboration, knowledge sharing, and career growth opportunities.
You can engage with other vExperts, industry experts, and VMware employees through events, forums, and online communities, enhancing your learning and expanding your professional network. These connections can lead to new opportunities, such as speaking engagements, writing opportunities, or career advancements.
Furthermore, being recognized as a vExpert also carries credibility and prestige within the industry. This recognition can boost your brand and open doors to professional growth. It can enhance your reputation as a thought leader and subject matter expert, leading to invitations to industry conferences, webinars, and podcasts.
Overall, being a vExpert provides a platform to share your story, inspire others, and grow personally and professionally. It allows you to connect with a larger community of professionals, gain valuable insights, and expand your career opportunities.
Different options for applying to become a vExpert as seen in the vExpert Best Practice Guide
Evangelist Path encompasses book authors, bloggers, tool builders, public speakers, and other IT professionals who share their knowledge and passion through personal public platforms.
Customer Path is for internal evangelists and community leaders from VMware customer organizations who contribute to success stories, references, interviews, talks, and community engagement.
Partner Path is for partner company employees who demonstrate passion, and continuous learning and share their technical expertise through various means such as event participation, videos, IP generation, and public speaking engagements.
VMUG Leadership* consists of Leaders, Co-Leaders or on the Steering
Committee with a reference from the Chapter Leader. Each must have been part of an “Active” chapter for the year in review to receive the award.
VCDX* is for those who hold the VCDX title. Some may also fall into other paths. Choose what single path you see yourself best for. Program membership, content and experience is the same across all paths.
•VMTN Moderator* path is reserved for VMTN Moderators who dedicate a lot of personal time to the community by moderating the forms, and working with the VMware Community Manager on platform betas, upgrades, ideas and feedback.
Ways to contribute to the VMware Community
Contributing to the VMware community is a great way to give back, share knowledge, and help others. Here are some ways to get involved and contribute:
Forums and Communities: Participate in the official VMware forums, such as the VMware Community Forums or the VMware {code} community. Answer questions, provide solutions, and share your expertise with other users. By helping others solve their problems, you can significantly impact the community.
Blogging: Start a blog where you can share your experiences, tips, and tricks related to VMware products and technologies. Write articles about troubleshooting, best practices, or how-to guides. This will help others and establish your expertise in the community.
Social Media: Engage with the VMware community on social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Follow VMware’s official accounts and join relevant groups and discussions. Share useful resources, articles, and news related to VMware. Interact with fellow community members and contribute to discussions.
Open Source Contributions: VMware has several open-source projects where you can contribute code, documentation, or provide feedback. Explore projects like Project Photon, Harbor, or Tern and actively participate in their development. This is a great opportunity to collaborate with other community members and contribute to the VMware ecosystem.
User Groups and Meetups: Join local VMware user groups or attend VMware-focused meetups and conferences. These events provide a platform to network with like-minded individuals, learn from experts, and share your knowledge. Consider presenting a session or workshop to share your expertise and contribute to the community’s learning experience.
VMware Certification: Pursue VMware certifications to enhance your knowledge and skills. By obtaining certifications like VCP (VMware Certified Professional) or VCAP (VMware Certified Advanced Professional), you boost your career and contribute to the community by sharing your certified expertise and helping others with their certification journey.
Documentation and Content Contributions: VMware documentation is a valuable resource for users. Contribute to the VMware documentation by suggesting edits, reporting issues, or writing new articles. You can also create and share video tutorials or screencasts covering various VMware topics.
Technical Writing and Translation: If you have excellent technical writing skills, consider contributing to VMware by helping with documentation, blog posts, or articles. Additionally, if you are proficient in multiple languages, you can contribute by translating VMware documentation or content into other languages, making it accessible to a broader audience.
Remember, contributing to the VMware community is not just about gaining recognition; it is about sharing knowledge, solving problems, and building strong connections with fellow experts. Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a difference and help the community grow and thrive.