Hi, everybody. Many of you know me as VMware's Training & Certification Architect; I'm also Program Manager for VCDX these days. I wanted to share some things that are new and upcoming with VCDX.
First of all, we've heard loud and clear that we need to provide more guidance to aspiring VCDXes. There are two new resources that should help. First, we've published a flowchart of the process from the candidate's perspective, which summarizes in a really crisp way what it takes to succeed. Second, we've published a tips-for-the-candidate document that distills what we've learned from the experiences of successful and unsuccessful candidates.
Here are the links (registration with VMware's education portal is required, hope that's not too annoying):
VCDX4 Flowchart: http://mylearn.vmware.com/register.cfm?course=102447
VCDX4 Tips for the Candidate: http://mylearn.vmware.com/register.cfm?course=100400
Something else that's not new, but that people who last looked at the program in VCDX3 days may not have seen: the VCDX4 Blueprint. Like any certification blueprint, this one lays out the intellectual territory the certification covers.
VCDX4 Blueprint: http://mylearn.vmware.com/register.cfm?course=93042
To be perfectly candid: the VCDX4 blueprint is not universally loved, even though it's a marked improvement from VCDX3. We get criticism that it is not prescriptive enough, that it demands too much "filling in the blanks" by the candidate. Frankly, we have a balancing act to perform here: we need to give enough detail in the blueprint so that people don't waste their time, but we can't disclose so much about VCDX scoring that we encourage people to attempt a paint-by-numbers application.
I don't pretend we have the balance perfect yet, and feedback is always welcome. In the meantime, the way to attain a mind-meld with what VCDX requires is to confront an enterprise-scale virtualization design problem with complicated requirements... and a really smart design client.
One resource that isn't new but is very valuable for every aspiring VCDX: John Arrasjid (VCDX#1!)'s presentation on how to navigate the VCDX process. In essence, the "Tips for the Candidate" document above is the Cliff's Notes of his preso. John and the team update this presentation and give it fresh at every VMworld, Partner Exchange, etc. http://mylearn.vmware.com/register.cfm?course=72147 So, if you come to VMworld in Las Vegas or Copenhagen this year, you'll get to hear me, John, and/or one of our colleagues give the freshest VCDX4 version of this preso.
There's more to come within the next few months, so watch this space and/or follow me on Twitter (@brianriceca). Following John (@vcdx001) is smart too. He has a series of tweets entitled "VCDX Tips" that are gold.
