Boy that was quick. Just before the new recertification policy began I passed my VCP5. I had done the course a while before that, paid for by a previous employer, but never had the time to actually do the exam. So I worked pretty hard watching videos, reading guides etc and then paid the fee out of my own pocket.
Not too long after passing I was told that to continue to be a VCP5 I would have to do it all again. Not the course but do the exam thing again. I have never had to re-do my BA degree - it lasts a lifetime. My Microsoft MCP from 10 years ago is now labelled "legacy" but I can live with that - it is. My Netapp NCDA in 7Mode is for life now as the last version of Ontap in 7Mode has been done. However somehow on 7th April 2016 I will lose my VCP5 - what I worked for, paid money for, spent time on.
In fact it is "expired". I seemingly can't tell anyone I achieved the qualification. Like Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible I have been disavowed by Vmware. I can't just have it as a legacy qualification that isn't up to date. It has gone.
What are my thoughts. Being a ex-VCP5, maybe that's the title, I never got a bigger salary. I didn't get a promotion for the VCP5. Some colleagues were modestly impressed with my pass.
Why didn't I bother with Vsphere 6. In the support work I do I am just beginning to see the roll out of that. Most enterprises take two or three years for major infrastructure change. My VCP5 knowledge is, for the most part, up to date. There is some new stuff I want to learn but that will take some time including putting together learning materials. I am anticipating looking at version 6 later this year really.
Which brings me to whether I will do a further certification. Probably not. It's not just cost but I have looked at some of the people I know forever exam cramming to keep up with the latest cert. It's an industry. I see people with so many certs they are constantly on courses to keep up to date. I say this more from sadness than malice but recertification seems to be a sort of pump and dump scam. An endless stream of exams to push around training budgets in corporations and to justify high consultant costs. There is nothing wrong with that. However it's not the place for the working guys of the IT industry who study for personal knowledge at their own pace and pay their own way. For us we will just grab the free elearning, do the courses on offer, study for a few months and try the exam. On that timescale a two year recertification is completely uneconomic in terms of money and time.
So I am "expired", "disavowed" my Vmware learning has be de-recognised. I dont know any less than last week. I have recently been looking at VSAN but I am now officially a lesser person. I will continue to have a big interest in VMWARE technology and work hard to understand it and succeed. I dont know how many others are now disavowed by VMWARE but I think ultimately is not a constructive policy but is undoubtable financially lucrative.
