VMWARE beginner question: Career Change start- not working in IT

[boris321123]

Hello

I was wondering what the best way is for someone who currently does not work in the IT field but who would like to make a career change and learn VMWare.

I have recently been reading documments from the VMware site on virtualization and have been getting aquainted with key terms.

What is the best way for someone like myself, who is motivated, to get into this field?

Which book or books would you advise for the beginner?

any steps you feel would be beneficial to me would be appreciated.  I do have a college and masters degree, (not in computers)

are there free onlinle classes? or some dvds that I could buy that would help??

serious replies thanks

[mittim12]

I think the best way to learn is to download the trial versions of the software and set them up at home.   Other than that there are some good books by Scott Lowe and Eric Siebert as well as some online training by Train Signal.  

[lowteck]

hey boris,

although vmware is quickly becoming the defacto base layer for IT infrastructure, without some basic sysadmin skills, I would suspect you would have little luck finding a job.

I would aquire an operating system cert (linux or ms) as well.

low

[boris321123]

system admin- what did you have in mind specifially?

[boris321123]

thanks a lot for the reply. I have heard of that book.. I just went over to the train signal site- have you heard good things about that company? do you think those videos would be geared fro a newcomer to the field-- I mean not the advanced ones, but dvd 1? vmware esx server trainer?  I have been told that I should focus more on server than desktop

[mittim12]

I have heard great things about the company.  I have seen some of their advanced stuff and found it very easy to follow and very well done.  I'm sure if you email them they will point you in the right direction of the beginner materials.

I also can't stress the hands on enough. It's all great to read about the product but to see it in action really helps you to understand some of the material in the books.

[AndreTheGiant]

IMHO... start practice with virtualization.

For example with Workstation or VMware Server.

Then start practice with VMware Hypervisor (the ESXi free) and study also the official documentation.

Those steps are simple.

But next require more IT concept about networking and storage, so books and courses could help.

Andre