On Monday 14th of September 2020, I remotely sat the VCDX defence and the following Tuesday, I received the fantastic news that I passed. I am officially VCDX number 289!
For those of you that are new to vMusketeers and my VCDX blogs, here are a link to the previous 3 blogs and a vBrownBag video:
The experience
I spent a lot of time talking to and working with existing VCDX’s and VCDX applicants. Because of this, the defence day was more or less as expected. It followed the format I’ve discussed previously: design defence and then design scenario. The only difference to my defence and other first times defendees was the fact I sat it remotely. Remote defences are typically reserved for re-defences or candidates defending their second, third or fourth track. I am somewhat disappointed I never had the in-room experience (yet) but I wouldn’t change my journey for the world.
I thought my panellists were extremely pleasant, asking tough but relevant questions throughout both sections. It may sound a little sadistic, but after waiting so long (an additional 9 months because of COVID) I really enjoyed the day – I was like a kid at Christmas. I’d like to thank the VCDX board and the panellists for allowing me to defend remotely in these crazy times.
Advice
I’ve given advice in all the previous blogs but I think some needs to be reiterated.
#1 Get yourself a mentor
No one (or very few) can complete the VCDX journey on their own. It needs buy-in from friends and family, not to mention help from others in and around VMware technology and the VCDX path. At this point, I’d like to thank fellow vMusketeer, Shady, a true angel amongst men. Shady helped me more than I could ever have hoped and I look forward to helping others as he helped me. Shady, I promise this will be the last time I tag you for a while.
#2 Learn from others
One thing I try to do in general and I found it very useful in the VCDX journey was to learn from others success and failures. Gregg Robertson has a great article about what changed between one design and another, which is something I took on board, trying to make sure my first design took on the advice Gregg laid out. There are tons of other resources out there, some mentioned in the previous posts. If you are planning to take the VCDX, soak up as much information from others as possible. They’ll give you time if you respect the journey.
#3 Get yourself a great support network
Speaking of Gregg, he runs a VCDX study group on slack where I have met a number of wonderful people. The group and more importantly the people in the group, are incredibly helpful, creating a supportive network for you to lean on. If you are serious about going for a VCDX, then I strongly recommend you reach out to Gregg and ask to join the group.
Closing
There are so many people I need to thank for helping me over the last 2 years. It’s truly been a special journey, one I will never forget.
I appreciate all the support. It has been humbling to see how supportive the vCommunity is as a whole. I look forward to giving back to the community and aspiring VCDX’s!