My vExpert Journey — and How It Reshaped My Career

Turns out, for me, it was the opposite.

vExpert became the forcing function that made me build the public proof, tighten my technical edge, and step into rooms I wouldn’t have entered otherwise. And once that flywheel starts spinning, the career outcomes show up in very real ways.

The moment it stopped being “maybe someday”

The first time I heard about the vExpert program was June 2021. My blog was about three months old, and my first reaction was: too soon. I decided to aim for the next application window (Nov/Dec 2021) and simply grow my output until I had something worth submitting.

When that cycle opened, I remember looking at the application thinking:

• “My blog isn’t big enough.”
• “My YouTube/Twitter presence isn’t enough.”
• “Why would they pick me?”

I applied anyway. “What do I have to lose?”

That mindset shift, apply before you feel ready, ended up defining everything that came after.

vExpert 2022: the first tangible proof that my work mattered

When I received vExpert 2022, it was more than a badge. It was a signal that my work was visible and valuable outside my own bubble.

And almost immediately, doors started opening:

• I was invited to VMware Social Media Advocacy, which helped amplify my posts and grow audience reach.
• On January 26 (right in the middle of the Log4j chaos), VMware reached out to have me participate in a VMware community podcast because they’d seen and liked one of my posts.

That’s the first “career outcome” most people underestimate:

vExpert increases surface area.
The more surface area you have, the more luck you catch.

How vExpert shaped my career outcomes (the real list)

People love listing perks, but the actual value of vExpert (at least for me) is what it enabled.

1) I became a stronger SME inside my company

Once you’re consistently publishing technical work, your internal conversations change.

You stop being “the person who works on VMware,” and you become the person who can:

• explain the why, not just the how
• defend design decisions
• translate vendor roadmap into operational impact
• coach others without gatekeeping

That’s what SME is in practice: trusted judgment at scale.

And the interesting part is: vExpert didn’t magically grant that. It pushed me into habits that created it, building labs, writing, validating, explaining, and being publicly accountable for correctness.

2) VMware Explore: from attendee → speaker energy

VMware Explore was where the community became real for me.

In Explore 2022 (Barcelona) I met my VMware solution engineer face-to-face at labs, one of those moments that seems small until you realize it’s a relationship multiplier.

In Explore 2023 (Barcelona) I attended and presented, including a VMTN session standing in front of people and delivering on a topic I care about (VMware snapshots).

That’s a direct career outcome:

• presenting forces clarity
• clarity boosts credibility
• credibility creates opportunity

And yes, it’s also just personally huge to prove to yourself you can do it.

3) The network effect is real (and it compounds)

The “community” part isn’t motivational fluff. It’s practical.

At Explore 2023, I reconnected with vExpert community leaders (Corey Romero, Eric Nielsen) and met respected voices like William Lam and Cormac Hogan, plus a long list of fellow vExperts.

This matters because when you’re building, troubleshooting, designing, or scaling:

• you learn faster
• you avoid dead ends
• you get better at the “unknown unknowns”

In enterprise IT, that’s priceless.

4) Access, licenses, and early insight = faster learning loops

vExpert is often described as “recognition,” but it also accelerates skill growth with real tooling:

• one-year evaluation keys for a broad VMware product suite
• partner keys (Veeam, Runecast, etc.)
• early briefings / advance-notice webinars
• private community spaces (Slack)

This is the part many people miss: your home lab becomes a career tool, not a hobby.

5) vExpert credibility travels (even outside VMware)

One of the funniest side effects: vExpert is a visible signal that travels across ecosystems.

I was approached on LinkedIn to attend Nutanix .NEXT in Barcelona specifically as a VMware vExpert and even the event lanyard culture reflected that.

That’s not about vendors.
That’s about being seen as someone who can evaluate, communicate, and contribute.

6) Modern “rewards” programs: same principle, new packaging

In 2026, community and recognition is evolving. I joined Broadcom Rewards for similar reasons: early access, closer feedback loops, and real-world benefits (like vouchers), with progression tiers like Champions for highly engaged members.

Different program, same underlying advantage:
proximity to the product and the people shaping it.

4 years in: why I’m still doubling down

As of now, I’ve held vExpert 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
That’s not a streak to flex, it’s proof that the flywheel works when you keep feeding it.

What I’d tell anyone considering applying

If you’re reading this and you’re hesitating, here’s the honest takeaway:

• Don’t wait until you feel “ready.”
• Build public proof of work.
• Share what you learn while you’re learning it.
• Treat community like an accelerator, not a side quest.

vExpert didn’t “give me a career.”

It sharpened my trajectory by forcing consistency, increasing surface area, and plugging me into a network where learning and opportunities compound.

@angrysysops.com