VMWARE career!

joemc3

Hello all, I have a comptia A+ level of experience and about to take the network+ exam. However, I want to either go security or VMWARE. How much networking experience is needed, if any, for VMWARE? Can I lab effectively with 1 computer? Feel free to add anything additionally to one of no knowledge of this career field.

Thank You!

Jon_Cisco

This seems rather vague. Can you elaborate on your background and future schooling goals? This might allow some of the members to give you more specific pointers.

Good Luck

ande0255

I'm wondering what you mean by a VMware career, like do you mean working for VMware? Or being a VMware infrastructure admin for a company?

joemc3

Well, I only the comptia a right now. I sit for the network+ in the next two weeks. I was going to plan on specializing on one path after the network+. I do not have on the job experience and I realize that I may have to change out toner for awhile before I get an opportunity.

ANde0225, either would be fine. I am also vague on where this technology and experience can get you employed. I was mainly concerned with what knowledge outside of hands on that I would need to accompany VMWARE certs.

cyberguypr

Welcome aboard. Keep in mind that VMware is a company, not a product. Specifying vSphere or other product helps. But to answer your question, for both you will need networking knowledge. How much? no one can answer that as it depends on what you want to specialize. I know way too many vSphere and Security peeps that do not get networking.

Jon_Cisco

What makes VMware appeal to you? How does it tie in to your question about security? Saying either would be fine does not project any sort of confidence!

Have you looked at job postings to see if any of them interest you? Perhaps you could post one of the job postings you would like to pursue.

Is this part of a career change? What other experience do you have that might lead you in a preferred direction. Have you recently graduated High School or College? A+ and Network+ can get you into entry level positions and you might pick a direction once you have been exposed to a few things.

I don't have any vmware experience to share with you but it's important that you consider your options and elaborate on your interests and experience in order to solicit valuable feedback.

joemc3

Yes, this is part of a career change. I have worked in sales and worked in a warehouse. My apologies for not being versed enough for this conversation. An IT guy at work said I should get into VMWARE. I now know that I should be talking about visualization or v sphere. I always wanted to be well rounded before I specialize. My thoughts were to take Comptia A, network, security and maybe server. I hear those are good beginning certs and help you figure out what path to go to. I originally thought working in a virtual environment to be a bit more interesting. I also thought that it could gain market share and job opportunities. I hope I clarified some things. I don't have a college degree, I would be a paper warrior until i get a entry level job.

I wasn't sure if I was wasting time pursuing other certs or just stick with my network+ and pursue virtualization certs soon afterward. I find the information given to me from industry professionals much more valuable.

ande0255

You probably want to get into a job role where you are working with it, or the knowledge you gain from studying will be very quickly lost (like most other things).

I'm studying for the VCP right now, and haven't gotten many VMware related tickets at all at work, so unfortunately I will probably end up learning this info for the exam and losing a good portion of it once I go back to Cisco studies, cause I just don't work with it enough to keep things straight without constantly labbing and reading.

So I'd go for other certs, as any sort of vmware administration is going to involve both network and storage responsibilities, that get very complex / detailed very quickly

massontech

I was wondering between two areas at some point in my career. but then it was to spcialise in either SCCM 2007 OR VCP(Thats become a VMware Professional) . I finally had to go with the SCCM . 8 months into it i found out that most jobs would require you to have not just one technical know how but multiple. So i dived in to learning VMWARE aswell.

Well moral of my story is : Why dont you learn both? Networking , Security and Vmware.

They all intertwined . I can bet , You would NOT see a "vmware Role" were networking is not part of the job description. You should know your VLAN very well.

So my answer to your question is - go for as much as you want to learn right now. Then when you hit your self a job- you would then know the part to specialize in.

Cheers