From IT Intern to Sr. VMware Engineer

Deathmage

So I'd like to think I've been a decent person. I know so many people over the years have been nice to me and other's jealous of the stride I've overcome. Along the way I've found things out about myself that I never knew existed. I was once a very arrogant and dickish person to now I've changed my ways as I've gotten older to be a more humbled and kind person in the workplace and this has followed me into my personal life.

I am human after all and I do admit I've made mistakes along the way. But the journey and the ride have been amazing.

A little backstory about me:

I was born 4 months premature with only a 16% chance to live in the 1st 72 hours, I had 45% brain damage and was told I'd be a mentally-disabled person for life. My gracious mother said no and sent me off to boarding school after boarding school for me to get smarter and be more socially acceptable. It was a struggle I will admit, mainly in the aspect of one key area everyone takes for granted, social interactions. See while many went to public school and had tons of friends I completely skipped public school for the institutional life.

After graduating boarding school is 2003, I went onto a college for all the wrong reasons just because it had a learning disability program. I enrolled in Forestry since I love nature. I got a degree from Paul Smiths college in Forestry in 2007 but only worked for the DEC for 4 months since it just wasn't going to be a fiscally-feasible long-term career.

I started my Associates degree at local community college in computer science and I completed that course in 2009.

I landed my 1st intern job at a newspaper company for 3 months only to be told I'd never make it in IT and that I was too stupid to ever figure it out. I was persistent beyond measure and I landed another job two weeks later at a boarding school, and I worked there for 5 months before realizing just because I lived in boarding schools working for one was too personal for me absorb. I left because it brought back too many memories as a young adult.

I was unemployed for maybe 2 weeks and landed the job as a help desk for President Container Group, I was only there a month and I got conscripted into the IT manager role at 25, a position typically reserved for people much older than me. I had no real certifications to my name just a drive to learn. I will be frank I failed allot, I lacked social skills yet alone corporate social skills and behaviors. I struggled allot along the way. After 3 years of working there I went from a lowbie IT person to a trial by fire experience IT professional versed in networking, desktops, server, storage, security, help desk, and VMware. I still talk to these co-workers on a daily basis.

I ended up leaving PCG for a company that I thought was a good fit but the MSP turned out to be a flop. I then went onto another MSP for 3 months and this was just a place holder.

I then went onto a company in NYC for a few months in the wall street area to work with a bank to setup a VMware 5.5 datacenter and that was allot of fun.

Then I found Mastercraft Industries, a company with a IT infrastructure 15 years in the past. It was my job to modernize the infrastructure solo. I was tasked to make it better with nothing and I had to propose, plan, design, deploy, implement and then manage the overhaul of the companies IT needs. I found it to be the most fun I ever had in my life. I took great pride it being able to implement the entire package by myself over the course of 5 weeks. I ended u leaving Mastercraft because the company has fiscal structuring. I left on good terms and still talk to my co-workers there to this day.

After Mastercraft I did a contractor based role for a local clinic and found out that had a HIPPA violation and when I voice my concern about the practice of covering up the matter they fired me. I was only there a 3 weeks.

Afterwards I did a small stint as a IT manager for a college but found it not to be the job I wanted to do as state employees working in IT that are unionized don't like new people and left them after two weeks.

Which bring me to my current role: Lead VMware Engineer for a hospital of 14,000 end users. This hospital is amazing, they have such an amazing environment and It's my responsibility to manage the entire VMware landscape which is made up of 50+ hosts and over 4000 VM's spanning multiple datacenter with multiple clusters and they themselves spanning long-distance WAN's. This environment is like my dream job. We are implementing Simplivity in Q1/2 of 2017 and thus will be in the cutting edge of gen 4 hyperconverance and we just implemented a Nexus 7/9k upgrade to the infrastructure to replace the 5/9k's from 6 years ago or whatever the models of Neuxs where used back them. I'm honestly away from the networking team but work closely with them. I'm purely VMware and Windows Administration. They want me to get my VCDX, so that's my core focus.

It's been a ride along the way and I've had ups and downs, some had choice words for me and others rooted me on, but the one thing I have is the determination and drive to accomplish ever goal I set for myself. Not every dream is on a beaten trail, sometimes you need to forge your own...

BuzzSaw

thanks for sharing

It's nice to read people's success stories

I have had some personal struggles to overcome myself that align similarly with some of your experiences. I can relate to your story in a big way, so I can appreciate some of the struggles you've had to overcome. Sometimes you don't know how tough your metal is until it strikes something hard.

Chadius

I always enjoy your posts. The one thing that caught my eye in this post, you were made IT manager after a month? Still first IT job? Holy Crap. That has to be daunting as hell. lol

Good for you, for not folding like a lawn chair.

Iristheangel

Isn't this like the 6th job in 6 months?

networker050184

Think it's about the 6th job this month.

volfkhat

Iristheangel wrote: »

Isn't this like the 6th job in 6 months?

Oh behave!
;]

Deathmage

volfkhat wrote: »

Oh behave!
;]

naysayer's are what drive me, keep them coming!

Iristheangel

I challenge you to find anywhere I have ever told you that you could not make it, Trevor. Seriously, please find a post anywhere on here where I have told you that you're too dumb to succeed. Screenshot for me and post here.

I can't speak to your personal medical issues and I'm someone who spent my teenage years in boarding school. That being said, we have mutual friends in the industry so I do have a pretty good idea of what really went on and it's not the story above in terms of your recent work history. You seemed like a nice kid for the last few years from when you joined but in the last 8 months or so, you've really kind of went out of your way to try to prove you're in this spot that you're not in professionally or technically. It sounds like you went though something that closed your mind off to taking a serious look at yourself, or listening to other's feedback. Everyone wants a success story and I want one for you too. Just don't call the game as a win at the end of the 1st quarter when you're down by 2 points. I get the sense that this current guy you are acting like isn't really you because you were relatively cool for a couple years on here before all this posturing and BS.

Deathmage

I just want to move forward. Can we take the high road? No one is perfect, can we humbly accept this?

The passing of my dad changed me, been searching for myself ever since.

Polynomial

I tried to give Iris more reputation, but the system said I need to spread it around first. Damn it.

Iristheangel

I want you to move forward too! I'm honestly rooting for you though you won't believe it and I don't think anyone here thinks they are perfect. I think if the first half of your post is true, that's an AMAZING success to overcome those personal challenges but knowing the second half of that post is almost completely fabricated kinda makes me question it all. Just relax and be ok with updating your progress with your new job without exaggerating a bunch of BS. You got a new contracting gig for a few months and you're digging it. I'm happy for you, man. I hope it grows into an FTE role. But don't say you're an "senior infrastructure engineer" when you're already told a bunch of people in mutual study groups of ours that you're a temp and the real circumstances of why you left your last gig.

Deathmage

Kind of perplexed as I'm in no study groups right now.

Ironically, none of it is fabricated, but if you want to think that, I can't change that.

Iristheangel

So you're not working as a contractor for a finite amount of time?
Could you also elaborate on your resume experience as a healthcare vmware guru?

kiki162

Iris - Remember... some ppl in this world don’t function/operate the same as you or I do. As much as you want to grill him...there's no point.


Death - She called BS on your post. She’s right…we don’t need a novel or BS. Keep your stories straight, less BS and all will be right in the world.

Iristheangel

You're right on both points, kiki. Thank you

Cyberscum

Jeeze just let the guy post ****. Who cares if he is making **** up or being genuine...It a public forum for fuk sakes.

More drama than a damn TV show.

Mow

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you, @Cyberscum. I think that most folks here use this as a place to talk about their journey in a way that will help others, and come here to read others' success stories to try to optimize their own career. If one of our more reputable members (who has gone out of the way to help tons of people on this forum) knows DM and knows the story is BS, she should absolutely call it out, so that this information doesn't get confused as fact.
One person in the argument has a verifiable career and reputation for helping up and comers, and one person in this argument does not. I know whose word I will take on the matter, and am grateful for them bringing the cow-pie to light.

Cyberscum

Mow wrote: »

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you, @Cyberscum. I think that most folks here use this as a place to talk about their journey in a way that will help others, and come here to read others' success stories to try to optimize their own career. If one of our more reputable members (who has gone out of the way to help tons of people on this forum) knows DM and knows the story is BS, she should absolutely call it out, so that this information doesn't get confused as fact.
One person in the argument has a verifiable career and reputation for helping up and comers, and one person in this argument does not. I know whose word I will take on the matter, and am grateful for them bringing the cow-pie to light.

Great, thanks for sharing that.

Iristheangel

Cyberscum, I totally get it and I don't mean to annoy you with this. I should have more patience and sometimes I don't for things that make me physically facepalm. Trevor is somewhat of a unique because we have mutual acquaintances that he does this with CONSTANTLY if not more in other circles. Trevor and I have exchanged some PMs in regards to this. We are on a public forum that constantly has new members coming and going. A lot of folks who are looking to accelerate their career and looking for guidance and mentorship. Every couple weeks, DM is building a data center, healthcare Vmware guru, senior engineer, etc - take your pick - and either new members are going to assume he's the model they should follow or they're going to come to him for their technical help.

Cyberscum

Copy, I just think that it is inappropriate to call people out like this. It shows a side of you that is less flattering than I am sure you would want to portray yourself.

The guy obviously has issues, anyone with a brain can see that.

I understand why you are doing what you are doing, but it looks tacky from the outside.

volfkhat

Oddly enough...
i actually agree with BOTH of you on this (Cyber & Angel).
:]

but... the loss of loved ones can definitely be traumatic.


If grandiose posts are what it takes to make a person feel Good about themselves.....
i say, just let them be.

TacoRocket

I would rather people be frank with others. As said before I come to this forum for insight and tips on what is going on in the industry. Heck I think half the searching I do here what materials have worked for people on certain exams. I'd be lost on my GCIH if I didn't have this forum's help for outside resources. While it is nice to show where you are at, be truthful and people won't call you out. Life isn't always cheery but if you keep at it, sooner or later you will shine.

dave330i

Not as interesting as the thread about building a super secret datacenters for bank CEO who was impressed with the VCP shirt.

thatguy67

This is an amazing story. It gives Forrest Gump a run for its money.

thomas_

To be fair, in this thread he mentions it was a VMware 5.5 datacenter which to me implies something completely different than a full-blown data center. A VMware datacenter to me implies maybe a couple of racks worth of equipment or maybe at most a large room, within an existing building, that is full of equipment/racks. This would correspond to his timeline of working there for only a few months. It would have been nice if he had clarified in his previous post that it was a VMware 5.5 datacenter and not a full-blown datacenter.

A lot of his job history would make sense if it were done on a 1099 basis, but his posts do seem to imply that they were w-2 jobs. I don't think being a contractor and a "Lead VMware Engineer" are mutually exclusive, but there's probably information I'm not privy to. I can see him rewording his job title from a different title that his employer currently has for him, but a lot of people do that.

As far as all the other stuff, based off what I've read in his posts it seems like at some point he got into "pick up" which probably also pushed him into some personal development stuff. He likely pushed his personality to the opposite end of the spectrum of what it used to be as he attempted to incorporate some stuff he learned from studying pick up. It also sounds like he might have gotten into some MLM stuff or being an "independent distributor". From my experience people who go that route try to present themselves as more successful than what they are or, to be less harsh, they present themselves in the best light possible leaving out details that might take some luster out of the image they want you to see. This might be bleeding over into his posts here.

Iristheangel

thomas_ wrote: »

As far as all the other stuff, based off what I've read in his posts it seems like at some point he got into "pick up" which probably also pushed him into some personal development stuff. He likely pushed his personality to the opposite end of the spectrum of what it used to be as he attempted to incorporate some stuff he learned from studying pick up. It also sounds like he might have gotten into some MLM stuff or being an "independent distributor". From my experience people who go that route try to present themselves as more successful than what they are or, to be less harsh, they present themselves in the best light possible leaving out details that might take some luster out of the image they want you to see. This might be bleeding over into his posts here.

100% this right here. He seemed like a nice kid before all the MLM stuff but he might have some other issues that prevent him from taking anything with a grain of salt or without being literal in his philosophy. My impression from mutual friends is had a bad breakup with a lady and, like most people, he decided to try to better himself. Except I think he kind of went overboard and the exact opposite happened. It's a shame because he's had some events in his life that has told him that perhaps he shouldn't be lying at his job or with women because it has caught up to him. You can't establish a good working relationship with an employer or a relationship with a woman solely founded on exaggerations of your skills, experience, or background.


Edit: I just reread his OP and facepalmed. He mentioned going to the MSP -> DC build vmware shirt job -> Then the Mastercraft job which he was at for a couple years in his original post on this thread. I don't think he can keep his crap in order because I remember when he was looking to get away from Mastercraft, it was before ALL these crazy stories about getting turned down for the job because of arrogance, the MSP, and the "vmware shirt" story. If you're going to tell white lies here and there, keep it simple or else you end up outing yourself:

My recommendation is to stop posturing, dude. It's a small IT community and if you can't keep your story straight on an internet forum, how are you going to in a job interview or in a job? I'm not saying there aren't duds in the industry but there are a lot of smart folks out there who will see through the BS. My advice is this: Wanna be "alpha" and "successful?" Own yourself and be accountable. Wherever you are in your life or your career, own it and know where you want to go. When you tell everyone you're already successful or know everything, you close yourself off to advice or really moving ahead and people don't tolerate mistakes as much.

mandy7777

Thanks for sharing. that's inspiring

zxbane

tl;dr..

Deathmage

Yes I did have a bad breakup (who hasn't) and then we got back together in recent weeks, but what is more striking is this and you yourself are digging the hole deeper. The only person that would know this is a few of my friends minus the CCIE that is my friend that I haven't told (yes I know who you got it from) ... The only way you'd know about my personal life is by digger deeper than this forum or from my Linkedin Profile.

Many people on here can bicker at me all you want, but the things people on here have already seen with your posts in this thread is you know more about me that everyone on here. Question I ask myself is Why?

Many people give me reputation and PM's for they see the same thing...

Please reflect.

Deathmage

thomas_ wrote: »

To be fair, in this thread he mentions it was a VMware 5.5 datacenter which to me implies something completely different than a full-blown data center. A VMware datacenter to me implies maybe a couple of racks worth of equipment or maybe at most a large room, within an existing building, that is full of equipment/racks. This would correspond to his timeline of working there for only a few months. It would have been nice if he had clarified in his previous post that it was a VMware 5.5 datacenter and not a full-blown datacenter.

A lot of his job history would make sense if it were done on a 1099 basis, but his posts do seem to imply that they were w-2 jobs. I don't think being a contractor and a "Lead VMware Engineer" are mutually exclusive, but there's probably information I'm not privy to. I can see him rewording his job title from a different title that his employer currently has for him, but a lot of people do that.

As far as all the other stuff, based off what I've read in his posts it seems like at some point he got into "pick up" which probably also pushed him into some personal development stuff. He likely pushed his personality to the opposite end of the spectrum of what it used to be as he attempted to incorporate some stuff he learned from studying pick up. It also sounds like he might have gotten into some MLM stuff or being an "independent distributor". From my experience people who go that route try to present themselves as more successful than what they are or, to be less harsh, they present themselves in the best light possible leaving out details that might take some luster out of the image they want you to see. This might be bleeding over into his posts here.

Finally someone that can read without a bias opinion. Yes I manage the VMware Datacenter aspect of the full-blown datacenter. It's a 5.5 cluster on a dozen c7000 HP Enclosures with all Gen9's, new for me since I'm used to the Dell M Chassis and R series servers.

See this guy is perfect, he sees the difference in that not all words are meant at face value as words can mean different things to different people. When I think of a VMware datacenter, I think of just the VMware hypervisor and everything else that virtual past that point. A full-blown datacenter now that's more ingrained with Cisco networking team, building design, HVAC systems, Storage admins - even that I'm fine with as Storage and VMware go hand-n-hand, then well Windows Administration that just a no brainer, personally I love Powershell.

I really wished people read between the lines all these months instead of seeing it at face value. It's truly a skillset IT people lack.

As for Lead VMware Engineer, this is accurate since I'm the only VMware Engineer here that manages all of the VMware. So take the title how you want it. If you like it I'm call myself the 'Lead Toilet Bowl Cleaner' if that's better, it's just a title.

I still do Microsoft, Citrix, VMware, HP3Par/EMC, Cisco administration, so call my title what you want. I really don't care.

dave330i wrote: »

Not as interesting as the thread about building a super secret datacenters for bank CEO who was impressed with the VCP shirt.

Again, and I said this in the past, the context of the interview when I met him in NYC the 1st time he shoke my hand like in every interview when I shake a person hand and said he liked my VCP shirt cause it was ironed. I think my personality and technical skillsets afterwards is what shined thru.

I do believe I mentioned this in the past too.

JustFred

Good luck with everything DM. Above all enjoy yourself.