The VMware Flight program was created to support VMware’s early-in-career employees globally. The program is designed to provide employees with the tools and support needed to “take flight” and launch a successful career at VMware.
Over the next year, we will connect with many VMware Flight employees in different teams and regions around the world. They will share their perspective as they navigate the initial stages of their career at VMware. Our second feature in this series is by Lavanya Sharma. Lavanya shares her journey to becoming an Instructional Designer at VMware India.
People often ask me, “What is your job role all about?”. Being an Instructional Designer, I love answering this query of theirs. But before I answer that question, allow me to share my story of how I became one and why it is so cool to be an Instructional Designer at VMware!
My journey started when VMware came to my university to interview for placements in October 2020. The effects of the COVID-19 wave had taken a toll on all of us. As a part of my final year mandate, I was working on my dissertation on the rise of online education with the ongoing pandemic. So, when I first heard about the job opportunity of an Instructional Designer, a sense of excitement kicked in because I was interested. Like every other thing in 2020, the whole placement process was virtual. The fact that it was the very first job I had applied for and something I wanted to achieve was a great motivation for me. Thanks to the incredible hiring team who saw me worthy of the role and I succeeded in becoming a part of the VMware family.
Beginning the VMware Journey:
21st June 2021 marked my first day at VMware. Carrying the excitement and the nervousness of my first ever job, I got to meet my manager, mentor, and a buddy from the Learning Programs Team. From the second day onwards, my VMware Academy training began. Not only was the training well-structured, but it was so much fun to connect with new graduates from different departments. I would sum up my experience of the Academy training, with just one word – AMAZING! Be it the Emotional Intelligence sessions, the Product Training sessions, or the Presenting with Impact sessions, they all left a lasting impact on me.
Once I finished my VMware Academy Training, I was ready to get on board. During my second month at VMware, I met my teammates from India, the US, and Costa Rica. As I got to know more about my colleagues, I learned more about my role and responsibilities through my role-based training.
” It was humbling to see the amount of warmth my team showed towards me. They ensured that I did not overwhelm myself with too much information and kept checking up on me.”
Moving ahead to the following months, I started putting my learning into action by working on my assignments. As a part of my assignment, I developed a complete course on Design Thinking by implementing all the knowledge I had gained from my mentor. The course was reviewed by my manager and a few senior instructional designers. It was an encouraging moment for me when my course was appreciated by them! I was also responsible for reviewing other courses that were being developed by my colleagues.
I believe in challenging myself so that I can learn and grow, and therefore, I took part in initiatives and events like VMworld 2021 and WWRACE Design Thinking Webinar. Both of the events brought different experiences and helped me gather confidence and learn new things. I believe these will be beneficial for my development in the longer run.
So, coming back to where I started, I love to explain my job role to people by telling them that as a learning experience designer I get to design e-learnings for people across the globe. My job allows me to form a better understanding of my target audience. It enables me to help the learners learn and develop better skills for improving their performance.
“Learning is an experience, and the ability to design courses and training materials specifically for the learners is a wonderful job.”
My journey after these six months at VMware has been phenomenal. The things that I adore about VMware are its EPIC2 Values. I love how focused VMware is on sustainability and giving back to society. For the same reason, I believe that the nurturing environment of VMware will make my career journey ahead remarkable!
Learn more about what it’s like to work at VMware here.
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