The VMware vExpert program honors individuals worldwide for their notable contributions to the VMware community and ecosystem. It’s not a technical certification but a recognition for your community efforts. This individual award lasts for a year (February to January). Both customer and partner employees are eligible. We assess various community contributions from the past year to select awardees.
We’ve added a new process this year and you can now join our vExpert communication platform and chat with vExpert PROs. You can request to join here. Read the Brest Practice Guide, Join the vExpert communication platform, and Apply for the vExpert award.
Key Application Dates: Application submissions closes July 19th at 5 pm PST. Voting starts the week of July 22nd. Awards will be announced on or before August 9th, just before VMware Explore – Las Vegas which means you can join the vExperts at the VMware Leadership Reception.
The vExpert Best Practice Guide
In my opinion, this is the most important update out of the four. The guide is new and covers topics which I believe will help fill in gaps to provide a better understanding of what we are looking for and what you should include in your application and what to avoid from putting in your application. We cover vExpert Application Paths, Application data and what to include/avoid, The Application Review Process, and Voting Process. We also touch on VMUG Community Contribution Opportunities & How to Get Involved, and the final topic in the guide touches on one piece you can do to grow your network using the Follow Me Thread. View the Guide and Apply for the 2024 vExpert Program.
Bidirectional Messaging System
This new app allows seamless communication between vExpert PROs & Applicants during the voting period. We can also use this app when processing appeals which will help speed up the process. As we review applications and appeals, there may be questions to ensure informed decision-making. So in order for us to make an informed decision we need to contact the applicants in an efficient way. This new messaging system is pretty easy to use and allows the person reviewing the app or appeal to easily message the applicant. When you receive a message, you will see an alert next to “Messages” (see image below) along with an email letting you know you have a message. Keep in mind if you receive a message and don’t respond, you could revive a denial email but you can respond and or appeal up to 7 days post announcement.
Application Pending Status: To avoid miscommunication and provide a clearer application evaluation process, we have introduced the Pending status. In some instances, applications may require additional information or clarification for better decision-making. Previously, email communication that resulted in no response often led to the selection of “Not Ready” status, even when we simply had questions instead of a denial.
In each Not Ready email, we would include the reason for denial, but not everyone reads their email thoroughly, leading to misunderstandings. To address this, the introduction of the Pending status aims to clarify the need for further information. If you receive a Pending status email, it means we have a question or require clarification regarding your application. Applications that receive a message stating that your application is Pending should respond to the email immediately so we can make a clear decision on your application before the announcement on August 9th.
The deadline for application submission is July 19th at 5 pm PST. Make sure to finalize and submit your application before this time. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
