Blog URL: http://andysworld.org.uk
Twitter handle: @einsteinagogo
Current employer: Cyrus Computer Consultants Ltd (http://www.cyrus-consultants.co.uk/)
How did you get into IT?
In the late 70's in the UK, I was introduced to a PDP11 minicomputer, by a friend's father that worked in a Research department for a Welsh University. That got me hooked, during the late 70s, my parent's purchased an EACA Video Genie (TRS-80 clone), I was coding in Assembler and BASIC, the BBC launched the BBC Microcomputer in 1981, which I also had, and completed the newly introduced GCE 'O' Level.
I left university in 1990, and the Electronics Engineering job never appeared, so I started on the bottom rung of the ladder as a Customer Support Assistant for a Software House, supporting the Leisure and Commercial Marine markets, with personal computers at sea, and in those days it was MSDOS 3.0. My interest was always supporting servers, networks, and larger computer systems. I left that company to join Computer Science Corporation as a Senior Analyst, I later became a Technical Architect @ CSC, creating large scale corporate-wide designs and solutions, a few years later, I decided to setup Cyrus Computer Consultants Ltd, to provide IT Consultancy in many IT disciplines.
How did you get into working with VMware and becoming a 2011 vExpert?
Business diversification in 2001. After many years of successfully deploying Citrix solutions, We started to work on server consolidation projects with VMware ESX 1.0 in 2001, we were impressed with VMware's initial Workstation x86 Hypervisor release a few years earlier, but it was not "ripe enough" for the datacentre.
Voluntary contributions to Experts-Exchange.com, led me to being nominated for a vExpert by many of the Experts-Exchange.com members, I had helped in the VMware and Virtualisation zones. Currently overall leader in VMware and Virtualisation zones on Experts-Exchange.com, and Overall leader this year on Experts-Exchange.com. I also write tutorial videos and blogs on my blog about popular VMware issues.
What would you tell someone who wanted to get a job like yours to do?
Do not be afraid to experiment, gather as much experience as you can, learn from others, ask questions, aptitude and enthusiasm for VMware related products and technology is good. The willingness to learn new technologies.
If you want to get into IT, email you CV to the HR Department, HR Manager, or Managing Director/CEO and offer to work for FREE! (even if it's on the Service Desk) It can be hard work, but make sure your enjoy and love what you do.
Are you a vExpert? Do you want your profile published? DM @VMwareCommunity for details.
