Twitter Handle: @Texiwill
Blog URL: http://www.virtualizationpractice.com
Current Employer: AstroArch Consulting, Inc.
How did you get into IT in the first place
Naturally, I have always been interested in programming and one day a friend offered me the chance to play and program a commodore 64. Viola I was hooked. Been developing code and learning more about it every day since then. I was first involved in computational fluid dynamics where I was visualizing complex fluid flows and moved from there to writing low level graphics libraries and eventually high performance technical computing
How did you get into working with VMware and becoming a 2011 vExpert?
It all started many years ago when the beta of VMware workstation v0.9 was released with the try it and tell us what breaks approach. I tried it and it broke but it was a start. Later, I was asked by a manager, "Do you know this VMware stuff?". After saying yes, I found myself discussing server virtualization using ESX 1.5.2 and everything snowballed from there. I have written three books on virtualization and have a few more planned. I am now an independent consultant in the virtualization and cloud computing space, trying to find time to get all my little projects completed. I consider part of my job, to give back to the community that spawned my career where every day the technology landscape changes with something new and interesting.
What would you tell someone who wanted to get a job like yours to do?
Learn what you can, keep an open mind, and when presented the opportunity leap. I find the key to being a virtualization and cloud architect is knowledge. Not only what is learned, but what you can bring to the table from current and past work. You have to be a self-starter to be an independent and always aware of your brand, namely yourself. I believe giving back to the community is crucial to this brand.
