Twitter Handle: @chrisdearden
Blog URL: http://jfvi.co.uk , http://vsoup.net
Current Employer: Veeam of course!
How did you get into IT?
I graduated from University with a Degree in Materials Engineering in 1999 – and almost went straight into Corporate IT however ,after 4 years at University I felt I should at least give my chosen vocation a try – 12 months later I realised I’ should have stuck with my first choice & went back into IT. Started at the bottom with nightshift helpdesk.
How did you get into working with VMware and becoming a 2011 vExpert?
Pretty much by accident – my work colleagues knew I dabbled with Linux and wasn’t afraid of new tech – so when an ESX host started having problems I got tasked with fixing it. I fell in love with the technology and have moved onward ever since. I’ve always ended up being involved in the online community is many walks of life , both work and pleasure ( of course working with VMware it’s both 😉 ) Encouragement from peers got me into blogging and drunken conversations at VMworld got me into podcasting !
What would you tell someone who wanted to get a job like yours to do?
Don’t be afraid to get stuck into new things – accept that you will never know 100% of something and learn to apply old knowledge to new situations.
