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VMware software and products are popular among enterprises. However, they are also highly proprietary. So, unless you have had experience with VMware products, any experience with other software can only serve as a foundation for using vSphere and other software that VMware offers.
For this reason, enterprises that depend on VMware software also look for job candidates with VMware certifications to ensure they have the right type of knowledge. VMware strives to keep its virtualization software up to date and relevant as technology advances and has an excellent track record of updating its certifications in line with changes to the software.
When you get a VMware certification, you can be sure it covers the latest versions of its software.
What Certifications Does VMware Offer?
VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certifications are designed for IT professionals who install, configure, manage, and optimize VMware solutions. VMware also has VCTA or VMware Certified Technical Associate certifications that you can take before becoming VCP certified that proves that you have basic knowledge of virtualization and vSphere concepts, but this is not required to take the VCP exam.
VMware breaks its certifications down into tracks that cover parts of the technology it offers:
- Data Center Virtualization (DCV)
- Network Virtualization (NV)
- Cloud Management & Automation (CMA)
- Security (SEC)
- End User Computing (EUC)
- Application Modernization (AM)
Each of these tracks has several levels. The DCV track has these four levels:
- VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA)
- VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
- VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP)
- VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)
Get more information on our VMware Certification Training
Why You Should Consider Earning the VMware’s VCP - Data Center Virtualization (Spoiler: It’s also a top-paying certification)
The professional Data Center Virtualization track verifies that a candidate knows how to implement, troubleshoot, and manage the VMware vSphere infrastructure and knows the best practices for doing so. According to our research, it's also a top-paying IT certification.
It is broken up into seven sections:
- Section 1: Architecture and Technologies
- Section 2: Products and Solutions
- Section 3: Planning and Designing
- Section 4: Installing, Configuring, and Setup
- Section 5: Performance-Tuning, Optimization, and Upgrades
- Section 6: Troubleshooting and Repairing
- Section 7: Administrative and Operational Tasks
Let's look at why getting this certification is the first step in a journey that can change your career and life for the better.
6 reasons to get your VCP-DCV certification
Certifications like VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization help you stand out from your peers. Of course, experience counts, but with proprietary software like vSphere, having the proof of your skills that certification provides can change your career trajectory.
1. Recognition for your skills
Employers trust certifications, certified individuals, and the certification process. While you may have all the skills that a certified IT professional may have, without the certification, you will have to prove on the job you know what you are doing. If your business was in the balance, would you take that chance or would you rather hire someone who has proven skills?
Plus, you know for yourself where you stand. It is one thing to know what you can do. It is another to have certified proof.
2. Career advancement opportunities
In IT, certifications matter.
The truth is that anyone can embellish their resume. In a recent study, 93% of participants say they know someone who has lied on their resume, and the most common lie has to do with experience.
The same study showed only 2% of people lied about certifications. The likely answer for such a low percentage is because certifications can be validated. When an organization validates your experience, there is no denying the evidence of knowledge and skill.
So, IT professionals with certifications have provided employers with proof that they are ready to take on more responsibilities. And VMware has created the professional Data Center track to provide employers with a gauge they can use to measure the skills of their employees.
By following this track, an IT professional can prove they have the skills required for each step in their career path.
3. More employment opportunities
Once you have your VCP-DCV certification, you can add it to your resume or your LinkedIn profile. This means when recruiters are looking for experts working with vSphere, your resume will stand out against those who don't have the certification — even if they have experience using vSphere in a past job.
4. Better chances of promotion
A VCP-DCV certification puts the proof of your skills on paper, where it can be used when it comes time for that promotion. By following the VMware Data Center Virtualization track, you can prove to your employer that your skills are advancing and you are ready for bigger challenges.
5. Increased salary
Certified employees earn more than their uncertified peers, and the VCP-DCV certification is #10 in our 15 Top-Paying IT Certifications for 2021. Information technology professionals who are VCP-DCV certified earn an average salary of over $132,000 a year.
6. Lifetime certification
At one time, you would have had to renew your VCP-DCV certification after two years, but VMware certifications no longer expire. Now you don't have to deal with the stress of renewing your certification. Instead, this allows you to upgrade and earn a higher-level certificate in the VMware Data Center Virtualization track.
Learn more
VMware certifications are always in high demand and getting your VCP-DCV certification proves to the enterprises that use vSphere that you know how to configure, maintain, and troubleshoot the software that underlies their whole infrastructure.
Even though you may have a shot at a job based on experience or a more general certification, it only makes sense to get a certification designed for the software you will be working with.
Passing your VMware certification is a rewarding experience and can lead to more opportunities in your career. As a VMware Education Reseller Partner, Global Knowledge provides the VMware-approved courses to prepare you for the VCP-DCV certification, including:
Certification Training Resources
How to Earn the VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization Certification
This certification prep guide provides an overview of the VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization certification and offers helpful tips that you can use when preparing for your exam.
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V7]
This five-day course will teach you how to install, configure, and manage vSphere7 with intensive, hands-on training.
VMware vSphere: Optimize and Scale [V7]
This five-day course will teach you how to create an infrastructure with vSphere 7 that is both highly available and scalable.
VMware vSphere: Fast Track [V7]
This five-day course builds on our other vSphere courses to take you from basic skills to the advanced skills necessary to manage and maintain a vSphere infrastructure for an enterprise of any size .