Maroane Boutayeb, Global Team Lead, Nutanix, at OVHCloud, recently wrote about his experience as a Nutanix University Subject Matter Expert (SME) and how it has benefitted his career.

Here’s what Maroane had to say about going behind the scenes to help develop certification exams with Nutanix University: 

Some people say that you make your own luck. In life, I believe the best way for anyone to become lucky is to make yourself into an opportunity.

I got the chance to put my theory into action shortly after being Nutanix Certified Master - Multicloud Infrastructure (NCM-MCI) certified. The certification team reached out to the NCMs, asking if anyone wanted to become an SME and engage in the certification writing process. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered what it would be like to see what was on the other side of the fence.

Having sat the tests, I assumed creating the exams was probably as complicated as putting satellites in orbit. As it turns out, it’s not. Instead, a group of highly skilled people from varied backgrounds contribute to making the exams accurately reflect the current environment.

The process begins with a series of workshops. SMEs hold discussions and then work asynchronously to shape and define the trajectory of the exam. We start by identifying the minimum qualified candidate (MQC) and determining the foundations of what a Nutanix expert should be. 

We asked ourselves things like:

• What skills should that expert role contain? 
• How much do they need to know about networking?
• Do they need to know a lot about storage?
• Would it be useful for them to understand how CPU queuing works?

These discussions are where the true value of the SME comes to bear. Different perspectives can matter as much—or even more than—specific technical knowledge. One person might have spent time with a particular system or process and can offer profound insights. Another may have found a simple workaround for an annoying problem that the rest of the group never tried.

Once we set the bar for the MQC, we view the exam experience through their eyes. We spend time formulating the questions, and a team assists us in wording the exam properly. They help with small but essential details like determining whether the verbs are in the right place to ensure the candidate knows how to recall, apply, or understand something. Those details make a big difference in the overall exam experience.

Going through the process has changed how I think about certification exams. Now, when I pass any certification, I have an insider’s perspective. I better understand the people who made it and what they had in mind, which makes the exam easier for me, whether it’s AWS, Azure, or any other certification.

Check out Maroane’s full story here.

Interested in becoming a Nutanix University SME? Learn more about the program and sign up here.

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