The Nutanix Certified Expert (NCX) certification tests candidates on their ability to create and deliver Cloud-Smart solutions that leverage the Nutanix stack for Private Cloud and the best offerings from our Public Cloud partners for hybrid services.
Every NCX is an expert in their field and has the proven ability to design enterprise-scale solutions that support business-critical applications with service level agreements specified by business stakeholders.
Recently we caught up with one of our newest NCXs, Kyle Cherry, Senior Consultant at Nutanix, to talk about his experience earning this expert-level certification and to get his advice for other professionals looking to earn their NCX.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your IT background?
I have been working in the technology industry for 22 years now. I got my start in help desk and have transitioned through almost every area/level in this industry. I have mostly worked for Integrators along the way and also spent 8 years at Dell before starting at Nutanix a year ago.
I hold VCP, CCEA, MCSE, Prince and PRINCE 2, Azure Associate Architect, and numerous other certifications for various systems along the way.
Q. Can you walk us through the process of getting your NCX-MCI?
I started by attending the Enterprise Cloud Solution Design Boot Camp that ended up highlighting a lot of areas that I didn’t know. With that said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the boot camp; it pushed me out of my comfort zone. At the time I was working for an Integrator, so I didn’t have the daily exposure to Nutanix that I do now that I joined the team a year ago.
Earlier this year, a complex design was presented to me by a customer that I thought would be the perfect design to work with to get my NCX-MCI as it would both allow me to get my expert level certification and provide a great design for the customer.
Q. What tools/resources did you use to prepare for the certification?
I came into this certification process with a lot of soft skills already although I hadn’t used them in a while, so the main resource I used throughout the process was the NCX design template.
The template proved to be quite helpful. It presented me with not only the right path, but alternate paths that formed a very detailed and bulletproof design at the end of the day. At first, I was met will a lot of resistance from the customer. It took a few workshops to bring them fully aboard with the design. Working virtually proved difficult to uncover all of the requirements needed for the design so there were a few draft versions along the way. The template helped me lay out the detail in a clear manner and deliver it to the customer in a way that was easy for them to understand and met their needs at the end of the day.
The NCX-MCI process provided me with a lot more answers in regard to this customer’s design than I would have had if I did not go through this process.
Q. What is your option of the NCX process?
The NCX process proved to be quite valuable to me. The boot camp gave great guidance around those soft design skills needed to uncover and translate the requirements needed to from a good design.
Anyone who is designing on a regular basis should aim towards getting their NCX-MCI to hone their skills.
Q. Why did you decide to get your NCX-MCI?
I was aiming to create a design for Nutanix Platform Expert (NPX) but NCX-MCI came around just at the right time so I thought that would be a better starting point to prepare me for my NPX.
Q. How do you see your NCX-MCI certification helping your career?
It reenforced the amount of detail that needs to go into a good design. And reminded me to look at the bigger picture, not just what’s presented right in front of me at the start of a design.
This blog was written by Sydney Araya, Nutanix Marketing Specialist
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