By Brenda Emerson, VMUG President

IT isn’t getting any simpler. For many, the cloud’s gone hybrid, AI’s moved in permanently, and security threats seem to evolve faster than the tech built to stop them.

But what’s at the forefront of all of this? People.

The IT teams configuring, troubleshooting, deploying, and defending. And the IT staff that take the extra step to get certified are becoming some of the most valuable assets in modern enterprise.

The Certification Advantage: It’s More Than a LinkedIn Update

There was a time when a VMware certification looked nice on a resume. Now? It’s a powerful differentiator for both the individual and the organization that backs them.

VMware certifications aren’t about memorizing trivia—they’re about proving capability, clarity, and consistency. Certified professionals don’t guess their way through a workload migration or a network segmentation plan. They execute with purpose. When I’m leading my team through tough calls, I rely on that expertise to help make smart decisions.

Hackers and security risks aren’t slowing down, but neither is my team. It’s my job to ensure they have the muscle-memory and expertise to use every part of our VMware ecosystem to solve these threats in real-time.

Why Smart Teams Are Getting Certified Together

This isn’t just about additional skills for a few team members. More and more tech leaders are going big and certifying entire teams.

Why? Because when everyone speaks the same technical language, innovation doesn’t get stalled at the handoff.

It builds empowered teams which are critical as you’re navigating complex IT and security issues.

Team-wide certification doesn’t just make your environment more resilient; it makes your talent more loyal, more tuned-in and better prepared to handle the threats to their ecosystems.

Strategic Certification Is the New Standard

CIOs and CTOs are increasingly building certification into their workforce strategy as a core component of operational excellence. And that’s where VMUG can come in.

VMUG is more than a user group, we’re a global community where folks can learn from one another, connect and go deeper to solve more complex tech problems. Whether you’re upskilling one engineer or elevating an entire ops team, we’re here to help you go further, faster.

And the good news? We have a path to getting VMware certified that includes access to home-lab licenses that can be a game-changer for IT professionals and teams.

Whether you start your VMUG experience by consuming on-demand security content or you want the best we have to offer out of the gate as a VMUG Advantage member, you’ll find a home with VMUG.

Sponsored and written by VMUG.