How Can I Become a MVP In VB.Net?

[Visual Basic.Net]

Hi. How I can be MVP in VB.Net?
Is there a test to answer? or task to accomplish?
Could you give me a guide to learn from to become MVP?
How many years to study in order to get MVP?
Thank's in advance

[Hamish]

You don't become an MVP by taking exams or doing some task, it's more like an honorary title. I'm not entirely sure how you DO become MVP, but you have to be nominated (not sure by who). As far as I know MVP is a reward for contributing to a community dedicated to the subject at hand. So there is no real time frame either, you could become one in a year (unlikely) or it could take several. Or you never be one no matter how hard you try.

[jmcilhinney]

MVP is not an accreditation, certification or qualification. There is no studying for it. Microsoft awards MVP status to people it considers to have contributed to the IT community in one of various fields. I was awarded MVP status primarily for my contributions to this site. Many others for the same, as well as contributions to various other blogs and developer sites and forums. If you want to know more about the MVP program, not surprisingly, you can find out from the Microsoft web site.

http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/

If what you're really interested in is Microsoft certification then you should look at the MSTS and MSPD accreditations. You sit two exams to become a Technology Specialist and another one to become a Professional Developer. The amount of time you would need to spend on each would depend on your level of experience and your aptitude. I have the study guides for the .NET 2.0 versions for both Windows and Web and I'm be looking to spend 2 - 3 months preparing for each exam. You can also pay to do courses but I'd prefer to do it on my own. Reading a 700 - 800 page programming text book from cover to cover is not something that some people care to do though.

[Visual Basic.Net]

Mr.Hamish Thank's alot.
Mr.jmcilhinney Could you please giving me at least 3 important certification that I can get? from easiest to hardest. and information about each certification. Although I am busy with the university. I really want to get certifications as many as I can before I graduate.
Thank's alot bro

[techgnome]

Mr.Hamish Thank's alot.
Mr.jmcilhinney Could you please giving me at least 3 important certification that I can get? from easiest to hardest. and information about each certification. Although I am busy with the university. I really want to get certifications as many as I can before I graduate.
Thank's alot bro

Can I ask why? If you search around the forums, you'll find plenty of threads where the value of certification is discussed. It used to be that it was a badge of honor that you knew your stuff - the only real practical way to pass the exams was to actually be using the technology - but now, there are so many certifications, and so many changes to the certification program, it's almost not worth it.

If you wait until you have a job, then you might be able to get your employer to pay for the exams, and even possibly give you a bonus for getting the certification.

-tg

[stanav]

Can I ask why? If you search around the forums, you'll find plenty of threads where the value of certification is discussed. It used to be that it was a badge of honor that you knew your stuff - the only real practical way to pass the exams was to actually be using the technology - but now, there are so many certifications, and so many changes to the certification program, it's almost not worth it.

If you wait until you have a job, then you might be able to get your employer to pay for the exams, and even possibly give you a bonus for getting the certification.

-tg

Well, what you said is only half true, Techgnome. Those seemingly worthless certifications are actually playing a very big part in helping people landing on a job, especially among those newly graduates. With so many other job seekers to compete against, a certification or two will help one's resume stands out from the stack.
I myself don't have any kind of certifications in the IT fields (yet) and I find it very difficult to change job since most employers nowadays are asking for both certifications and experience. A bachelor degreee alone just wouldn't cut it.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Try a Masters in Fisheries. I have no paper qualifications at all in programming, yet here I am. However, that was only possible because of proven experience with the company that hired me. A certification would be the ONLY route open to me for paper qualifications (there is no way I would consider going back to school just to get a degree in something I already do).

[Visual Basic.Net]

I don't know what is the situation you have in your country Mr.Techgnome.
But from your reply, I can relies that jobs are waiting people for graduate hhhh.
In my country, we have a very big problem in getting a job. and if we got one, the salary will be very low. and if we want to get a good job we have to get many supporting certifications. In addition of that reason, I love my major and I want to learn as much as I can. Time dosn't wait Mr.Techgnome.
TC

[kleinma]

I am a Microsoft MVP, and I have been programming for about 10 years now.

I will let you in on a little secret. I have 0 certifications, and I never went to college

[Visual Basic.Net]

Good For You
My Wishes

[kleinma]

I am just letting you know that the MVP program has nothing to do with how many pieces of paper you have that claim how much you know about something. It has to do with what you actually do.

[techgnome]

kleinma! Brother! I'm practially in the same boat.... I hold one cert that's almost 10yrs old (for VB6)... and only and assoc (I have taken all of ONE programming class) ... Although I've been doing a little longer than klienma - professionally I've been programming for 15 yearts, but I've been programming for almost 27 years now. I suspect that klienma and I may be the exceptions to the rule rather than the rule.

Here's how I arrived at my opinion - I've been on both sides of the interview table over the last couple of years. I've seen candidates come in, look good on paper, even have some certs. They are able to talk the talk in the interviews.... but when it came time to walk the walk and actually do something.... they fall apart. My last job is full of people w/o any certs at all, and they do a terrific job.

I recently went through the other side... and not once did my cert come up. Never once was it part of the equasion - oddly enough, the one thing that did come up was my MVP status. Turns out there are only TWO MVPs in my local area, and the other one is an Outlook MVP. Too many developers here have certs.... your area may be flooded by developers, well, we're flooded with developers WITH certs. I honestly think that the value of Certs has been diluted. It's one of the reasons why I haven't bothered to get my .NET certification. All it proves is that I studied and took a test and that I test well.

Maybe I'm bitter about it, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with my non-traditional training (in 30 years I've only ever completed ONE computer course.... I flunked out of all the others due to boredom). Maybe it's because I'm stubborn, maybe it's because I'd rather learn a new technology and use it rather than studying up on current stuff, I don't know. But it's simply been my exerience that certs are simply junk. but hey, that's one gnome's opinion. One thing that several recuiters noted though.... my broad skills, more than anything else made me easily marketable and highly sought after.... my combination of .NET, VB3-6, SQL, ASP, Web dev, and "DBA" experiences made me an extremely hot commodity.

if you are in a saturated market, where most don't have certs, there maybe some value... but if it's like it is here where there is a developer AND a cert saturation.... you become "jsut another developer with certs" .... at that point, you need to find another way to set yourself apart. Maybe as a developer, go for a DBA cert.... or a Trainer Cert....

-tg

PS - Oh, and It's NOT Mr TechGnome.... just TechGnome or TG.... Mr is my dad....

[GaryMazzone]

Tech/kleinm

You are not alone. I got my assoc about 2 years ago. Been doing this for a lot longer then that. Never got told I was not good enough without the paper my Oracle cert was done almost 8 years ago now....

I have never had a problem getting into an interview or impressing the people I talked with. Like tech I have a good mix of skills both VB6 and .Net programing and DBA and database developer skills....


I'll let my skill set speak for me I don't need the paper. As for MVP I just started being involved with this forum 3 years ago.... never did any others.. I don't think I'll ever be MVP but so what. I just answer questions as I can.

[Kasracer]

Well, what you said is only half true, Techgnome. Those seemingly worthless certifications are actually playing a very big part in helping people landing on a job, especially among those newly graduates. With so many other job seekers to compete against, a certification or two will help one's resume stands out from the stack.
I myself don't have any kind of certifications in the IT fields (yet) and I find it very difficult to change job since most employers nowadays are asking for both certifications and experience. A bachelor degreee alone just wouldn't cut it.

From my experience I have found that an internship helps the most. I currently have a 2 year degree (still trying to finish my 4 year one) and I couldn't even get into an entry level position but once I did my internship (which only lasted about 3-4 months) I was able to move into multiple positions including one that became a senior flash developer.

To be honest, most of my previous employers told me that they didn't really care about degrees or certifications as long as the person could demonstrate they can do the job through experience and a decent portfolio. I'm not saying this is true for all jobs (in fact, this sentiment may very well be in the minority) but some companies are out there like that.

I'll let my skill set speak for me I don't need the paper. As for MVP I just started being involved with this forum 3 years ago.... never did any others.. I don't think I'll ever be MVP but so what. I just answer questions as I can.

I'm in the same boat. I started with this forum some 5.5 years ago and while I'd love to be an MVP, I don't think I help enough people to even be considered. Others such as jmcilhinney and kleinma are much more deserving because of all of the people they help.

[kleinma]

I got my start by going to a school called Chubb (no its not for fat people). It was a tech trade school which had a programming course. You get a certificate for graduating. No actual college credits. I went there after high school because I was already into computers since I was about 6 (im 28 now) so i figured i would enjoy taking a programming course. I didn't learn much (they started us with friggin cobol of all things... its like learning latin, which I also had to take in high school!). I worked in a call center for a big telecomm company at the time, and my managers always asked me to fix their excel spreadsheets and stuff that they needed to send to their bosses. At some point, they asked me to make an access database to track some stuff, and that is where I got my real start. After a few successful projects, I was given my own title, office, and access to our MSDN resources, like actually getting VB6 from our IT dept. 10 years later, here I am. I don't work there anymore, I work for a small software company, as the sole developer/network admin/anything related to computers is my job

I also started a small computer repair company that I do on the side. I was doing it so much for free, I figured I should try to make a buck fixing all these computers.

[kleinma]

Like John, this forum certainly was the spring board to my MVP award. However now I do many things to try to be involved in the community.

If you want to be an MVP, you really have to like solving problems. Especially other peoples

[Visual Basic.Net]

I always believe that the most important thing is the productivity. Yes, your certifications dosn't neccessarly reflect your experties. but when taking an exam you actually studying! also, certification is the prove that you knew in this subject or that major, and that is very helpful in getting a job(not to show people how you are smart hhh). In addition, laws determine the lowest salary for people who have degrees. while if you just depend on your knowledge, your employer may use absence of certifications to give you less.
thank's alot guys for helping and sharing your experience. I respect your opinions
by the way, english is not my first language. however, I'm sorry if I misunderstood you, or if I wrote any thing wrong.

[Visual Basic.Net]

Like John, this forum certainly was the spring board to my MVP award. However now I do many things to try to be involved in the community.

If you want to be an MVP, you really have to like solving problems. Especially other peoples

Is that mean that microsoft waching forums and monitoring threads? I didn't get it, what is the mechanism they use to figure out who deserve or not?
is this forum related to microsoft?
thank's bro

[kleinma]

No this forum is not directly affiliated with Microsoft, although they do check it out once in a while, and sometimes MS employees are here for slow chats and things like that. This is one of THE foremost VB forum sites on the web though.

There is a FAQ page about the MVP program you can find here:
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Specifically, to answer your question though, is #3

Q3: How does Microsoft select its MVPs?

A3: Over 100 million people participate in technical communities but there are only about 3,500 MVPs worldwide. Outstanding technical community members are nominated by their peers, Microsoft employees, and MVPs. Each year a panel of Microsoft employees reviews the contributions of each nominee for quality, quantity, and level of impact on the technical community. Today's MVPs reflect Microsoft's global customer base and the breadth of its technologies.

[techgnome]

They don't necissarily watch or monitor threads, they have better things to do. It typically starts with a nomination, generally by a peer. It then goes through a "black box, super-duper-uber secret process" (a sort of vetting process). At the end of the process, you get notification if you made it or not.

-tg

[Kasracer]

Do the peers have to be existing MVPs and can you lose your MVP status?

[kleinma]

they must watch some... I have had some MS employees mention things about postings I have made on here.

[kleinma]

Do the peers have to be existing MVPs and can you lose your MVP status?

I would say no, peers don't need to be MVPs considering the wording was

their peers, Microsoft employees, and MVPs.

However I don't think MS getting tons of random anonymous nominations for a given person is going to help that person become an MVP.

Yes you can lose your MVP status, and I know a few "former" mvps.

[Kasracer]

I would say no, peers don't need to be MVPs considering the wording was

their peers, Microsoft employees, and MVPs.

Do'h!

Yes you can lose your MVP status, and I know a few "former" mvps.

Would that be due to inactivity, inappropriateness, or possibly something else?

[kleinma]

the ones I know I believe it was due to inactivity, although I am sure some have lost theirs due to "inappropriateness". I am not sure what other factors would prevent someone for being reawarded.

Some details of the MVP program fall under NDA, so we can't discuss everything.

[techgnome]

there is a code of conduct the MVPs agree to (by accepting the award) ... it has happened in the past that people have had their MVP status yanked for violating this. I think something happened earlier this year, because I remember a flurry of emails reminding everyone of the conduct policy and to make sure we're "living up to it." I think those are usually extreme few though. More often than not, it's the inactivity that results in one not being renewed.

-tg