EPISODE 046 - Career: How do you become an MVP?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit Done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidel and today we start the premiere. we do a part topic podcast episode. We have one topic and talk about it, split it up into three episodes. So we're talking about Microsoft Valuable Professional or in short MVP. And as I got several questions and see maybe some wrong understanding of what an MVP is and what the benefits and everything, I planned a three part series. So we have three episodes. this one and the next two, everything is about MVP. And today we start about how do you become an MVP? So. First of all, exactly is an MVP or what an MVP does? So MVP, as I said before, means Microsoft Valuable Professional. So it might be the understanding that every MVP is a technical guru, a pro. So he's always right. He knows everything. So to... crush your dreams or smash your dreams, it isn't the case. Because an MVP is someone who is spreading the knowledge to community for free or bringing together the community that someone else can spread the information and the knowledge to other people. So being an MVP, not includes that you're a technical pro, but mostly as we as an MVP, mostly a focus to a very specific topic and work a lot with it. In my case, I do PowerShell, Asia Automation every day since 15 years. I also earn my money with it. We also have a company for it. that's what I do. That's what I

Michael Seidl: I am capable of. so I think that I'm definitely, I don't know everything, but I have some experience in that topic. Okay. So I think technically I'm fine with those things. But as I said, there are also MVP's who are responsible for bringing together other MVP's and attendees to communities. And those Also illegal allowed to be nominated and accepted as an MVP. So what I want to say it as an MVP, it is not for sure that you are technical, a very deep technical guy or women. But most of the MVPs are very technical and knowledgeable about a specific topic. So and how to become an MVP. So now we talked about what is an MVP and now it's going to be how to become an MVP. As I said before, you do community work. Yeah, you do community work. So it's not about any technical expertise you show. It's more about spreading your knowledge, spreading your experience, spreading your findings in a specific topic, what you found out for free with community, with other IT people. And that's in as a speaker on tech conferences, that's in blog posts, that's in webcasts, that's in YouTube videos, that's in books. that in maybe mentorship to a single person, a multiple person and everything what you can imagine. So everything what you do to spread the word about Microsoft technology for free to others to make them engaged, to make them more interesting, to make them more knowledgeable about a topic.

Michael Seidl: That's community work and that's what an MVP is. We spread our knowledge, our findings for free to other IT interested people. That's it. Maybe that's a good one. So, and also not only when you spread technical stuff, it's also when you bring together, for example, organizing a community. And organizing a community means you have other knowledge or other... other knowledge than a technical side. So you need to arrange something, you need to bring community, you need to spread the word. So that's not a technical thing, but that's also okay to be nominated as an MVP. So as I said, MVP doesn't mean always you're a very technical guy. It just means you do something for the community. Of course, for the Microsoft community, we are talking here about a Microsoft. title, Microsoft nomination, Microsoft title. So you do something for the Microsoft community. And with the word you do something, you do a lot. So it's not about writing one blog post and then, I'm an MVP. So it's a lot of work. It really is hard work. And I think I talked about in the previous episodes half a year ago, you don't do the MVP title for the MVP title. You get or you will get nominated or I would suggest you and think a lot of colleagues will follow me here, agree with me. You're not doing the MVP title cause you want to be an MVP.

Michael Seidl: You get the MVP title cause you do a lot and love to do a lot for the community. Okay. Cause if you don't love the community stuff, it is really tough and tough work. And then you will not last very long in that area. So for my example, I was two weeks ago, I was in Leipzig, Germany for Experts Live. Germany. It was a one day event, but I traveled of course the day before to be safe because my flight was postponed. So it was good to be one day before. So you don't know what happened and you don't want to miss an event. So I traveled one day before. I have the day where the conference is. I need to prepare my session. I need to talk my session and I need to travel home. So I'm in Austria. Germany is very close. So I'm done with a two day from from house back to house. It's it's it's a it's around two days. What I miss from a family time from a kid's time from a free time and of course from my business time because as I said I'm I run my own company. I need to earn money of course. And those two days, it's hard to earn money. It's hard to solve or serve my customers, to do my consulting, to do my project, to do my product management and so on. so if you don't like to do this, you will not understand. You will not keep that track or that pace very long. And that's the most important. I love to talk about all those Asia automation, PowerShell automation stuff. I love to talk about, to talk to IT people. I love to talk on stage, on conferences, everything. So that's what I really love. And I want to see new countries, new cities, new people and everything. That's what I love.

Michael Seidl: But if that wouldn't be the case, I wouldn't be an MVP. Because I wouldn't do that thing without the passion about the community stuff. And also maybe from a financial thing, what I told you two days ago, I paid the flight on my own and travel and everything. So you will not get paid for this. Okay. So you really have to have a passion. and some kind of love and passion for this topic and for this community stuff. Otherwise, you just will not last very long in that thing. So you will get the MVP if you love the community work. You will maybe get the MVP, but you will not last very long in that thing. if you just for the title... stop it. It doesn't make sense. So follow your community passion and then the MVP will follow afterwards. And the second one is how to become an MVP is you will get nominated. So you cannot say, Hey, I'm here. did two blog posts and now I want to be an MVP. No, you have to do all those community stuff. What I talked before. So you have to do your sessions, your blog posts, your videos, your whatever. And that's for at least one year. And I can... tell you definitely more than one year. Okay. think when I remember back in 2015 where I was nominated and elected, I did the community stuff, two or three years, I started with them before. So I did sessions and did blog posts and everything. And then some other MVPs saw my effort, saw that I'm doing all those community thing and they nominated me.

Michael Seidl: as an MVP that just nominated me. That's not becoming an MVP. Okay. They just told Microsoft, Hey, there is someone here. He's doing a lot of, community stuff. We think he might, earn the MVP. He's fine for the MVP title. So then they can nominate you. So another MVP can nominate you to be an MVP. And then Microsoft is doing the election. So then you as a proposal MVP have to show all your community stuff to Microsoft. You have to write everything down and send them the list online. now, and then that list, they will decide if it's okay to be an MVP or not. And that's the way how to be or how to become an MVP. So you have to do your community stuff. You have to love your community stuff. I will stick on that one. Don't do it just for the title. do your community stuff. Do a lot of community stuff. It's not about doing two sessions and two blog posts and then everything is fine. There is no correct number. There is no line you have to cross. Nobody can tell you, write 10 blog posts, do two sessions and do two videos and then you will be an MVP. No, that's not. Okay. So just do it, just... Do the community stuff. If you love it, it will not be about 10, 15, 20 blog posts or whatever. It's just about be continuous, be patient and love the community stuff and just do it and the rest will follow. So do the community stuff. And the second one is some other MVPs will see your work, will nominate you and the best.

Michael Seidl: Hopefully will follow that Microsoft will accept your nomination and elect you as an MVP. Okay, that's the first part. plan was that as a split in three episodes that the episodes will be a little bit shorter, but I see we are right now nearly 15, 14 minutes. So it doesn't work out. So it talked a little bit too much, but next episode. We talk about the advantages of being an MVP. But for this episode, we are done. I wish you a nice Monday. Enjoy the rest of the week. Stay productive and bye bye.