Potential future job posting:

Virtual Network Administrator

Responsibilities: A virtual network administrator oversees virtual computer networks to ensure that they function smoothly. A virtual network consists of a grouping of virtual machines that communicate with each other on a physical computer known as a virtual machine host server, on which computer files, programs, and other information are stored. A network may be as small as two or three virtual machines or as large as hundreds when paravirtualization is used.

Education: A virtual network administrator should have a strong background in math, sciences, and computer science, as well as experience working with virtual machines. Although a college degree in computer science, systems science, math, or engineering is not required to become a virtual network administrator, advancement is difficult without one. Administrators should be familiar with a variety of enterprise virtualization software packages, including Microsoft, VMware, and Sun. Because computer technology changes rapidly, administrators must constantly upgrade their knowledge base.

Working Conditions: Virtual network administrators, like other computer professionals, work in an office environment. Most put in forty hours or more of work per week. Much of the job is performed as part of an enterprise team, along with physical network administrators, and virtual machine managers. Configuring a virtual network can require long hours of work over a short period of time. Maintaining the virtual network can alternate between routine tasks and the more interesting but hectic work of troubleshooting and fixing virtual network problems. If a virtual network crashes, the administrator must work as quickly as possible, regardless of the hour, to solve the problem and restore the network to operation.

Similar Job description: Network Administrator Job Description

Which Certification is right for you?

I have started to look into the Virtualization Industry and think that getting a certification may allow me to get a jump start. I have created a Ven Diagram, to illustrate the different certifications as I come across them and decide how they fall into 3 different categories. These catagories are: Operating System, Networking, and Virtualization. The certifications I’m considering are the following:

Comptia A+
Comptia Network+
Comptia Security+
Comptia Server+
Comptia Linux+
IBM Virtualization Certification
VMWare Certified Professional
Microsoft Certified IT Professional
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator

Here is the diagram, arranging the exams into the three circles.

This is a visual representation of the exams and certification. The reality is that most exams require a solid understanding of computers and networking as a whole, with focus as the core of the exam. They are often debated and usually overpriced but I think with a focus of Virtualization there is a need for this some proof of experience.