EMC Proven Professional Spotlight: Mark Jerome

Title: Solution Architect, Presales, OnX Enterprise Solutions in Charlotte, North Carolina

Certifications Achieved

• EMC Data Science Associate
• Hitachi Data Systems Certified Professional
• NetApp Certified Data Management Administrator

Education: MS, Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Area of Expertise: Information Management

ECN profile: mjerome

LinkedIn - Mark Jerome

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How long have you been working in the industry?

I’ve been in the industry for 36 years, starting out as a mainframe systems programmer, then working for several vendors—Hitachi, EMC, StorageTek—before arriving at OnX.  Data storage and protection have been consistent areas of expertise for me throughout the years.

Why did you choose to achieve the Data Science certification? 

I saw the Data Science certification as a way to start building the expertise necessary to move beyond selling hardware for big data infrastructure and on to packaging complete big data solutions.

How do you believe the certification has transformed your skills?

Training for the certification laid a foundation of big data knowledge.  I learned a lot of things related to data analytics, SQL, and Hadoop that I did not know before.

Has your certification helped you in your role? How?

I am currently helping develop several analytic demos for use in our sales efforts.

Can you describe some of the positive impacts of your certification?

I got a better understanding of data science tools and techniques. And now I can participate in conversations that would have been over my head before.

What did you think of the training?

I took the VILT training, and overall it was positive.  On the plus side, it offers flexibility to take the class when it is convenient for me.  Also, I can replay sections for review or to increase comprehension.  The minuses are that it’s easier than a scheduled class to put off when things get busy, and labs are less effective when watching someone else do them as opposed to hands-on.

What do you think of the EMC Proven Professional Program overall?

The EMC Proven Professional Program sets high standards, so achieving a certification is something meaningful.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about getting certified? 

If the topic is useful to you or your job, then certification proves to yourself and others that you have attained a defined level of expertise.  It is well worth the time and effort.

What projects/technology are you planning on for the future?

I am planning to go more in-depth with data analytics and also to become more comfortable with Hadoop and its ecosystem.  My next goal is to achieve the Certified Analytics Professional certification offered through INFORMS.  The Data Science certification gave me a solid base on which to build toward that goal.

If someone asked you what this course was like, what would you tell them?

The course was demanding, and I had to go over it several times to get a good understanding of some of the topics, but it was definitely worth it. The VILT is a great option for getting trained on your own schedule.

Read other EMC Proven Professional Spotlight articles in the Proven Professional Spotlight Archive