In these tough economic times, the IT job market remains extremely competitive. With fewer job openings out there, it's important to try and stand out from the crowd when looking for work or trying to advance within your current company. If you're thinking about learning a new technology, now is a great time, and with companies trying to do more with less, becoming skilled in virtualization technology is a great bet.

IT professionals with the necessary skills to support a growing virtualization environment are among the most sought-after individuals, with survey after survey naming virtualization as one of the most in-demand technology skills and one of the most explosive technologies when it comes to planned growth.

As virtualization proliferates throughout the SMB and enterprise markets, virtualization certifications also grow in popularity. "As virtualization continues to become the 'norm,' virtualization certifications will continue to increase in value," said David Davis, vExpert, VCP, and VMware video training author at Train Signal. "More and more hiring managers are looking for those who have virtualization expertise to maintain ever-expanding virtual infrastructures."

Davis added that virtualization is a popular skill that IT pros can use to show that they aren't just server admins but infrastructure admins who have a more complete understanding of today's virtual infrastructure.

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