At first glance, becoming an IBM Champion may seem like a convoluted and arduous process.
This is especially true when we compare ourselves against other who have much more experience and possibly more followers.
In reality, it's actually not too hard when you know what to do, and the optimal way to do it!
This article will explain what acts of advocacy you can undertake to work towards a future IBM Champion nomination, and all the related foibles.
Just remember that you should have your own journey, so you don't trail another person's footsteps, or else you may feel like you're living in someone else's shadow...
What counts as “Advocacy”?
It’s a good question: What sort of actions would count as “Acts of Advocacy”?
Well, as long as it’s mainframe-aligned (or any other IBM technology) then any of the following actions are viable…
For example:
- Being a guest on a podcasts (see next topic)
- Describe a presentation you delivered to an audience at a conference (virtual or in-person), including during IBM TechXChange, Broadcom Mainframe Technical Exchange, IDUG, SHARE, RE:IPL, Open Mainframe Project / Linux Foundation and MightyMainframe
- Explain situations where you mentored someone or educated them more generally, clarifying what knowledge you passed on to the person
- Outline an event that you organised or volunteered in, such as a college Careers Fair or a founding a local New-To-IBM-Z chapter
- Reference a time you took photos or videos as part of a networking event, sharing this content for the event organisers on social media or other digital properties
- Repost the "MindShare" topics by Mainframe Society with your own answer to start an engaging conversation with commenters
- Write tutorials for Dinoframe, whether these are in a written or video medium
- Contact places like TechChannel, Planet Mainframe, or Mainframerz Meetup to discuss the opportunity to create content for them, such as an online article.
- The Discord server "System Z Enthusiasts" (SZE) host regular 'Z Rebels Technical Watercooler' webinars on a variety of topics which you could support by raising a topic you feel passionately about, or even demonstrating a product.
- Support subsequent generations of talent by helping a Mainframe Society at a nearby university, such as Mainframe Student Society, UoW (MaSS) from the University of Wolverhampton.
These actions will help you build your personal brand and become recognised as a big name in your chosen field, which could be Security, Databases, Open Source, Modernisation, etc...
A quick note on Podcasts
There are many incredible podcasts that deserve a shout-out, and we didn't want to do them a disservice by trying to cram all of them into the prior list.
To that end, we are dedicating a whole sub-chapter of this article just to notable podcasts:
➢ IBM - z/Action!
➢ Amit Sharma - Tech Sharmit
➢ Laticia Carrow - TishTalksTech
➢ Christopher Sayles - Z DevOps Talks
➢ The Open Mainframe Project - I Am A Mainframer
➢ IDUG: International Db2 Users Group - Db2 Table Talk
➢ Mainframe Society - The Mainframe Community and Diary of a Mainframer
➢ etc...
Starting the process to become a Champion
To achieve the status of IBM Champion, you will need to submit a nomination (when nominations are open again) with details of the aforementioned "Acts of Advocacy", outlining different acts of advocacy that you have undertaken.
However, you can get started today on your journey to a robust nomination!
- If you are a mainframer, you can participate in the IBM Z and LinuxONE Advocacy badge programme, or
- You can be recognised for advocacy as part of the IBM Rising Champions Advocacy programme, which is a year-round opportunity for other IBM technologies you support
Both programmes are recognized pathways to a future IBM Champion nomination.
The Three Levels
There are three levels of accomplishment through a digital badging process, appointed on Credly, which could lead to a future nomination into the IBM Champions program.
The IBM Z and LinuxONE Advocacy and the IBM Rising Champions programmes are similarly structured.
These badges are awarded annually and are stackable:
1) IBM Contributor
Submit two (2) acts of advocacy that you have completed within the last calendar year (according to the recognized program activities and beyond the scope of their role).
2) IBM Advocate
Submit five (5) acts of advocacy (or add three (3) additional acts of advocacy to the above IBM Contributor level) that you have completed within the last calendar year (according to the recognized program activities and beyond the scope of their role).
3) IBM Influencer
Submit eight (8) acts of advocacy (or add three (3) additional acts of advocacy for rising champions) or nine (9) acts of advocacy or add four (4) additional acts of advocacy for IBM Z and LinuxONE to the above IBM Advocate level) that you have completed within the last calendar year (according to the recognized program activities and beyond the scope of their role).
Where do I submit this content?
So the final question: Where do you submit those “acts of advocacy”?
Based upon your interests and specialities, you can get started on your future IBM Champion nomination by first joining the IBM TechXchange Community.
Depending on your interest area, you can also join the IBM Z Advocacy Hub and start earning your IBM Z and LinuxONE advocacy badges here.
Alternatively you can start earning your IBM Rising Champions Advocacy badges by applying via this form.
Nominations
Nominations for IBM Champion are an annual process and will open again in the Autumn/Fall of 2025.
However, you can start today by earning your advocacy badges through either of these programs, which will help you build a portfolio of advocacy as you work towards your future IBM Champion nomination.
Final Thanks
This article wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for @Shari Chiara and @Kathryn DuPont, both of whom helped clarify many of the details and ensure they are correct and up-to-date.
They deserve full credit for this support, which made this post possible 😊