New Microsoft Dynamics AX MVP says learning AX comes with work, long hours

For Sohaib Cheema, being named a Microsoft MVP in July 2016 was more than a thrill - it affirmed his passion for helping the greater community.

"It is a great thing because you are not doing it for the money," he says. "You are not paid for [your help]. It's just for the passion. And when you solve other people's problems, you also get more knowledge."

A Microsoft Dynamics AX solution architect, developer, and self-described techie, Cheema works for Integrys Solutions Ltd., a Dynamics AX provider in Scotland. He has held a range of roles in the partner community during his career.

"When I started [working with Dynamics AX] I was just a developer but now I work on installations, configurations and I sometimes do a little functional work as well," he says. "I also do coding, development, administration, installing the systems, debugging issues and other things related to maintaining AX."

However, to hear Cheema tell it, his work with Dynamics AX was almost over before it even began.

Before being introduced to Dynamics AX, Cheema was a C# developer, doing work with .NET and Java. When he graduated from college in 2010, he saw that most of his fellow graduates were going into jobs that were focused on .NET or PHP.

"I applied for a number of jobs and in 20 or 25 days, I got four job offers - three of them were .NET/C#/ASP.NET jobs and one was Dynamics AX-related," he says.

Cheema had never heard of Dynamics AX and he wasn't ...