Job security is worrisome among people with certain degrees, but all businesses need a systems administrator on their team. Businesses need good system administrators in order to keep their network running and up to date. An article titled “Making It in IT: What Makes a Good SysAdmin?” by Ed Tittel, describes what it takes to be a good system administrator. As expected, I found that system administrators have well-spoken interpersonal, technical, managerial and procedural methods of conducting their jobs. Tittel’s points, along with my experience with beginner’s system administration techniques will be discussed throughout this blog.
The Technical, Managerial, and Procedural Side of Things
Someone who understands networks and is disciplined in their operating systems can make for a good administrator, among other things an administrator should be knowledgeable about. Tittle explains examples of the detail that one gets into while working with systems and networks while being a system administrator. Tittle believes that “…a good system administrator must understand the systems he or she administrates at a significant level of detail.” This quote suggests that Tittel knows it takes a lot of knowledge in order to be a system administrator. This might seem far-fetched for people who don’t have a degree, but people can be certified in certain certificates in order to get the necessary training in systems administration. Also, people without a degree, can highlight their best credentials without a college education on a resume, a cover letter, or in an interview. This article explains how one can emphasize credentials without a college degree. The article says how potential employee candidates with no degree should emphasize the strongest credentials and making sure to highlight other education and training. It doesn’t pertain to me because of the degree I am pursuing, but I can still emphasize credentials that I have along with the cyber security degree I am in now. Utilizing my degree for a system administrator job would be the best option for me.
Working with People
Another important aspect of system administration is working with people. 10 out of 10 times, a system administrator works with the people that are on their same network. Tittel remarks “A good systems administrator must be able to communicate and get along well with others, and understand the basic principles and practices of proactive customer service…” Necessary skills, other than system administration skills, are communication and people skills. System administration is complicated, so it is vital to inform the necessary information as simple as possible and to communicate in the best way possible so that no information is left out. This article gives tips on how to be a better communicator while being a network administrator. One of the points that stood out is how communication isn’t always about listening. This means that proactive listening is a key to getting points across to a group or an employee. I believe that these communication skills are expected. These skills can be learned in a class, a job, or even throughout life. As stated, system administrators must be well-articulated while listening and giving back information, at the same time making explanations as simple as possible.
My Side of The Story
I don’t have a lot of experience with real system administration, but in my Cyber 262 class, we made demo networks and gave rules to them. These rules included firewall, IP, cloud, server, and various other rules. hese rule sets were the basics of system administration. An article I found goes in depth of the roles a system administrator does and has to know in order to keep a system secure. My dad works for Applied Research Labs in the Information Technology building at University Park. He wants to show me how he conducts his system administration job with unclassified systems which would help me with an internship and future jobs. For information on my dad, he only works with Linux systems, but he must know a lot in his field of specialty since he has a good job for Penn State. I would like to know more about what he does, but I am currently stuck with schoolwork right now. It’s hard to sit down and learn a lot in a few hours on different commands in Linux while having work due for classes.
I would love to be a system administrator for a company because it would make me feel like I have a good responsibility in life. It would also be a job where a lot of the days are different from another. Even if I am doing some of the same work, the work would make me think critically everyday.
This was an interesting article to read. I enjoyed all the details you provided about the system administrator position. I didn’t realize how important a job it is and I didn’t realize how many companies actually need one. I think so many things are moving online so jobs like a system administrator are going to become even more critical as time goes on. From someone who is a cybersecurity major, I think that some of the skills and traits can also be important in my field. Thanks for the information and good luck for the rest of the semester!
I enjoyed reading this article. I never realized how important a systems administrator job was until I read your article. I now see how critical it is for each company to have a systems administrator of their own, or else their information is subject to attacks. I agree with your point in how systems administrators need to be great in the customer service department, because usually the people who need his/her help are already frustrated that they have to call in the first place, and want a simple and easy fix, not a long lengthy explanation on the subject. I hope you can one day become a systems administrator, and good luck throughout the rest of your schooling.
This article was insightful, and I enjoyed reading it. I am now aware of the process that system administrators undergo. I appreciate how you took the time to explain the position and what it entails. I think its amazing that you’re gaining new knowledge and experience from your father. I hope you achieve your goals of becoming a system administrator, and I wish you the best.