Career Interview - Network Administrator

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SpAmBuRgErLoRd

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This is for a class. It would be greatly appreciated if you guys could answer some questions about being a network administrator. Answer all that you wish to answer. Other People may learn something from you replies so be as accurate and serious as possible.

Thank you,
SpAmBuRgErLoRd

1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)

5. What's the money like?

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?

8. Has it become boring for you?

9. Is your family proud of you?

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?

11. How bleak is the job market these days?

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
 
1. No, I am me. Labeling is always a bad idea.

2. Learning about and installing a new type of server

3. Teaching users how to be secure. To most people, security is my job, they shouldn't have to worry about it. So they get defensive and their ego prevents them from really listening. People are scared of computers, and it shows.

4. Have fun in college, but don't hope that your degree will get you anywhere. I am a high school graduate, with no certs, and I've got a damn nice job. How? I took crap jobs, got my experience, learned everything I could, and I use the right tool for the right job.

5. Decent. I get paid enough to support myself + child.

6. When something breaks. Because it doesn't happen often.

7. Everything. My first year as a network admin, I was as new as you could get. I knew the basics, but my job demanded more of me. So I made my mistakes as I went.

8. Frustrating, angering, tiring. Never boring.

9. Never stopped to think about it, but now that I do, I don't know. Nor do I care. I'm sure, however, that my mother would have preferred me to go to college however.

10. Yes, all the time. Everybody must be trained to deal with the latest virii and worms.

11. I've always been able to find a job, but I know people who can't. It's more about attitude than anything else. I know I know my stuff, and I know I can demostrate it if need be. Any company would be lucky to have me, I know it, and they know it.

12. Not at work, but I don't tend to hang out on it when I get home.

13. Funniest? Dealing with the vendors. These people are slime, I enjoy putting them in a situation ( that they deserve ), and watching them wiggle.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
-Probably not... But I do have an XWing with a webcam pointed at it.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
The initial planning phase, up to the major installation. My first time "installing" a network, I got depressed because my company hired an outside contractor to run the cat5 fromt he drop points to the server room. I was a sad panda. I had my cable testers and everything, ready to go. Well llook at that. I guess I am a nerd :)

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
Actually not anything that I really dread, but more like seriously dislike. That call at 3am saying "The network is down."

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
Don't rely on that degree/cert alone. You need the field experience and you NEED to know alternate ways of doing things. Following things by the book doesn't always work.

5. What's the money like?
It's OK I suppose, considering I don't have eleventy acronyms after my name... I could do better, but at the moment hiring managers are pretty nervous about hiring people without degrees or certs in NYC.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
The amount of things I can learn and want to learn.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
Always always always make sure people know who is doing the work... My first 2 years I was an "intern", and doing the projects and work for the IT Manager and Sr. Network Engineer because they didn't want to do them. I learned tons, and gained A LOT of experience, but when it all came down to it, THEY got the credit and the bonuses and promotions, because I didn't make it known at the time I was doing it all.

8. Has it become boring for you?
Some parts, especially at the moment, since I am basically "just maintaining" a network in my current job. I seriously can't wait till I get approval to re-work this place.... it's a fscking nightmare (we have a switch that is uplinked to a hub, that is uplinked into another switch...)

9. Is your family proud of you?
FOr the most part, they are... Only because I'm the only one with a real job, and a real career sense.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
All the damn time.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
Depends on where you go, and who you ask. Some regions the market is booming, others its stagnant. As for NYC, from my end it seems pretty bland at the moment.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
Yes. If you'll look at my posting patterns here or other forii (is that a word?) I post mainly in the mornings or mid afternoon. from 6pm to about 10am... no posty.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
The amount of porn amassed from end users work PCs.
Seriously. It could rival some of the largest internet porn sites.
 
1. Yes I would, but in this day and age the term "nerd" is seen as less harsh.

2. Teh Powa!!! HAHA.. Seriously, I think it's the challenge of always being presented with problems and having to find unique ways to research and solve them.

3. Getting a phone call from a user who "thinks" he knows what the problem because his 13 year old son says the problem is with "insert stupid idea here" then proceeds to do try everything else than what you suggest.

4. Keep up your education!!! With the ever changing state of IT, you always need to be on top of the IT industry to be able to suggest solutions.

5. Not bad. I'm 1 year out of school and making $20/hr

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?

7. Accidentally restarting one of the servers, forgetting to change passwords back, etc...

8. At times it is. But the way I see it is that the amount of boredom is directly related to the quality of your work. The more bored you are, the less problems your network has, the better job your doing..

9. Yes.

10. Always, I'm always the one who has to learn a new program/technology/process and then teach that to the users.

11. For myself, it was great. I had two job offers right out of school (I got a jump on sending my resume earlier than everyone else). Both of which paid very well. For my friends though, it's tough. I think out of the 26 people who graduated, about 10 have steady well paying jobs.

12. Yes, that is one of the things I don't like about it. Sitting at a computer all day makes you tired. Getting up and streching helps, but only for awhile. I play alot of Ice hockey and floor hockey, so that covers me for the lack of physical activity.

13. Knowing how to use winzip makes you a "Computar expert".

Hope that helps

Riley
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?

No. I'm a drummer in a rock band, have a beautiful wife, and only own two computer-related articles of clothing :)

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.

I like fixing things. That's why I got into computers in the first place--PC repair. This particular position has me doing everything from basic PC repair to advanced network trouble-shooting. I like the variety of the tasks.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?

Crazy users. I had a guy page me ten times today because he wanted a longer cord for his modem (he refuses to use the network, and dials in to AOL instead).

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)

Honestly, I'd warn them that the market is saturated, and they're going to have a hard time finding work right now. I had to leave Dallas because I was competing with hundreds of unemployed IT guys for part-time PC repair work.

5. What's the money like?

I can't complain. It's the highest-paying job I've ever had, and I make a good bit of money for a 25-year-old college dropout.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?

Where it is--town of less than 7,000 people.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?

I'm still in my first year with the official title of admin.

Rookie mistake: starting off getting everything done as quickly as possible to impress your bosses. The problem is, people get used to you jumping every time they call and don't understand when something else takes priority over them.

8. Has it become boring for you?

At times, but rarely. There is still too much left for me to learn to be boring.

9. Is your family proud of you?

Absolutely.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?

Ugh...don't remind. I'm constantly trying to teach people ways to avoid the little problems. Most of them don't want to know.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?

In Dallas, don't even bother. There's someone with a Masters and ten years of experience going for the same entry-level $30,000 / year job you're angling for. I don't know about the rest of the world, though. I hear there's lots of work to be had in India :D

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?

Actually, no. I guess in that sense I'm truly a geek. I'm the kind of person who can spend ten hours a day working on computers and go home and play games and surf and such without a problem.

The thing is, you have to separate the two. Computers are my work, my hobby, and my entertainment. What I do at home with computers is different from what I do at work. So it's not a problem at all for me.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?

My coworkers.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?

Yes and no.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.

Always learning and trying out new things. Coming up with new ideas on how to solve a problem or how to provide aq service to users. Being inventive like that.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?

The commute? Nah, actually complete and total system failure. Having to rebuild the entire thing from scratch with people coming by every 5 minutes going "How's it coming?"

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)

Do what you really have a passion for. Nothing is worth doing strictly for the money, and quite frankly being a network admin is not all that high-paying a job compared to other things. It aint 1998 any more people.

5. What's the money like?

Good, but not great. I am happy with where I am. I hope to earn more in the future, but at age 27, with 4 years of experience, and some schooling/certs under my belt I make a decent living.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?

How little users actually know. How most IT people treat users as idiots for it when it's actually part of their job to educate.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?

Not double-checking something and f#cking up a backup job one evening. Measure twice, cut once.

8. Has it become boring for you?

No. I only recent changed employers and went from Mojo the IT Helper Monkey to IT Manager and General Network Badass. So it's a whole new world for me.

9. Is your family proud of you?

Sure, but it has nothing to do with being an IT guy. It's because I graduated college, am nice to my siblings, have a job, and am back in school. Generally being a moderately productive human.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?

Yes.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?

Not great, but definitely on the rebound. One thing though- it's not what you know, but who you know . . . and what you know. Every job lead I've gotten was because I knew someone. After getting your foot in the door you get the job because you have the right skills.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?

No.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?

People asking "Is the email down?? I haven't gotten anything in the last 30 minutes." Hey guy- here's a clue. No one is trying to get in touch with you.
 
1. Depends on who you ask. Yeah, I would probably classify myself as a nerd, but I don't look it. I work out to keep in shape, eat healthy and dress appopriately. I may be labeled but I don't look it. Its such an 80's gay term it doesn't mean anything anymore

2. Though im not really an administrator yet of one company I have to keep track and keep working several clients throughout my town as do my workers, so were administrators of several companies that we switch. I guess the funnest thing is the variety and different things that ALWAYS come up with networks and people. Plus I get to meet new people and talk with people is what I enjoy the most. *Many high IT people have great tech skills, but absolutely no people skills, not good*

3. Solving problems under pressure and timelines. I really hate it, and it have a tendancy of screwing up when im under high pressure. Stupid, impatience people bugging me when im working on something REALLY gets on my nerves!

4. I went to a Vo Tech school and got a degree in Information Systems Managment. Cost ALOT less then regular collegee, was done in 2 years and had alot of people looking for a job for me. Really depends on what you wanna do afterwards. If you wanna desighn CPU's yep, full college in Computer Theory and physics, if not, don't bother

5. Crappy atm. Still don't make enough to move outa folks hosue. Jobs on really tight wire with bad business decisions, town also has a crappy IT market. Just really depends on location, towns market, competition ect.......

6. How fucking stupid people can be.

7. Trying to fix something you know little or nothing about, NEVER a good idea!!!!

8. Something new everyday, I don't have time to get bored, though when its quiet, I surf the T1 at work:D

9. Yep, they sure are.

10. I have to educate every sorry ass person I meet on this job. People are really stupid

11. Its bleak, once again depending on your skills, experience, your town, market, competition. it all adds up to what kinda job your gonna get. In my case, my State sucks ass for IT jobs.
This industry proves the term "Its not what you know, but who you know" I got this job helping rebuilding a network after a fire and I got a job a month later after impressing the hell outa the Net admin there.

12. I spend over 8 hours on computers at work and at the end of the day I go home, jump on "Blue Fantasy" and play games and surf. My dad can barely stand 30 mins.

13. My coworkers are funny ass people. Our CISCO guy I call "Gimli" cause he looks like a damn dwarf.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?

I prefer the term geek, if any.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.

I'm the only IT guy here, so I get a lot of freedom and I dont have anyone watching over my shoulder. I DO have to report to the higher-ups, but this is informal and only on an as-needed basis.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?

Well it's not that I dread it, but I have an uphill fight. Things used to be run here very differently, and I have to fight an uphill battle sometimes to persuade management of the right way.

For example, I show them the cost benefit of using a nice LaserJet 4050 centrally located in a department instead of a cheapo HP inkjet on each persons desk. Sure they will pay more for the printer, and more on toner, but cost-per-page will make up for extra costs in the long run, and the only disadvantage will be that people will just have to get up and walk 5 steps to get their prints.

It makes sense all right, but since it was never done this way much before me, you have to convince them.

I had, and am still working on, getting people to come to me with the problem itself, not the solution. For example, if you think we need something, dont buy it and tell me to make it work. Tell me the problem and I can find the best possible solution.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)

Knowledge is good. Set this stuff up at home and learn it inside and out. But dont be surprised if company's dont pay too much attention to you until you have an "official" education AND experience.

Honestly, my college courses were mostly review. But without them, I think I would have a harder time moving up.

5. What's the money like?

I'm probably under-paid, but it's still decent considering that I'm still going to school.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?

I think probably how technically-illiterate some people can be. Even if you explain the same thing to them 10 times, you will have to explain it again.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?

Cant really think of any right off the top of my head.

8. Has it become boring for you?

Not really. My job involves pretty much everything electronic here, from the servers and networking equipment, to workstations, to helping users.

One thing that was a nice change was fixing a plasma cutter in our sheet metal shop. It was a very heavy metal case, with an LCD, and a specialized keypad on the front, but inside it was just a Pentium 200 that had a special interface card to the cutter. The hard drive in it died. No major deal, but projects like that are always fun.

9. Is your family proud of you?

Of course. My mom's just mad that I'm making more than she is.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?

ALWAYS. Part of my job is helping users do what they need to do, and sometimes this involves helping them format margins in Word, or some other little task. I try to teach them what I'm doing so that they wont need my help next time. So far it's working as the number of calls I get like that have been decreasing.

The company also wanted me to teach classes on Word, Excel, and Outlook, as well as basic computer usage to the employees in small groups. However, my job keeps me plenty busy that this has pretty much not happened, nor will it.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?

I dont know, personally. I know "certified" people who have had trouble finding a job. But if you put up with a crap-job for a few years, usually that should be enough experience to start to move up.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?

When I first got this job, I used to go home after 8 hours on the computer and get on the computer. Anymore, I dont use it much at home. After staring at a screen all day I kinda wanna go home and just do something else instead.

One thing to watch out for with an IT job though is your weight!! I used to eat fast food all the time but my job was physical enough that I burned it all off. Since taking an IT job where the most physical thing I do is run up stairs several times a day, I've started to put on a few pounds. It's caused me to have to watch what I eat just little bit as well as to get away from the computer and get some physical excersize. (I've taken up biking.)

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?

Users. ;)

EDIT: Accidentally hit submit before I was done. :(
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
From a tech standpoint yes. From a social standpoint, no way.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
Feeling of responsibility. Knowing that an entire company's welfare rests on the fact that you can maintain a network

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
learning new technology that I have no previous experience with (Cisco PIX/IDS)

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
Learn EVRYTHING. An MCSE used to get you in the door, now you have to be an MCSE, CCNA, CCA, and MCDBA to get a NetAdmin job around here

5. What's the money like?
Nowhere close to what people talk about. If you have a few years experience Administering a decent sized environment then the 50-60 range is cake. Come in new like me and it isn't so pretty :D

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
How relaxed it is one minute, and how out of nowhere you can have a heart attack when something goes down hard

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
HAHAHAH!! 1st week at work, Power grid failure. Generator kicks in and starts overheating. We're at like 42% batt capacity in under 7 minutes. My Boss is like "kill all the monitors, we need to save juice. So I start flying around the datacenter jacking monitors. I come back and see 2 left. A monochrome amber, and a monochrome green. I flipped them both off. Not 15 seconds later the other IS Specialist runs into the server room going "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE ATM'S.. JOSH...DID YOU TRUN THAT CONSOLE OFF!!!!??" I was like "No, I turned that monitor off, the machine is still up". That is the day I learned about AIX terminals and how if you turn the monitor off, you mifght as well turn the mainframe off. I simultaneously took down over 40 of our ATM's for about 20 minutes. We lost a few bucks that day hehe..

8. Has it become boring for you?
Nope, nowhere close. Just when I get comfortable, we get a new server or new product in that requires changing the network around just to accomodate it.

9. Is your family proud of you?
Extremely. Especially since I took a break to open a Beer and Cigarette delivery service 2 years ago :D
10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
All the time. But that makes me feel better. I want people to learn how to deal with minor issues so I don't have to pull away from important stuff to reset your IPAQ 5 times a day.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
It took me 4 months of searching almost every day. The market is VERY competitive. I got in by my attitude, definitely not my skills. I mean, I can run this stuff, and I can learn very fast, but compared to other brainiacs they interviewed, I was just a guy with 2 MCSE's and an A+. I can deal with people though, which I think some compnaies are starting to lean towards in the age of presentations , and pitching for funding.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
Nah, I make sure I take routine trips to the Server Room, Water Cooler. It's also nice being a small (200+ employee) compnay that I also get to do Desktop support. A nice walk to the Accounting department to install a driver, or replce a mouse... it keeps things fresh.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?:D
My paycheck *rimshot*
Funniest thing is that all the people that aren't in the IS department think we all make like 100 g's a year and party with Bill Gates. It's sooooooooooo far from the truth. But if the single ladies want to think I'm smart, sexy, AND loaded..who am I to crush their dreams? ;)
 
1) Yes. Nerds get chicks and geeks dont, so that makes me a Nerd. (God I hope my girlfriend doesnt read this...)

2) Getting to play with new stuff, and solving complex engineering problems.

3) Dealing with upper-management and budget constraints. Actually, we dont have a budget, so everytime I want to get something I have to justify it to people that dont know what the hell I'm talking about.

4) Experience is equally important as a college education. Yes there are people out there who dont have a college education and have good jobs, but a lot of them will tell you to get the college education so you dont have to take as many crap jobs to get where you want to be. Anyone who says that experience is the only thing that matters is either wrong or has never tried to move up in the world. And anyone who says that college is the only thing that matters is wrong or has never had to prove themselves against a damn good engineer who has no college experience. Dont just focus on one thing in college. Anyone can configure a Cisco router or switch if they took a class or read a book, but not anyone can configure a huge OSPF implementation, be damn good in Excel (which is one of the best programs in the world, by the way) and know how to program, and know how a bunch of different operating systems work. Round yourself out, be really good in a few different things, and be damn good in one thing. Dont put all your eggs in one basket and make yourself unique in the eyes of your employer.

5) I'd say damn good. I'm a 20yr old college student (soph) and I'm making close to $20/hr.

6) How much time you have to do absolutely nothing when everything is working like it should and you have no projects on the board. And how quickly that can change and you find yourself calling your significant other to tell them not to wait up for you tonight.

7) Thinking that I knew a lot, because you never do. Until you've applied the books to the real world, and until you've applied the real world to the books, you dont know anything.

8) Yes. Where I work is a small business, and they dont have any expansion plans for the near future. Which unfortunately means they cant justify expanding the network. I'm looking for another position, I'd always just considered this job a stepping stone to bigger things anyways.

9) God yes. I was a problem child. I owe my turn around to my mother, and I know shes proud of me.

10) All the frigging time. And I hate it, because no matter what you tell people, they ALWAYS, ALWAYS forget. And I hate dealing with people that I work with who think they know more than me just because they're 40 and I'm 20.

11) It's not good, but I think it's getting better. I was really lucky to find my job, but I had an inside contact. Knowing people is always a good thing.

12) Not physically....it is mentally draining sometimes though. I usually work 14 hour days when school is not in session.

13) The people I work with. They give me a lot of crap because I'm so young, and I give them crap because they're so old. It's a lot of fun.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
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No. "Nerd" carries a sigma of a lack of social skills, which I feel doesn't apply to me at all. If I had to be labeled, call me a geek. That is more about interests than social skills.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
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I love getting hands on the hardware, solving problems, and learning new things. All of which are very common in my job.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
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Politics. For instance, I have to take time out of my day to go to the house of the owner to work on his 12 year old daughter's laptop. Or we can't upgrade this application because it has been working well for 15 years and the upper management doesn't understand why it should be replaced.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
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Don't listen to the false advertising on the radion..."take our 2 week course and get paid $85,000 your next year!". It is a difficult, competitive road you are about to take. Expect to start at the bottom and very slowly work your way up.

5. What's the money like?
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In my company, bad. They are very well known for paying 25% under market. Overall, it is ok but not nearly as great as those outside the market think. "Oh, he works in computers? I hear they all pull down 6 figures!"

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
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Hmm...tough question. How some people in my field can be totally unproductive and still hold on to their job for years.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
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Not immediately taking advantage of the company's education benefits.

8. Has it become boring for you?
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Not yet. The moment it does, I am out of here.

9. Is your family proud of you?
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Um...I guess... I would like to think that they would be proud of me if I were working the fry station at McDonalds. I'm not sure what the point of this question is.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
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Every day. When you do support, 50% of your job is education.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
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Not good, but not as bad as some say. You can find jobs, but you had better be willing to start at the bottom making less than $30k/year. There are some high paid specialty jobs out there, but your average MCSE isn't in the demand that s/he was 3-5 years ago.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
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Nope. I go home and fire up BF1942 or LOMAC.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job? [/B]
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The clueless people who sometimes call. Keeping in mind that EVERYBODY has to start to learn one day about computers, it is still hyterical when people try to hold the mouse up to the monitor or want to spray WD-40 in the back of a monitor because it is whining.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
No, I would not.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
Learning new things.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
Dealing with budgetary and higher ups.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
It may not pay as much as a doctor, but you'll do OK if you have the experience and knowledge; but knowing a few people is helpful.

5. What's the money like?
It's not 1998, but if you know your stuff and have experience, you can do pretty good.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
When stuff breaks, you get to fix it.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
Do not put your nose into other people's business, and try not to ask too many questions.

8. Has it become boring for you?
At times when I've been working for quite sometime, I just want to not have to worry about stuff, or not have to think about computer stuff all day.

9. Is your family proud of you?
Cause I graduated college? Yes. Because I'm good at what I do? Yes. Because I'm in IT? Not really.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
Yes, of course. However, just stay calm and relaxed and go through it with them and don't talk down to them. In the end they'll end up respecting you more.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
No idea; I'm not exactly into that area yet. If you know your stuff and are in the right area; yes you'll have a good shot.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day? Often times, I do. Other's don't. There is a point when you have to go outside and ride bike or watch a television program, and not surf the intarweb.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
I don't have much experience in that area, so it's hard to say.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
Geek? Yes, but in a fondness of technology sort of way. Nerd? Not one bit as I party and have a life outside of computers.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
Being god of all I survey. And the mental challenges of everyday problems I get to deal with. Its not a boring job like many think it is. I'm constantly faced with new and exciting ways that users can break things.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
Management and office policitcs. The higher up the food chain you go the worse it seems to get.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
Don't expect to pay off those student loans any time soon.

5. What's the money like?
I'm an E-5 with about 7 years in the Air Force. Check here if you'd like.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
How incredibly computer illiterate some people are. Its amazing the things we take for granted being admins and such.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
Can't really remember that far back. Most of my first year and a half is a blur from all the partying I did. Actually, if I could think of anything I'd say its not to get things done too quickly. Take the time to do things right. Also use the "Scotty system" to your advantage. Its more psychology than anything else, but it does come in handy.

8. Has it become boring for you?
No. New problems usually keep things from getting stagnent.

9. Is your family proud of you?
I suppose.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
Every day.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
I hear horror stories continuously, but people have had a tad bit more optimism the last couple of months.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
Sometimes I do.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
Funny things happen every once in a while. The funniest one I can think of was during OIF when a coworker was running cable in the roof/attic of the building we were working out of. She heard some flapping by her head and came eye-to-eye with a pigeon. She freaked out and screamed all the way to the ladder running across all the offices ceilngs without falling through any of them. We were never able to figure out why or how she didn't fall right through the ceiling given how she bolted through there like she did.
 
HAHAHAH!! 1st week at work, Power grid failure. Generator kicks in and starts overheating. We're at like 42% batt capacity in under 7 minutes. My Boss is like "kill all the monitors, we need to save juice. So I start flying around the datacenter jacking monitors. I come back and see 2 left. A monochrome amber, and a monochrome green. I flipped them both off. Not 15 seconds later the other IS Specialist runs into the server room going "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE ATM'S.. JOSH...DID YOU TRUN THAT CONSOLE OFF!!!!??" I was like "No, I turned that monitor off, the machine is still up". That is the day I learned about AIX terminals and how if you turn the monitor off, you mifght as well turn the mainframe off. I simultaneously took down over 40 of our ATM's for about 20 minutes. We lost a few bucks that day hehe..
Click to expand...



ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!
Omg that made me laugh, Been such a long day here at work I wanna cry. I don't think i've made that BIG of a mistake....yet.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
meh, i suppose

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
designing and puting them together... opening the boxes for that "new switch" smell... mmm... after that solving problems and watching the LED's blink

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
users

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
without expierience your probably not going to get a great job

5. What's the money like?
depends what your doing, and who you are working for

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
how much you can learn when your trying to solve problems

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
playing with the key in an old dell server... and watching it break off in the lock..

8. Has it become boring for you?
never

9. Is your family proud of you?
my dad no, he is into chemistry and thinks pc's are the devil... my mom ya i guess becuase i give her money :p

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
is this a serious question? of course, people are generally stupid and have no idea how any of these things work, if its not teaching people why their password needs to meet complexity requirements or begging them to not open attachments its always something else

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
i live in miami florida, and its absolutely horrible, you have more of a chance getting a job in just about any other field probably, like there is probably more demand for putting out oil fires in miami :rolleyes:

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
nope, never... i am in front of a pc all day and all night... LCDs are you friend, much less eyestrain and the such... also ergonomics is important, have a nice chair, comfy mouse and keyboard you like...

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
the fact im more qualified than most of the "net admins" i know but i STILL CANT GET A FRICKEN JOB (sorry) :(
 
thanks to truebuckeye for the template!

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

only @ work..

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
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I think the design part is the most challenging and enjoyable part of work. Also, opening/installing new equipment !

quote:
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3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
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1st. reports. reports. reports. and why bosses want the most inane things on the reports.
2nd. some end users.
3rd. politics ("i've used my one character password for years...why do i need to change it?" ...)
4th. no budget

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you enjoy education, go to college and take a major which you like. I figured that since i pay good money for college, might was well take something i like. . IT/MIS was a hobby for me while i studied criminology law and society.

If you want to get in IT, take a cheap course @ a community college and try it out.

also. read read read an inordinate amount of material related to your field (networks/windows/linux/security)


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. What's the money like?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pretty good so far. but don't expect anything decent right out of school/bootcamp/mcse. It took my company a year or so to really understand one's capabilities. Also, like Popekevinl, i am a college dropout (1 class away from my degree...) and kicking ass for not having a degree.

quote:
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6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I came from a pretty small company before i joined this company and it was refreshing to work somewhere with relatively no budget constraints. No more searching ebay/compgeeks for rebates/discounts for equipment. If i needed it, its was bought. simple as that. =)

quote:
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7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Early on, everything was viewed from a technology perspective. So most of my decisions were based from that point of view. Now, i understand that there is a business aspect to it and for a company to be succesful, IT has align itself with the overall company goals.


quote:
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8. Has it become boring for you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There has been times when things slowed down a bit, but now its like there is no end. I have a project plan that is well into the end of next year with more stuff being added constantly. How can that be boring =)?

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Is your family proud of you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think now they are. They didn't understand why i was studying one thing and working in another. But they came around eventually.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nope, all my users are smart and secure. ... just kidding.

I would love to see a company where no education is required. (i think the lab at intel which figures out all the bugs in the processors.... would qualify for that..)



quote:
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11. How bleak is the job market these days?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was looking a couple months ago and it still is somewhat weak. There are alot of contract positions availabile in so cal, but for permanent jobs, its a little hard.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes, but not very often.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. What's the funniest thing about your job? [/B]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had on of my techs ask me what that eraser on the laptop keyboard was.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
Yes, but not as bad as some Computer Science majors I know.
I consider myself somewhat, and I use the term loosely, normal.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
Responsibility, power, and get to play with many many toys :D

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
When something breaks and I can't figure it out or when users ask really stupid questions and I have to try to explain it to them in n00b terms

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
I am still in school ;) Do what your heart says when it comes to careers, the more hobbies and skills you have the better.

5. What's the money like?
I worked for a small business and I knew the owner and he loved my work so I got paid pretty damn well for a 17/18 year old.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
No idea

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
Letting a n00b mess with the server when I am not there to supervise

8. Has it become boring for you?
Sometimes when it is tech support for users

9. Is your family proud of you?
No :(
My family has very high expectations, too high to be exact.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
Yes, I've had to write and distribute tutorials and answer phone calls on how to use certain systems.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
Not well I think but getting better

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
It's part time so i only get physically tired with my own systems :mad:

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
Accountant: The scanner isn't working, I tried everything
Me: ummm, it isn't plugged in
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd? At work Yes...at home...oh heck, who am I kidding. Yes

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network. I would have to say the design and security side of things, so much work and so much that can go wrong, but it always pulls together and works out.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread? Reports & paperwork....why can't I every automate that.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration) Don't get into this if you are just in it for the money(I had alot of those types in college), if you are in it for the money you'll hate your job for the rest of your life.

5. What's the money like? Right now great, right out of college it was awful. Working on the helpdesk is hell, just remember that it gets better as you work your way up.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job? How many things throughout my day have nothing to do with computer admin work!

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now? I used to look at things with a coolness factor....don't buy anything unless it is "geekworthy". Now I buy things based on what I need.

8. Has it become boring for you? Whenever it gets slow I just get caught up...then something breaks...so I would say no.

9. Is your family proud of you? Yes, because they know I'm happy and making money(which the wife likes)

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company? Yes, I write manuals/tutorials, answer phone calls...etc.

11. How bleak is the job market these days? It's getting better, the key is to not get down on yourself...7 months ago I had over 100 rejection letters on my desk at home. One day I said enough, threw them all out and created my job. I found a company, suggested they needed my services...and they hired me!

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?LCD's are great, Aeron's are even better(I don't know how I made it without it), when I get tired I get up and walk around the block and come back.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job? Definetly the amount of pr0n on end-users computers
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
No. I got my 1st degree in Music just to be on the safe side.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
My favorite thing is fixing things when stuff has gone really horribly wrong (I don't like that it has gone wrong. I just like fixing it). This is my biggest strength, and I like the challenge, despite the stress. Ok, that actually ties with getting to design and implement new technology at a University with 50,000+ users.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
Politics forcing us to implement the worst possible solution. Sometimes they're able to gather the worst elements from all proposed solutions and force us to implement something which is worse than the worst.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
Get a job in the computer labs, or IT department at your college. The pay sucks, but you get hands on experience. That hands on experience can more than make up for the pay.

5. What's the money like?
It pays the bills. I love most of the job.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
Nobody questions Microsoft. Worms, virii one after another, yet it's unthinkable to even suggest considering the possibilty of ditching them... I just don't get it. If we bought a fleet of Fords service vehicles that broke down all the time I can guarantee that they would never buy a Ford again.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
Worked too many hours. I needed to learn that it wasn't my fault they didn't have even 1/3 of the staff required to do what they were trying to do. 15/16 hour days just aren't worth it.

8. Has it become boring for you?
There are some aspects of any job which will always be boring. Overall the job is not. There are lots of new challenges, as technology doesn't stand still.

9. Is your family proud of you?
Yes.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
Sometimes. I have done some training sessions.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
Last time we held interviews it was insane. Tons of way overqualified people trying to get an entry level position.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
No. I think it's the 3 classes on top of working full time that are wearing me out... :D

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
Users. The dumbest thing you've ever heard will never stay the dumbest thing youv'e ever heard. Someone will always outdo the last dumbass.
 
1. No. Computers are a good way to earn money. Nothing more. Nothing less.
2. Network design, planning and implementation. Finding new solutions. ...and the absolute power of course :)
3. Asking for yet another $50 000 for equipment and software
4. Read a lot. Part of the job description is keeping yourself updated. Get certifications for commonly used systems. Get experience in as many areas as possible.
5. Can't complain
6. How much there is to do even when everything is working :)
7. Deploy IE without reading all of the documentation first
8. Not yet.
9. I suppose
10. All the time
11. Hard to get your foot in, but once inside - sky is the limit (if you are good).
12. Nah, used to it...
13. Checking the internet logs :)
 
7.6 years ago I asked these questions...

Today I am a Storage Administrator (EMC) working operations at General Motors. I've been employed for 2 years. I am making a pretty good living and buying my first home in October.

1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
Geek, yes. Not so much a nerd. I am respected, people seek my expertise. I'm still single though :cool:

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
Outlining and planning future changes, if the job is planned well everything works out well. Writing scripts for solutions.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
On call schedule and break fix. I manage a SAN, thousands of hard drives. When something breaks I am in charge of ensuring that there is a redundancy and the prior part is replaced. I hate tedious work.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
If you have the passion and drive then do it. Don't expect to learn a lot from college. Participate in projects while in college and make yourself known. The difficult and innovative projects will teach the most. Join the robotics team :)

5. What's the money like?
Good, SAN admins make decent money. $50k starting / $60k now salary.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job? The team atmosphere and the fact that I am much younger than my peers. I started at a good position. Most people have to work their way to this job.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now? Telling management my future plans, sharing political views. Office politics...

8. Has it become boring for you?
Sometimes but not often, I am in Operations. I maintain services.

9. Is your family proud of you?
Yes!

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
Yes, people come to me for advice all the time. I work with many experts so often I ask for lessons as well.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
In Detroit, with no social network I hear it is terrible. Once you have a job the opportunities are there though.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
No, I still come home and log into my home PC. I do take naps when I get home quite often. Coffee helps.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
The people, mix of culture in my environment. I work with people from around the world. I love learning about others culture and perspectives. We have a good time.
 
It's good to read this thread and hear some of you talk about what you love to do. It's refreshing and a reminder that a lot of times a minority of people can sound the loudest. Right now I'm halfway through a two year program in college and already working part time on the side in IT.
 
  1. I'd rather not be called a nerd. That's a title the uninformed use for people with some type of advanced knowledge in mathmatics or technology. If you really wanted to put a title on me, I'd prefer "Technology Enthusiast".
  2. Honestly, using all my prior experience (help desk, server administration) and applying my knowledge and resources to help others do their jobs.
  3. Updating work logs and other status oriented documentation.
  4. If possible, start working while in college in the tech field. In Sacramento, there are many opportunities to be a student and get IT experience, and most of all, make contacts.
  5. I'm happy about much I make, but then again, I don't have expensive tastes and I work for the government.
  6. I guess the most surprising thing about my job is how help deskish it is and how much I really don't mind it.
  7. I wouldn't take the crap I got from being a FNG as personally. A lot of the older dogs were assholes to me, but as I stayed longer, showed some respect, they came around.
  8. At times it has. But if I get REALLY bored, I start looking at ways to update and or diversify my home network/server environment.
  9. My parents are old school Filipinos who wanted to see their kids walk the stage, but I think they're both happy with how I turned out.
  10. On occassion, especially with technology that no one else really supports. In my case, that would be F5 LTM and GTM, so I have to instruct a little bit.
  11. Thank God, I haven't had to find out. From what I hear, the competition is fierce, at least for what I hear about state govt. jobs.
  12. Not at all. If I do get tired of sitting in front of my screen, I go take a walk, get up stretch, etc. Otherwise, I don't mind it all since I'm probably going to do more of it when I get home.
  13. My job itself isn't really funny, but I do laugh quite a bit because my coworkers are a funny bunch.
 
timberdoodle said:
I'm discouraged to hear you are a SAN admin at GM and are only making $60k?!
Click to expand...

I had no prior experience joined though a recent college grad program, just finished that program. My peers make a lot more. I believe I will too. I still have the "Associates" title.
 
1. Yes and no, it depends on what I am doing.
2. Getting to work with new technologies and learning new things
3. End users
4. Learn as much as you can on your own, doing hands-on stuff
5. It's my first job out of college, but the salary is pretty decent.
6. Lack of communication
7. I'll have to get back to you, I've only been here 2 months :)
8. Every 15 minutes is something different. I never know what might happen.
9. Very
10. All the time
11. I sent my resume to a TON of places and had quite a few interviews before being hired where I am at now.
12. I don't want to see a computer when I get home!
13. Seeing oil inside a computer case (manufacturing plant) and what the end users do!
 
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why label it? Geek, Nerd, meh...

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The variety of issues. Everyday is an adventure...

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QFT!
TrueBuckeye said:
1st. reports. reports. reports. and why bosses want the most inane things on the reports.
2nd. some end users.
3rd. politics ("i've used my one character password for years...why do i need to change it?" ...)
4th. no budget
Click to expand...

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want IT Management and/or Project Management, go to a 4yr college. If you want to be the guy/gal that actually does stuff, then read, read, read and read some more. Get some toy and start playing. Hit your local community college and take some classes that'll prep you for specific certs as well as foundation skills.


quote:
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5. What's the money like?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not bad, I do alright. Like a few others here, I'll finish college eventually :D (I'm 35).

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've gone from field tech to head of a one-man-IT-shop for a mid-sized company with a boat-load of side work, back to consulting. I work for in the private sector for a consulting company, and just the variety of clients, their needs, and the varying degrees at which they squeak really shouldn't surprise me at this point. But sometimes, you just have to laugh, and swallow the blood from your tongue as you bite the "I told you so" out of your explanation for downtime to a client.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Completely, totally and utterly bust your ass. I mean give them everything you have. Someone mentioned the Scotty Principle. Excellent advice. I'm not saying slack off, but some employers really only see you as an expense. Your happiness is worth more than that.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Has it become boring for you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At times. But only those clients that keep having the same issues, over, and over, and over again.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Is your family proud of you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm a responsible, upstanding and productive member of society. Absolutely, they are!

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nope, all my users are smart and secure. ... just kidding.

I would love to see a company where no education is required. (i think the lab at intel which figures out all the bugs in the processors.... would qualify for that..)



quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. How bleak is the job market these days?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm in the midwest, and it's still tight. Better than it was, but it's still just as much of a Who-you-know vs. What-you-know market.


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Occasionally.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. What's the funniest thing about your job? [/B]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Believe it or not, I still have to start out my troubleshooting with, "Is it turned on?"
 
10 years ago

Still a Storage Admin, I work for a Major Bank. I now make 6 figures, own a home and am looking at buying a nice sports car soon, Cayman S.

1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
Less so now, work is more about work. I go to clubs now, work out a ton. I quit World of Warcraft some 3 years ago. I have more responsibilities now and life is stressful so I make it a point to treat myself well and go out and have fun.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
The money, down time, when everything needs less managing. When there hasn't been a sev 2 or higher in over a month.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
Break Fix / On Call / Incidents

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
Do it period, but expect to work hard. You have to have the talent or I will fire you! We need more admins and the market is dry from insourcing.

5. What's the money like?
Best part about the job 6 figures with an 8% bonus. Full benefits 6% matching 401k.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
I've been flying solo in operations for over a year. It is very hard to find available storage admins, no one wants to live in Detroit. We have had 4 offers fall through for better locations.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
Speaking out against management, politics, expressing frustrations. No one is sympathetic they are in the boat with yu.

8. Has it become boring for you?
Sometimes but not often, I am in Operations. I maintain services.

9. Is your family proud of you?
Yes!

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
Yes, people don't understand our terminology but they try to speak it.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
Not at all, if anything there is a bidding war for storage admins

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
Yes, and anxious. I wan't to leave this thing so badly.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
Hate to say it but Managment, it's hard to change expectations, these people are used to managing an outsource team and getting "yes" to everything.Vendors have more "tools" Flying solo I have to tell my manager what I can and cant do.
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?

I think someone has said socially no, but technically yes. This would apply here.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.

Working with the technology, and engineering solutions. I tell people my job is solving puzzles.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?

I really don't like documentation for some reason. It however is a huge necessary evil..

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)

Experience. Experience. Experience. Try to get a job at your college in the helpdesk department. I started there, and work there for 4 years and then spent my first 2 years of my career there as the Sr. Windows Engineer

5. What's the money like?

I would say pretty decent. I'm 25 making 43/HR

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?

People that have worked in IT understand the sense of community that is out there. I have lots of IT friends that would drop anything to help me with me exchange environment, and I would do the same for them.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?

I haven't always been the best team player. Work with your team.

8. Has it become boring for you?

Not at all. If you're passionate about the technology it never will be.

9. Is your family proud of you?

Of course.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?

Everyday, multiple times a day, but I was taught and mentored so I do the same now.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?

Not bleak at all. I get multiple offers a month.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?

I used to. When I first started I couldn't wear my contacts to work as it wore my eyes out, but now my body has adjusted :)

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?

So many things.. I would say the funny stories you acquire over the years.
Yesterday one of my jr. admins wanted to take a server home to work on it.
Thus ensued a long discussion about VPN
 
1. Nerd no. Geek somewhat.

2. When things work, it's fairly quiet.

3. Being placed in reactionary mode by management. Fixing one disaster after another because no one wants to fix the actual problem. At my previous job the issue was "seagull management"

4. Get your hands dirty, get relevant certs that will either open doors, get you a raise, or enrich your knowledge. Never stop learning, and make sure you can actually do something practical by the time you enter the workplace. Too many kids these days that can pass tests but have zero practical experience. I worked as an EE for a company and fulfilled the IT admin role for 12 years. I switched careers into IT 3 years ago starting at a mid-level support engineer. MY title is now Senior Network Engineer in the support division. I do more Systems Architect and Admin work than Networking

5. Fairly well

6. It's almost never boring.

7. I accidently deleted a major OU in active directory. I was smart enough to disconnect that DC 4 seconds later and allowed the event to time out. If I hadn't moved fast enough it would have been a 4 hour to one day nightmare of a recovery or backups and DRM logins..

8. Before I was promoted yes, I was getting bored being peanut work, mostly because I fixed almost everything that I caused any issue on a daily basis.

9. Not sure. I'd be more concerned about being a good dad, then a good admin/engineer.

10. Yes, all the time?

11. There are a million bad admins/engineers out there, its hard for HR to separate the wheat from the chaf. You need to demonstrate you can do something better than someone else in order to make it in this market.

12. I'm up and doing things 1/3rd of the day, meetings, helping users, etc

13. When users give you the "you're a wizard" look.
 
SpAmBuRgErLoRd said:
It is very hard to find available storage admins, no one wants to live in Detroit.
Click to expand...

I've worked in several parts of Michigan, and this has been a common motif for recruitment. We've had this problem at pretty much all of my employers over the past few years. Nobody wants to live in Detroit. Nobody wants to live in Southfield. Nobody wants to live in Lansing. Oddly enough (or not odd, in some senses) this doesn't seem to be such an issue for Grand Rapids based companies.
 
why are people still answering these questions?
Read the original post. this was a request for a class the OP was in back in 2004.

While I congratulate OP for making 6 figures and doing what he likes, a thread necro from a decade ago seems a bit unnecessary.
 
NetJunkie said:
I still find it interesting. :)
Click to expand...

...and aside from being interesting, there's always going to be someone out there aspiring to become a network guy, and this should be helpful to those despite being a decade old.
 
Holy thread resurrection! But I will answer since I find other answers pretty interesting. And in line with my own.

1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
No, not really. I may not be a life of a party, but I would not describe myself as a nerd. I enjoy fun things in life other than computers. I fly planes, scuba dive, shoot (when I get a chance).

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
Planning and initial configuration. Setting up something new. Migrating to a newer technology. Being able to work with things I would never touch on my own.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
There's always this one asshole user out there who thinks you do nothing but break his stuff only for your own entertainment. And when I have to do repetitive tasks. But I usually find ways around that.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
Prepare to be under-appreciated, and start at the bottom. Money will suck at first. But if you are truly passionate, keep at it. You will be rewarded.

5. What's the money like?
Depends where you end up. I worked for a Fortune 500 company, making 35k in NYC. Posted my resume on Monster (crappy version I meant to edit) and a month later got hired for a small company, where I am approaching six figures.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
People in your position, even working for a competitor, are usually glad to offer assistance. It's kind of like a club.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
Thinking I know everything, and I should stop learning and trying to advance.

8. Has it become boring for you?
No. There are days when I am thinking "why am I doing this same crap again?" but 99% of a time, there's always something interesting and unique.

9. Is your family proud of you?
Yes. Definitely.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
Yes. But not "What a dumbass, now I have to teach this moron how to ping" or anything like that. The client I currently support has a very unique environment. And when after-hours people try to help, they need some guidance. When I review after-hours tickets, and see that someone went wrong way, I make it a point to reach out to that person, and offer guidance.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
I guess it depends where you are, what is your experience, and what you are looking for in terms of money. My company constantly looking for engineers, mostly due to expansion. But you need to know your stuff. It's not too hard to get into the IT field if you are willing to take low paying job.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
Not really. As long as you take breaks during the day, you should be fine.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
Users. Always users.
 
SpAmBuRgErLoRd said:
This is for a class. It would be greatly appreciated if you guys could answer some questions about being a network administrator. Answer all that you wish to answer. Other People may learn something from you replies so be as accurate and serious as possible.

Thank you,
SpAmBuRgErLoRd
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1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
sure, im on [h] aren't I

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
variety of work involved


3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
paperwork, shooting fiber paths


4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
try and get a part time job at the university doing IT stuff, get a taste

5. What's the money like?
Im in GOV IT so its not great but not bad

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
not doing enough prep work

8. Has it become boring for you?
nope

9. Is your family proud of you?
sure? I make a good living and provide for my fam

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
yes

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
we have a job opening we haven't been able to fill for 6+ months

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
nah I am out and about a lot(work at a Uni)

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
interacting with other IT Pros, and occasionally students
 
1. Would you describe yourself as a nerd?
Don't even believe in the term, this is 21st century, everyone is unique in their own way. If someone calls you a nerd, embrace it.

2. What's your favorite thing about administering a network.
That you are playing a very important role for an organization.

3. What's the part of your job that you dread?
Repetitive and non-challenging work.

4. What would you tell somebody in college wanting to get into the IT career. (Network Administration)
Don't fear about not landing a job right away in this economy. If you work hard, somebody will hire you. Always keep in touch with colleagues.

5. What's the money like?
Entry pay is usually shit but working hard and getting that experience is more important which will lead to higher pay. I went from 18 bucks/hour to $60k + bonuses after a year of experience. Don't ever expect decent pay immediately.

6. What's the most surprising thing about your job?
The amount of good people who don't have degrees or certs.

7. What mistakes did you make your first year that you wouldn't make now?
Hmm... I would have to say I got a little complacent after 3 months at my first job.

8. Has it become boring for you?
Sometimes, but staying optimistic about the future keeps me going.

9. Is your family proud of you?
They weren't before, but now they are happy for me that I finally found my calling. Being proud isn't really my parents' style though. They always treated me like I could've done better, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the person.

10. Do you have to educate people within your own company?
Yup, I like to remind people that they always have great potential. Being a team player will get you places too.

11. How bleak is the job market these days?
Its getting better, you can kind of tell as the morning traffic gets worser and worser. But don't think about the job market, just think about always improving yourself to make you more hirable. Last I checked, everybody deals with the same job market.

12. Do you get physically tired of being at a computer all day?
You get restless but my job allows me to go outside to shoot hoops when its slow or just hang out around the office, my manager treats us like professionals and hardly ever micro-manage.

13. What's the funniest thing about your job?
Office politics.
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
why are people still answering these questions?
Read the original post. this was a request for a class the OP was in back in 2004.

While I congratulate OP for making 6 figures and doing what he likes, a thread necro from a decade ago seems a bit unnecessary.
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Lol, I didn't even notice. Well, its a good thread for other prospective ITers lol.
 
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