Path for sysadmin?

N

nOrVow

Gawd
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
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Hey everyone! Newb here on the forums. i'm sort of puzzled right now and i need some advice. What would be a recommended path for someone who's interested in becoming a windows/linux based systems administrator? From researching i've read i would need a MCSA or MCITP or some sort, as well as a degree in CS, MIS, or any related major. is this true? for linux i could just get a Linux+ cert. I'm currently a student a local community college taking pre reqs for another college that has the major needed.

this is the program i'm heading as of now;

http://www.oit.edu/portland/programs/information-technology/it-application-development

would this be viable? I see network administrator listed, but not systems administrator... or do those two positions conflate one another? i also plan on getting my A+ cert (i now have meyers A+ all in one book) to get my feet wet with an entry level job so i can gain at least some experience while completing my degree.

the only experience i have now really is self-taught. i've been building/maintaining/troubleshooting desktops since 6th grade now. In high school i majored in MCT (micro-computer technology) which basically encompasses everything for A+. but i've forgotten a bit of what i used to know and need to refresh.


thanks
 
I can't speak for the masses but when I am interviewing candidates for entry level sysadmin positions I look for three things; attitude, apptiude, and customer service skills. Degrees are good in that I know you can stick with something for 4 years, and jump through hoops. Certs are good because it guarantees that you have a decent base, or at least care enough to read the braindumps. But like I said the other three qualities can be more difficult to train. I can teach people to administer AD, or configure VLANs on a switch, or perform MACs on a VoIP system.... Just my two sense.
 
I'm currently a System Administrator and before I got this job, I worked for a few years at different places on a IT Help Desk.
 
Helpdesk is a great start IMO. I learned alot by just answering tickets. One of the things Helpdesk really helped me at is my troubleshooting skills. You can easily read a book on how to do something, but a lot things need to be troubleshooted for various reasons, your environment and configuration are good examples. Plus my IT HelpDesk job was very laid back and let me do my own thing. Learned a great deal on Active Directory and Imaging in the 3 years I did helpdesk. When I got to interviews outside of Helpdesk/College, the recruiters were very impressed on what I knew already.

Like Miker2K said, we can easily teach you the Sysadmin positions, its all about your attitude into learning them and the job itself and how you can deal with customers.
 
Thanks guys! I figured this would be a good start off foundation for me to broaden my skill, knowledge base and to get used to working with real individuals with this. i'm pretty well with customers though, i've had a few crappy retail jobs in the past. I did a little more research and it seems the MCSA is the way to go for me. I will be buying a few textbooks soon. :)

Shadinn said:
I'm currently a System Administrator and before I got this job, I worked for a few years at different places on a IT Help Desk.
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Do you mind telling my what degree you acquired, if so? Also if you have any, what certs did you end up getting as well for your particular position?
 
This some great advice, taken from: http://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/f0yfo/linux_system_adminstration_online_courses_anyone/



the best way to get exp is to just setup things..

install apache

install mysql

install nagios and monitor stupid shit

install cacti and graph stupid shit

install lvs and load balance apache across 2 servers

setup a simple firewall on a $50 box and use this as a home router

setup nfs between 2 different hosts

setup a simple rsync between two hosts using keys

setup a php bulletin board with a mysql backend

setup a memcache/apache box

setup a box running some kind of IDS (snort) and sniff your local network traffic

setup a dns server to run your own dns (djbdns or bind)

this is honestly the best way to learn (and all that crap listed is stuff i have dealt with a great deal at jobs)


I understand that's not exactly what you're asking here, but I can tell you knowing all of the above pretty well is going to get you places. Get your CCNA/CCNP + RHCE+ 4yr degree and practice the above. You'll get a decent job.
 
O2Flow said:
This some great advice, taken from: http://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/f0yfo/linux_system_adminstration_online_courses_anyone/



the best way to get exp is to just setup things..

install apache

install mysql

install nagios and monitor stupid shit

install cacti and graph stupid shit

install lvs and load balance apache across 2 servers

setup a simple firewall on a $50 box and use this as a home router

setup nfs between 2 different hosts

setup a simple rsync between two hosts using keys

setup a php bulletin board with a mysql backend

setup a memcache/apache box

setup a box running some kind of IDS (snort) and sniff your local network traffic

setup a dns server to run your own dns (djbdns or bind)

this is honestly the best way to learn (and all that crap listed is stuff i have dealt with a great deal at jobs)


I understand that's not exactly what you're asking here, but I can tell you knowing all of the above pretty well is going to get you places. Get your CCNA/CCNP + RHCE+ 4yr degree and practice the above. You'll get a decent job.
Click to expand...

Nice! thanks for the heads up. I plan on building myself a budget server/test lab to work with at home. I will definitely keep this in mind.
 
Some community colleges offer classes such as Intro to Unix, or Unix Admin. Also, many have hands on classes for the MCSA or MCSE. I believe the second course in the MCSA hits the policy concepts.

Most universities with a MIS or IS will introduce you to Linux and Microsoft's Active Directory (windows server) in an intro to networking class. You will install the OS, and maybe a few minor configuring type assignments.

If you are at a community college and studying MIS or IS I would recommend that you look into Microsoft's Dreamspark, you can use full Microsoft products without the annoying trial bs.

https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx
 
Miker2k said:
I can't speak for the masses but when I am interviewing candidates for entry level sysadmin positions I look for three things; attitude, apptiude, and customer service skills. Degrees are good in that I know you can stick with something for 4 years, and jump through hoops. Certs are good because it guarantees that you have a decent base, or at least care enough to read the braindumps. But like I said the other three qualities can be more difficult to train. I can teach people to administer AD, or configure VLANs on a switch, or perform MACs on a VoIP system.... Just my two sense.
Click to expand...

All your non-technical skills are called soft skills. Job candidates and students often overlook the importance of them.

For the original OP it sounds like your interested in computer networking which often means administration. Most community colleges have associates degrees in IT where you can specialize in networking, programming, forensics or other areas. You could even try a 3-month non-degree certificate to see what different subject content is like. Don't worry too much about what a college says are "possible careers" it's just marketing. It can be hard to choose what you want to do, I'm a student right now,

I also strongly agree with what Miker2k says about degrees and certificates. It's all part of the whole that is you but people want to chase a magic key (degree, cert, blog, resume website) to get them the next job. Just keep in mind for the most part outside of your entry level certifications (A+ Net+ MCDST) certs are made to verify your experience not something to be studied for without on the job experience.
 
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