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It finally happened: I am now a systems administrator and officially done with the helpdesk.

This recent promotion is a huge leap from where I started six months ago, and I’m incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to take my skills to the next level!

Normally, people try to get out of helpdesk after a year. I got VERY lucky to do it in about six months. Somehow, it feels incredibly fast and long overdue….one thing’s for sure: the learning never stops! In some ways, it’s only just beginning!

In previous posts, I detailed some of what I did at the help desk:

• Deploy systems and equipment and update inventory
• Maintain ISO documentation
• Solve day-to-day issues in the office
  • Hardware + software repair
  • MS Office issues
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Software installations
  • Etc.

Just your run-of-the-mill helpdesk stuff, albeit VERY busy.

However, not long after joining the company, I was thrust into a kind of de-facto systems administrator role after the administrator left…a very gray area I was in. Then, I had to:

• Deal with incident response (security and physical)
• Take meetings with vendors to explore various tools and solutions, negotiate pricing, and troubleshoot problems
• Completely re-organize and upgrade (aside from the hardware itself) the server + equipment rooms
• Pilot and implement a new asset inventory system

and more!

I was a one-man IT team (the superiors located overseas), and it was the above and the “and more” that pushed me to advocate for the systems administrator position and explore other work opportunities, but I am VERY happy to say that I was offered the position!

Now I am in the midst of training with my supervisor, who is filling in the gaps of my technical knowledge and cluing me in on the real guts of the network and our systems. I am really beginning to feel the responsibility of the job.

But what IS a systems administrator? (sysadmin, for short)

Basically, my primary responsibility is to ensure that our organization’s computer systems and servers are not just operational but are a well-oiled machine. It’s about maintaining the backbone of our IT infrastructure, which supports everything we do – from daily tasks to critical operations.

I will be overseeing the system maintenance and monitoring, ensure the health of our systems, and working so they perform optimally and are available whenever needed.

Not just knowing the background context in terms of the configuration and installation of networking equipment, but being able to manipulate it and upgrade it are also key parts of the new job. I get to dive into the nuts and bolts of the IT infrastructure.

I’ve been training with my supervisor as well as working on my own during and after work on networking courses, and it’s incredibly satisfying to see how a well-configured system actually boosts productivity and efficiency across the board.

Security is another crucial area of focus – one that originally brought me to this field. It’s why I wanted to go into IT! I so badly wanted to be a part of blue team cybersecurity, though after working in the field and joining the community, my goals / aspirations have slightly shifted.

Although I am still working through the foundations, it’s important to always keep security in mind! We’ve trained our users that cyber threats becoming more sophisticated every day, and my role involves evaluating and implementing more robust security measures. From firewalls to encryption protocols, ensuring our data’s safety and confidentiality is crucial.

Supporting our users is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s something I’ve always enjoyed because I love the interaction, but on the other, not all users are pleasant to deal with. Now I get to do it from a different perspective as the administrator with the deeper insights of how our network is built and use that to empower them to use their team’s tech more effectively and confidently.

Regardless of if it’s tweaking configurations or applying software updates, I want everything I do to contribute to a smoother, faster experience for everyone in the organization.

What can I explore? It’s not the end of the journey, after all!

• I’m hearing lots about automating repetitive tasks, freeing up time for other things. Excited to try and figure that out!
• Ways to streamline/improve our documentation. I’ve got ideas on building up our knowledge base so that when people are hired (such as helpdesk people) training can be supported and not 100% dependent on me being there 100% of the time.
  • This can include the configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps — having that kind of repository of knowledge will be great to have so that we’re all on the same page!
• More / better options for tracking our software and hardware life cycles.
• Linux seems to be my next major area of technical upskilling. Linux and Windows are the most-commonly mentioned systems in jobs postings…so it will soon be time to get started on that!

I’m stoked to learn and grow in the new role, tackle new challenges, and make some kind of meaningful impact at the company. Can’t wait!

It’s been quite the journey – from teaching to tech – but I think we can finally firmly say that I’ve arrived!