Slashdot Mirror
A Title To Replace "Systems Administrator"?
sjanich writes "A discussion has begun at SAGE on an updated title to replace "Systems Administrator". I figure more sysadmins are reading Slashdot than are reading SAGEwire. Rob Kolstad of SAGE wrote: 'What in the world do we call the collective group of those people who make computers work properly? I'm not talking about users, and I'm not talking about software developers. I am thinking of: system administrators, LAN administrators, network administrators (both kinds!), security administrators, e-mail administrators, desktop support groups, database administrators, and all the other kinds of support that keep the IT function of an institution running -- what is this huge group called?' My favorite options are "Computer Infrastructure Practitioner" or "Computer Infrastructure Specialist". The original discussion can be found here at SAGEwire."
is IT guy. Nobody outside of IT, engineering and HR can even tell the difference between the job distinctions. Just like I cannot tell the difference between the different HR positions. They're all just HR people to me.
System Administrator.
I'm sick of all this puffery like domestic engineer (housewife), sanitation technician (garbageman), administrative assistant (secretary).
According to dictionary.com a system is "A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole." Sounds pretty accurate and all-encompasing to me.
If you can't be proud of the work you do without changing its name you have a lot bigger problems than your job title.
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"You are not remembered for doing what is expected of you." - Atul Chitnis
I've been sys admin'ing now, professionally, for over 5 years. I love my job.
I've had many titles over that period of time, and they include:
Computer Operator
LAN Administrator
Systems Administrator
Systems Analyst
Computer Technician
Network Analyst
Web Developer
and finally,
Network Administrator
The latter is my current title, though they're about to slap and additional one (Web Developer) on there as well. I have no problems with that, though regardless of my Network Admin/Web Dev status, I will still be called out to fix a printer, or switch out RAM, or go through old RS/6000 logs looking for some stray error message.
I've worked all of my sys admin jobs at financial institutions. I've worked for both banks and credit unions (credit unions have the edge, in my experience), in groups large and small. The largest group was about 8 guys, the smallest just me and my boss. They both have their problems. But that's not what this discussion is about.
This discussions is about how to label a guy who can't really have a label. Technician is so vague that it doesn't carry merit. Specialist too suffers from the same thing. Stick "Computer" in front of them, and you still have the vagarities that reek of any title that a job may provide you with.
Most places, unless they're Conglomerates (and all that that implies), want you to go above and beyond. This means that sometimes titles are left by the wayside as you throw a box in your car and hightail it to a destination, ready to provide that quick fix.
This discussion is moot and pointless in my opinion. Network Administrators and System Administrators will, in small shops, most likely be doing each others job at least part of the time.
No title is infallible, no title can encompass everything that you do or provide. Do not look for one to do so, because it does not, and can not, exist.
It doesn't matter. If sysadmins change their title to be X people will still refer to them as sysadmins. Just like "software engineers", "developers", "systems architect", etc. are still called "programmers" by most people.