Slashdot Mirror
The Future of SysAdmins' Positions
prostoalex writes "With automated upgrade tools and self-updating software, will sysadmins be in such high demand that they enjoy today? Lisa Valentine from NewsFactor provides the answer - and it's a definitive yes. Wireless systems and GPS devices are the new area where sysadmins are expected to have some expertise, although lately companies have been upping their demands for more hands-on experience. This opinion seems to corroborate US Department of Labor forecast on system administrator and computer support specialist employment."
> An experienced systems administrator
> can expect to earn a salary in the
> US$50,000 to mid- to upper-$60,000 range.
Hm, the _average_ in the SAGE survey in 2002 was $67,600. But I guess that's more or less in the ballpark.
The Army reading list
Back to school, for ECE. It will kinda suck to be an undergrad all over again, but I'd like to think that I have a bit more focus this time around.
Being a systems administrator is neat with regard to some things; there's a lot of equipment I wouldn't have ordinarily gotten my hands on, a lot of problems I wouldn't have ordinarily confronted. But there's not much thinking to the job and I feel a little starved for a challenge...
You have obviously never been a system administrator. Allow me to introduce you to my friend, Clue-by-Four.
*whack*
The problem with things that are 'user-managed' is that it follows the classic path of the tragedy of the commons. Users tend to look at the systems and networks they use as infinite sources of storage, memory, and processing power, and when things break down because of this overuse, they have no way to fix things on their own.
The place I work is a great example of this -- our salespeople have sold a huge account to an overseas client who wants us to run 24x7; of course, they did this without even talking to the systems department. Had they tried to implement without a system administrator, things would have crashed and burned horribly, as prime time for our overseas users meshes nicely with all the nighttime automated tasks our system runs in the background (like backups and such). As is, we are having to almost double our server infrastructure and hire a new admin for our new (large) client; if we didn't, we wouldn't be able to keep them.
Admins do a lot more than set permissions on files. We help users understand complex aspects of the technology they use. We keep the systems maintained, patched, backed-up, and running smoothly. We chase down odd software and network problems that defy the complexity of neurosurgery. We keep the users from stomping over each other in their never-ending quest for disk space. We upgrade hardware and software to keep with the pace of user demands. We keep the baristas at Starbucks employed.
In short, as long as there are people who have time to either work or play with computers, but not both, there will be jobs for sysadmins.
--
I Hit the Karma Cap, and All I Got Was This Lousy
As a systems admin with 5 years experience currently working on a helpdesk to make ends meet, I'd like to ask, where is this glut of jobs that the poster implies is out there? I know in the Toronto area, there are quite a few out of work sys admins and any job I find gets 100's of applications.
...
Things aren't so peachy keen here in sys admin land
We emerge from our mother's womb an unformatted diskette; our culture formats us. - Douglas Coupland
Actually, some companies are already doing that: They have install teams of hardware guys in india set up everything in labs there, then ship all the shit with spares and spares for the spares, and a team of four flies in for the week, slap it together, and a couple keep coming each week for a few months. Then they hire a local guy (indian, same city/university as the others) and he vacuums the dust out of the machines and keeps everything real tidy.
It's cheaper to fly the four Indians in five times a year than keep a team of four good hardware sysadmins (cisco certs) on payroll.
I personally think this is a good thing. The Indians are generally more polite and they have been bitten by the American worship bug, so when you ask them to do something, they usually jump to it.
Actually, I don't think it's a good thing come to think of it.
"Piter, too, is dead."
"They don't exactly teach sysadmin in school, you know."
Actually, they do, at least at RIT
For all of the objections others have raised, like take-home being much lower than billing, bad hours, etc, you all forgot one.
The profession is potentially lethal. You may take home something other than pay. I have no idea if working women insist on barriers, or if there's a price premium to go without barriers, or if they require a recent negative test document. But none of that is foolproof.
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
...if you've an HP/compaq proliant with a remote insite/lights out board on it then they can do that remotely too: including booting off a virtual floppy over the network, and powering it on from cold remotely...
Level 1: Crack Whore; is paid in drugs
Level 2: Escort Service; is paid in cash, per client.
Level 3: Wife; is paid in security, property, etc, but she also has a golden parachute plan! When she finds a better client, she takes at least 50% of all the shit you own! Sometimes, you still have to pay her a salary (spousal support), just so she can afford to continue her whoring with somebody else!
Thank god Taco sold Slashdot BEFORE he got married... I can just imagine divorce attorneys arguing over the cash value of a first post...
Sysadmin jobs for smart people who know a wide range of systems will still be around. However, expect some changes, including the following:
Back in the day, systems were extremely complex and needed an army of people to look after the basic functionality. Now that's changing...sysadmins will be around, but adaptation is required.
The other thing that I see happening is formation of a common set of procedures. Civil engineers rarely design faulty bridges, airports, train stations, etc. The reason is that they use tested methods, and "new cool stuff" goes through complete peer review before becoming generally accepted. Systems people, OTOH, build stuff that routinely crashes and fails to work as advertised. Once companies get out of the "outsource everything and pay the absolute minimum for the work" phase, I think it will be time to form a real governing body similar to the professional engineering organizations.
History is written by the victors. - Winston Churchill
History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. - Winston Churchill
Uh, I think you mixed up the order of sex and safety. Take your pick of sites about the subject.