How to Hire a Linux Administrator

Skapare writes "Hiring a good system administrator can be difficult. Hiring one while converting to Linux may take someone with special skills. Tom Adelstein is exploring just what is needed, and what should be avoided, in an article at Linux Journal about Linux System Administrators. I say hire more than just one."

Comments

Personality

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't forget to look for personality.

Too many geeks spend so much time in front of the computer they forget how to deal with people.

I'd rather hire a less-technical person with good person skills then a more-technical person who cannot hold a converation. Since the Linux admin is basically a internal support person for the business, a good personality, decent communication skills, and the ability to turn a low-level human concepts to create a technical solution are always very important. The ability to chat over a coffee or beer is essential in any workplace.

Many technical skills can be learned very quickly. Personality is learned in a lifetime.