Cross Skilling Across Multi-OS Platforms?

drtheman asks: "I have been working in the IT industry for the last 10 years, 7 of those as a UNIX system administrator. I have been noticing over the last year or two that companies are becoming very pedantic about specific skills that a UNIX sysadmin should have. Most troubling for myself is the so called multi-skilled UNIX/NT administrator. It's a given that any seasoned UNIX admin should have *some* Windows knowledge, and cross skilling is something that shouldn't be balked at. However, after coming from large enterprise environments, where the UNIX boys do the UNIX stuff and the NT guys do the Windows stuff, I just find it a little troubling that if I don't adapt with certifications in these platforms I may become unemployable. Do other enterprise admins think that this is too much for us to take on, and companies are just expecting more bang for their buck these days? I can understand that these multi-skilled people are needed in the smaller shops, but I would like to know how it would work effectively in larger ones."

Comments

Keep in mind

[agent dero]

These are usually recommendations on job sites for resumes that companies most likely will toss out because the guy hiring "knows some guy."

I honestly can say I don't have a certification in any regards, I have experience, and "I know people."

IMHO, 9 times out of 10, knowing somebody will get you farther than another bullet point on a resume

More likely

[temojen]

The HR people have a checklist of skills (or worse, certifications and buzzwords) but don't actually know what the job requires.

Put it in terms you can understand

[Hadlock]

What they're trying to tell you is, if you're a 12th level Unix Mage, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a 2nd level XP Paladin. If your party's level 15 XP Paladin dies, the party still needs the Paladin's basic skills, like light network healing and saving patch all infected computers roll abilities. You can keep working on getting your level 18 Unix Mage, with the Write kernel from scratch Feat, but you're gonna have to make some sacrifices for the party to keep it moving forward.