Getting out of the Helpdesk. Getting into the system administration [closed]

Question

Today I found out that the job which would have been a promotion for me went to an outside candidate. The position is for a systems admin on our LAN team.

I have been working on the helpdesk here for almost two years with another two years experience working it prior. While we are the first tier support we also work in AD, monitor and update certain servers and set up and deploy Windows/Mac images for those we support.

What I am looking for here is what can I do to better myself to inside/outside places to move up this ladder? I take what I can from my job - working on projects that I can learn from - but what projects should I be volunteering for? What can I do for myself outside to make me a more viable candidate for a systems admin?

Answer 1

One thing I believe about the IT field is that if you're itching for a change of position, the quickest way to achieve it is by moving to a different company.

Specific to the helpdesk, it's often difficult to jump to a sysadmin position because (from a pointy-haired-boss' perspective):

• Staff turnover on a helpdesk is already very high, without the extra strain of staff moving off to higher positions.

• Demonstration of ability at helpdesk level (workstation and basic troubleshooting ability) doesn't serve as a solid demonstration that you know your way around servers. The crossover in techniques is absolutely there, but not entirely obvious.

• Your focus is often radically different. Helpdesk focus is on keeping users happy and meeting the user-oriented service goals. User-centric viewpoint. Sysadmin focus is on keeping the systems stable and manageable. Very often these motivations conflict, and shifting between the two disciplines can be a chunky learning process.

Personally my advice is:

• Take advantage of any opportunities your current position offers in terms of getting industry accreditation. VMWare, Cisco, Microsoft, CheckPoint certs... all good things. Chances are that your company believes in internal promotions and may offer to put you through these courses/exams, even if your PH boss is blocking your change of position.... and accreditations are applicable outside of your current company.

• Polish the CV with a strong bias towards any system administration experience you've acquired.

• Go to interviews. Take a pinch of salt with the candidate requirements - many are hugely overblown, written by non-technical folks (or passed through the HR buzzword mangler), or are plain looking for people that don't exist ('Urgent requirement for sysadmin with 15+ years of VMWare experience!').

Lots of flamebait in this answer since I'm being very cynical, shields-up!

Answer 2

While I sympathize with your plight and Chris' recommendations are rock solid, I'd say that a couple years working helpdesk doesn't automatically qualify for promotion.

The structure of your IT department and your general office politics have the ability to greatly influence the focus of my recommendations.

What I am looking for here is what can I do to better myself to inside/outside places to move up this ladder?

A proven track record of higher level skill, a clearly communicated desire to move outside of current role without resentment, and growth outside of your existing skill-set is an absolute necessity from my perspective.

I take what I can from my job - working on projects that I can learn from - but what projects should I be volunteering for?

What are the responsibilities of the people who have the position you want? What don't they want to do that still falls under the role you want? Do it for them. Do anything you can for them. What projects? Any and all that you can. Having the existing IT staff purporting your viability for the position will absolutely help you with your career growth.

What can I do for myself outside to make me a more viable candidate for a systems admin?

This is going to be unique to your environment. What was the job description they were hiring for? If it was mid-senior level, you're simply not going to be up for serious consideration without a very good reason for it. If they are looking for entry level, what were the areas where you were not qualified?

Answer 3

Help desk is tough. Many times it is the crap job of the IT department. However it can also be valuable in obtaining skills that can serve you better later in your career. If you can learn now how to communicate effectively both with customers and coworkers while continuing to build your IT knowledge you become more valuable. Jobs such as project management, Sales engineer positions, Help Desk Management positions all begin to open up to you.

Answer 4

Assuming that your skills and work performance are solid, IMO you'll need to leave your company. Unless they needed a specific skill that you didn't have and needed to hire outside, your company has demonstrated that they aren't interested in moving you up the ladder.

Dude, it's just like pro sports. They move the players they value most to the starting lineup, and everybody else is kept at their position. The ones they value least, well, they end up traded. If your company doesn't value your contribution & effort enough to move you up to the majors, find one that does.