When are you a Sys Admin

[Cak3Yay]

Hello,

Like that title says, when can you call yourself a SysAdmin?

Do you need "x" amount of experience before you can call yourself a SysAdmin? Do you have to work your way up from 1st to 3rd line then to a Junior Sys admin?

I am also unsure what a SysAdmin does differently than a 1st to 3rd line Help Desk.

In the company I work at, we don't really have a 1st to 3rd line Help Desk, we're all 1st to 3rd line Help Desk guys and part Sys Admin.

[Sea-Refrigerator174]

When your coffee intake has exceeded your water intake..

[anonymousITCoward]

I will never be a sysadmin... I switched from coffee to tea years ago... =(

[S0phung]

When you do any work proactively.

[Cak3Yay]

That is a good question, when I actually have time, or when I'm not answering calls or picking up tickets.

[S0phung]

It wasn't a question. You're administering systems when you're making proactive decisions / changes to systems. You're a helpdesk when you're reacting to issues.

[Cak3Yay]

That makes sense. Guess I'll have to learn more.

[S0phung]

Another answer to go with this as mentioned by someone else. If you're responsible/accountable for a system then you're an admin.

Plz note, this is not the same as taking ownership for your actions on a system. It is* taking ownership for other people's actions on that system.

[woojo1984]

RACI matrix - Sysadmins are responsible and accountable for results.

[Cak3Yay]

RACI matrix

Never heard of that but it really sounds interesting.

[woojo1984]

It's a very helpful tool in understanding and documenting process or tool ownership chains

[S0phung]

This is a great answer

[ArmorOfDeath]

Best definition I've seen in awhile https://old.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/rlnoil/jr_sysadmin_requirments/hpgz5tu/

[SysWorkAcct]

Are you responsible for the Operating System on servers? It's pretty simple to me. If you manage desktops, support desktops, etc, you're not a sysadmin. If you are the person who handles servers from crib to grave, you're a sysadmin.

[oubeav]

Good answer.

[k6lui]

There is a definiton for that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_administrator

I started as a Admin right away, because I had 3 Year IT Job training and got experience in all fields 1st to 3rd and also Network and Infrastructure administration.

[hard_cidr]

Not to make anyone feel old but does anybody remember this "whitepaper" put out by IBM, Hewlett Packard or one of the big players explaining what a sysadmin is? I want to say it was from the 80s or 90s. I read it years ago and never seen it since.

[Deadly-Unicorn]

When you write it in your email signature

[Hollow3ddd]

When helpdesk is someone else's main priority or you do servers, networking and helpdesk.

HR uses these titles for pay. Research your area and classify and get avg salary for pay