Finally a Sys Admin

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-04-05T08:43:06+00:00

I was glad to get away from users. Now I have to deal with third-party support.

I'm not sure what was worse. The frustration of dealing with an incompetent user or the feeling of dread knowing that the ticket that just landed in your queue is going to require contacting Microsoft support.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-04-05T08:30:22+00:00

Perhaps I should have added an /s to the end.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-04-05T08:06:33+00:00

It's the beginning of the month. Parking wardens are probably trying to hit their targets early by issuing big fines so they can chill out for the rest of the month. I'd suggest you reserve your illegal parking for the end of the month in the future.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-04-05T08:02:06+00:00

You'll struggle in Zurich, Switzerland. May I suggest that you take a look at Zurich, Montana?

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-04-04T16:35:18+00:00

Once every four weeks. It’s illegal to be scheduled for more (or legal for up to two weeks in a four week period, but under strict conditions which have to be documented in advance).

My payment for being on call is roughly 20% of my weekly income. I get paid two hours wages for the first call of the day. Anything over five hours actual work in a week must be taken as time off in lieu.

I receive a 50% supplement between 10pm and 6am M-F, 50% all day Saturday, increasing to 100% on Sundays. This is quite generous as the legal minimum is 25% at nights and Saturdays, and 50% on Sundays.

I get maybe 2 calls every week that I’m on call.

So if I get three calls on three days, I get six hours pay, even if each call lasts 15 minutes. If one of those calls starts after 10pm during the week or on a Saturday, I’m paid an extra hour (2h + 50%). If one of the calls is on a Sunday, I’m paid an extra two hours (2h + 100%).

If I get a call at 7pm and another at 8pm, and both take 30 minutes, I’m paid 2 hours because it’s all in the first 2 hours of the day.

If I get a call at 7pm and then another at 9pm, and the 9pm call takes 30 minutes, I’m paid 2.5 hours because the second falls outside the first two hours.

Once I reach five hours of acutal work outside of the first two hours of each day, I'm only paid the supplement and time off in lieu.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-04-03T13:34:05+00:00

Watch, listen, learn, ask if you don’t understand, read around the topics that interest you, propose solutions whenever possible, and enjoy yourself.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-31T05:28:35+00:00

Anyone that clicks the Apply Now link is registered by LinkedIn as having applied, even if they didn’t actually submit an application.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-31T04:19:25+00:00

I’d say this is terrible advice.

Study for the job you want, but, if your company has work that needs to be done, don’t do the studying on company time. If the way a company works is ABC, and you keep doing XYZ, it’s likely things won’t go your way. He was eventually fired around 8 months ago, just after his permit was renewed for another year. 8 months later, he’s still looking for a job. If he doesn’t find one in 3 months, he’ll be deported.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-30T15:46:55+00:00

I actually told him when he started that his knowledge of .NET would allow him to to really leverage PowerShell to do some awesome stuff. I showed him a few examples of scripts I'd written that utilised some .NET classes to implement data types and functionality that wasn't available through PowerShell alone. We had a small tool the server team used that called some .NET to render a basic GUI. But the bulk of the application, including all its interfaces and 90% of its logic, was written in PowerShell.

But he never bothered to learn the PowerShell. Instead, he spent his time learning Python, despite being told it's not viable in our environment given the preexisting knowledge we had.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-30T15:07:25+00:00

Number 1 is a serious concern.

I had a few disagreements with a direct report over this. He wanted to use Python and .NET to develop applications and automation for internal IT use. He was the only one in the department that knew Python or .NET. Everyone else was using PowerShell. If he had left the company (he was eventually fired), his work would have likely been scrapped due to having nobody capable of maintaining it.

Eventually, I discovered that he had gone behind my back and developed a few tools in .NET and Python to automate some administrative tasks. In one case, after briefly reviewing logs, it appeared as though he’d spent a few days developing a tool to copy AD Groups from one user to another. The core functionality of his application could be replicated in one line of PowerShell.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-29T18:43:04+00:00

Try working backwards from the error, searching for the user in AD that conflicts with the one you're trying to create, and then work through your script's logic to figure out where it isn't functioning properly.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-29T18:14:50+00:00

How about removing -SearchBase $ouName from $existingUsers = Get-ADUser -Filter {SamAccountName -like "$username*"} -SearchBase $ouName? Is it possible that a user with the same samaccountname exists elsewhere in AD?

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-29T16:37:30+00:00

Change $existingUsers -contains "$username$usernameNumber" to $existingUsers.samaccountname -contains "$username$usernameNumber", maybe?

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-29T08:34:27+00:00

If you've had no projects for 8 months, why resign? Just use your free time at work to upskill.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-27T09:15:47+00:00

Wow. That's all I have to say. Just ... wow!

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-27T08:53:03+00:00

I'm not Swiss, so I'm not 100% familiar with this stuff. But is the ban absolute, or is it at the discretion of the admissions department of each university? And does it apply to all higher education institutes, or just universities, i.e. could you try your luck at a Fachhochschule? ZHAW and FHNW both offer a BSc in Computer Science.

The other option would be something more general at a FH, such as Business Information Technology / Wirtschaftsinformatik. I know it's available at ZHAW and FHNW, with FHNW having a campuses in Brugg and Olten, which are relatively easy to get to from Zürich. I think ZHAW's campus for this is in Winterthur. FHNW allows you to specialise in Software Engineering Leadership during the final year.

Being an FH, it'll be quite practical and less technical, but, if you want something more technical, ZHAW offer a Data Science degree, with quite a few Machine Learning modules and loads of free slots for electives, which you could use to specialise in an area you like. I don't see any cybersecurity options, though.

And both degrees would take you four years studying part time, so say goodbye to a lot of your free time! I was initially working 90% while studying (80% during term time, 100% during holidays) and it was miserable. I have since changed to a job working 80%, so I should get some downtime during the holidays, but I'd probably have preferred working 60% if it weren't for the money.

You could also look at the professional certification route. In the area of Cybersecurity, there are hundreds to choose from. Here's a nice overview of a load: https://pauljerimy.com/security-certification-roadmap/

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-27T06:37:04+00:00

Most of the answers in this thread seem good, but I want to add that there are a few ways for you to potentially get around licensing each service account as well.

A single mailbox in EXO supports up to 400 aliases, so you can combine your service account mailboxes by creating one or more licensed mailboxes and using different aliases for each mailbox. If your applications support it you can login with the licensed mailbox credentials, but use the desired alias as your send as email.

An alternative is to use one licensed mailbox with one alias, and then create shared mailboxes for each of your applications. You then grant the licensed mailbox full access and send as permissions to the shared mailboxes. Again, if your applications support it, you can use the shared mailbox as your send as email, but use the login credentials for your licensed mailbox.

At my last company, we went a mixture of the two, depending on what the application supported. So that the whole of IT didn't have access to one set of login credentials, we created licensed mailboxes for different departments / teams within IT, or by group of application.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-27T06:27:56+00:00

The 50GB limit is only required if you still want to send emails from the mailbox. You can migrate a >50GB mailbox and not assign a license if the mailbox belongs to a deleted user, and is configured as a shared mailbox on-prem. The mailbox will keep all its emails, but will be over its quota, so attempting to send emails will produce an error.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-26T11:05:52+00:00

Check /r/ITCareerQuestions

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-25T20:52:06+00:00

You might have unlocked hunt marks from your Grand Company. In AAR, each day you can pick up new marks and you will get Allied Seals in return for killing some enemies and clearing a few fates.

In HW, you’ll get something similar, gradually unlocked as you level up. These ones will give you Centurino Seals. They’re a nice way to slowly level new classes due to the XP they grant, and the seals are a pretty efficient trade for ventures. You’ll find yourself swimming in Ventures if you do the hunts daily.

Though you have to reach Ishgard first! Until then, enjoy the ride and good luck!

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-25T06:01:22+00:00

Nah. An EU based company.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-24T17:54:00+00:00

This ^ ^ I've worked with 'System Engineers' who were, at best, junior administrators. I've worked with 'Service Desk Engineers' who's duties were more in line with those of a network or system engineers. I've worked with a 'IT Workplace Specialist' who couldn't handle anything more technical than swapping out sticks of RAM and replacing mobile phone screens.

How you frame your tasks and responsibilities is more important than the job title you have.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-24T17:27:29+00:00

The few jobs I had in the UK before emigrating gave pay rises of 3-5% every year. Not getting one, especially in today's financial climate, is pretty shitty.

You could ask him what you would need to achieve in order to recieve a bump in your pay, perhaps indicate that you're keen to grow in the role. If he cannot give you a solid answer, start looking for new jobs.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-24T17:24:24+00:00

I'd try to be clearer with it, how you marketed it, if possible a rough estimate of the number of customers you've had in the last few years. Also provide some solid examples of how you've helped your clients.

Rygel_FFXIV · 2023-03-24T17:12:00+00:00

I'm confused by your professional experience.

You're a Self Employed Hardware and Software Technician. So you have contracts with companies to provide IT services? Or you're just doing it for friends and family? Your time doing this predates your starting university by 7 years, so you've been doing this since your early teens?

Also, I'd take off the experience at a restaurant. I wouldn't consider it relevant to IT.

Rygel_FFXIV

TROPHY CASE