Help desk --> Systems administrator

swisschris104

Hi, I have been at my 1st Help desk job for a little over a year. We don't have tiers, so I do Tier 1,2, and 3 work. I have recently applied to two different system admin roles, and actually got a interview for each role coming up.. One is a phone interview, and the other is a in person interview..

What type of questions can I expect?
Would this be a good move?
I am not sure what to ask for for salary.. suggestions

REQUIREMENTS:

JOB 1: Title: Systems administrator

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]We're looking for a systems administrator to support and maintain our growing infrastructure. In this role, you will apply problem solving skills to help identify, communicate and resolve issues that will maximize the efficiency of our systems. You will have the opportunity to explore the latest technologies, make an impact by implementing your ideas and grow and shape a constantly evolving infrastructure. This is a fluid position where your day to day can take you from changing toner cartridges to configuring hypervisors.[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]Responsibilities:[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Performance monitor, tune and troubleshoot Windows Systems[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Assist with varying support requests from all members of the organization[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Maintain and manage Windows servers and hardware[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Optimize existing and develop new infrastructure systems[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Research new tools and technologies and implement as necessary[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Establish best practices and processes for IT infrastructure[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]Requirements:[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Experience designing and maintaining production server infrastructure on the Microsoft stack[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Ability to anticipate business needs and adapt accordingly[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Familiarity with command line and scripting experience (PowerShell, VBscript)[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Working knowledge of Active Directory and associated protocols, especially SSO and third party integrations including RADIUS[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Design and tuning experience with hypervisors (Hyper-V, ESX, Xen)[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Minimum 2 years working in start up or dynamically changing environments. [/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Familiarity with SQL Server 2008/2012 administration tasks[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Understanding of security and compliance as it relates to systems[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]-Basic knowledge of enterprise networking and related technologies (VLANs, DHCP, DNS, Routing, etc)[/FONT]

Job 2: Title: IT Technician

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]We have several tremendous entry-level opportunities in Information Technology for the right candidates in the following areas:[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]- Administration:[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Macintosh[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Windows Active Directory[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Microsoft Exchange [/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Microsoft Windows Server[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Network Managements Tools like Spiceworks, IMC, Nagios, etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Microsoft KMS, WSUS, SCCM[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• VMWare 5.X[/FONT]



[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]- Network and Storage Engineering:[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Switching, Routing and Firewalls[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Telecommunications [/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Shoretel[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• SAN[/FONT]



[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]- Desktop and Helpdesk Support:[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• PC, Laptop and MAC building and repair[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• iPhone, Android Support[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Printer, FAX and scanning troubleshooting and repair[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows 7[/FONT]

[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]• Microsoft Office 2010/2013[/FONT]


[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]Please submit your resume if you are a recent experienced graduate or have 1-3 years of experience and are interested in an Information Technology career. [/FONT]



[FONT=Bitstream Vera Serif]We offer the foundation and building blocks for a great career and a great benefits package. Please apply online or mail your resume [/FONT]

alias454

I won't speak directly to salary because there are a lot of variables that come into play; like, how large of a server/user base will you be managing, geographical region, prevailing wage in your area, etc. However, I started on the helpdesk at my current employer and took a similar road to what you are looking at. I moved from a helpdesk role to a network/system admin role and doubled my salary. One thing different is that it wasn't my first IT job. I had been working in the field for 10+ years but because I didn't have a degree I had to take what I could get interviews for. I personally could care less about titles but HR types love them. Being able to shed the "helpdesk" label will be a good move IMHO as It can be hard to break out of the support role once in it,

The questions will be different for each interview because they are two different job roles. One thing to keep in mind is that you already have a relationship with that company so you can leverage your prior experience and relate it directly to the questions they ask. Again, without knowing much about the company, it is hard to say whether they will have a strong preference towards behavioural questions or technical questions for an internal interview. One good thing (or bad) is the hiring manager can talk with your current manager and get the scoop on what kind of employee you are.

Good luck

The Silent Assassin

alias454 is right, title is a non-factor and it is hard to break out of the support role. If you are currently doing L1-L3 then Job 2 should be an easy transition. Never mention compensation when during an interview. Be ready to justify the reason that you are there in the interview; lack of a challenge in your current role for example.

Remember this, the service desk/help desk is a "platformer" position, gets you exposed to other areas and systems and it isn't meant to be long term. One of the executives in my company said that nobody should be on the service desk for more than 18 months. This was his opinion and I felt that he had no business expressing it publicly but he is right. After at least 1 year in a help desk role you should have some idea as to where you want to go from there.

swisschris104

Thanks for the advice.. I did not mean to abonden the thread, but I have been pretty busy lately.

The IT technician position totally bailed on me, and never responded to schedule the interview.

The system's admin interview did not go well, so I did not get a second interview.. It was my first interview in a while, and i didnt prep so it was my fought. =(

It was a nice testing the water.. I will keep it up, and start working on mcsa which should help.