Pecking order

rwwest7

Just a quick question, I'm looking around for a better job and are confused by certain terms. Is a "Network System Analyst" above a Network Administrator? Which one is a higher level job. I don't want to just go applying for jobs if it's a step down.

Essendon

IMO, companies have their own terminology, there isnt a world standard for naming positions. A Systems Engineer might be just a helpdesk person at one company while a Systems Technician might be like a Senior Systems Engineer at another. I saw a Helpdesk Technician job ad the other day, but the position was really all about firewalls, MPLS, QoS kind of stuff. So position names are just arbitrary. Read the job description, if you think you like, go for it.

snokerpoker

Essendon wrote: »

IMO, companies have their own terminology, there isnt a world standard for naming positions. A Systems Engineer might be just a helpdesk person at one company while a Systems Technician might be like a Senior Systems Engineer at another. I saw a Helpdesk Technician job ad the other day, but the position was really all about firewalls, MPLS, QoS kind of stuff. So position names are just arbitrary. Read the job description, if you think you like, go for it.

Totally agree. Right now I am pursuing a job that has a title of Network Engineer but it mostly involves server admin work and helpdesk. So it really just depends on the company.

From what I have seen, systems analysts does more network monitoring and troubleshooting to fine tune the network while network administrators deal with all the day to day work along with the end users (sometimes). Not sure if that helps, just my opinion.

Paul Boz

At my last job I was called a security engineer for two years, even though I didn't engineer anything. Managers realized that and changed my title to analyst. At my current job I actually engineer security controls so having the title of engineer is somewhat appropriate. As others have said, there isn't really a straight forward convention here. I base the job by how much it pays more so than the title. I'll take the title of janitor if it pays more.

N2IT

Not much to really add here, although I have seen some really big time reaches when it comes to job titles.

Help Desk Analyst or Service Desk Analyst always bothered me. I guess their are certian situations, but REALLY you are a technician.

The term engineer is thrown around way to much. You see this all the time. Network engineer, when they are a level 1 or 2 NOC Not knocking the NOC's

To best honest with you some of the helpdesk I have seen, they should be oh so lucky to be considered a "technician". A lot of them are more CSR rather than a Tech.

snokerpoker

N2IT wrote: »

Not much to really add here, although I have seen some really big time reaches when it comes to job titles.

Help Desk Analyst or Service Desk Analyst always bothered me. I guess their are certian situations, but REALLY you are a technician.

The term engineer is thrown around way to much. You see this all the time. Network engineer, when they are a level 1 or 2 NOC Not knocking the NOC's

To best honest with you some of the helpdesk I have seen, they should be oh so lucky to be considered a "technician". A lot of them are more CSR rather than a Tech.

+1 on the CSR comment. My last job had employees labeled NOC Technicians Level I, II, and III. All they did was answer the phones, open tickets, and assign them to the appropriate administrator. I'm not saying this is a bad job as many of them were entry level IT folks which were breaking into the industry, it just made me wonder how they got such a title.

rwwest7

Well, this is in the job posting:

This position supports the Network Administrator in the daily installation, operation, update and maintenance of network and computer systems. The Network System Analyst will also provide second level support to the Network Technician.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• NETWORK HARDWARE - analyze and monitor underlying communications protocols and supporting network hardware.
• RESPOND TO INQUIRIES - from a variety of sources (e.g. support staff, restaurant management, outside vendors and service providers, etc.).
• BACKUP SYSTEMS - Assist with troubleshooting and monitoring
• SUPPORT COMPANY EMAIL.
• PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION - such as migration to new systems; scheduling installations, product research, etc. Researches trends, products, equipment, tests, etc.
• TROUBLESHOOTING THE NETWORK - malfunctions of network hardware and/or software applications within the local and wide area networks, telephones and security systems.
• MONITORS SECURITY PROCEDURES - to safeguard system from physical harm and viruses, unauthorized users, and damage to data.

Does this sound like this position reports to the network admin or the network admin comes to the analyst when things are tricky? I want to move up the tech chain and not down. Thanks to everyone for the input, I realize different places throw jobs titles around sometimes.

QHalo

That sounds really Network System Analyst to me rather than Network Administrator. Net Admin I think you would see more specific systems in the description. That description is extremely vague. I always thought of the Analyst as the lower of the two. Least it's been that way where I've worked.

it_consultant

I've always wondered what an analyst is in IT. For some reason I have a picture in my head of a geek staring at logs and...analyzing them. I don't know the difference between a service and a help desk, seem like the same thing to me. IT titles are wacky, I am employed as a 'network engineer' but I am sure if someone from this forum followed me around they would think I was a systems analyst, systems engineer, business analyst, help desk, hand-holder, android geek, etc.