windows server admin job

Hi guys,

I'm going to make this as easy a read as possible.

- 23 years old.
- 1.5 years of It experience
- help desk/Jr. Sysadmin roles
-MTA Windows Server Cert.

My new job is a cool tech startup. Since its growing, they needed another person on the team. I'm the only one with real Windows server experience. The other guys are more Linux/Network Admins.

My question is, how the HECK do I handle all of it? My experience that I have is good, but I'm honestly a little scared. Being new to IT in general, let alone managing all of the Windows Infrastructure.

Any advice?

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Comments

Mow

How do you eat an elephant?

In your situation, I would get a lab at home, practice what your job wants from you and keep Google on standby.

NetworkNewb

Yep what Mow said.

and maybe get a book(s) on what ever server, 08 or 12, you guys are running and read through the book practicing everything it talks about! If your gonna be the expert you better know it well.

Slowhand

I also agree with Mow: eat an elephant.

In all seriousness, it's a risky proposition but one that's perfectly doable if you're willing to put the work in. If you dedicate yourself to pursuing your MCSA/MCSE while you're starting off at this new place, you can grow that startup Windows network along with your skillset. The advantage with working for a startup, there's a good chance their infrastructure is so small, (especially considering that the Linux/Unix guys most likely set up AD,) that not much as been touched and you can really grow it from scratch without having to undo someone else's giant mess.

If you think you can handle it, it'll be an excellent chance to really get your hands dirty and learn a whole lot. Take my advice as someone who started out with smaller companies and moved to larger environments: it's a great way to start, especially if the company grows over time. The absolute key is to grow your skills so you, yourself, aren't the bottleneck that keeps the infrastructure from growing and adapting. This will also most likely be an excellent chance to learn about virtualization, storage, networking, and probably also Linux/Unix. Wear all the hats, study hard, and you'll be one of those hardcore admins that basically runs a huge corporate network somewhere and seems to know everything, before you know it.

kiki162

This is a very easy answer, the hard part is actually doing it. Here are some things to think about.

Stop going out several nights a week (i.e.: no bars, no parties, no friends, etc...remove ALL distractions)
As yourself do you want to live at home forever...of course NOT.
Do you like making money...we ALL do!
Can you devote several hours a night for a few weeks/months...if not then you better start clearing that schedule!
Say f*** it and just do it!

Back in my early 20's during the tech boom/bubble, I was able to get an IT job fairly easily. However I was finding that I was "peaking" in my job titles, and restricted from doing more. Additionally, the lack of education was killing me, and w/o any degree or certification, I knew I wasn't going to make it far. So what gave me the push? Well like most people, I invested 2 weeks of my time into a boot camp.

Now some on here will frown upon boot camps. Yes you can bypass the boot camp and save yourself $, however it depends on you and how well you can study and retain information. It took me several months to complete, but once I did, within a few months I got a good $20K increase once I found my next job as a Sys admin. Having the discipline will help you to push through. Once you get a feel for the first exam, the rest of the exams will come easily.

And yes...practice..and never stop learning!

systemstech

kiki162 wrote: »

This is a very easy answer, the hard part is actually doing it. Here are some things to think about.

Stop going out several nights a week (i.e.: no bars, no parties, no friends, etc...remove ALL distractions)
As yourself do you want to live at home forever...of course NOT.
Do you like making money...we ALL do!
Can you devote several hours a night for a few weeks/months...if not then you better start clearing that schedule!
Say f*** it and just do it!

Back in my early 20's during the tech boom/bubble, I was able to get an IT job fairly easily. However I was finding that I was "peaking" in my job titles, and restricted from doing more. Additionally, the lack of education was killing me, and w/o any degree or certification, I knew I wasn't going to make it far. So what gave me the push? Well like most people, I invested 2 weeks of my time into a boot camp.

Now some on here will frown upon boot camps. Yes you can bypass the boot camp and save yourself $, however it depends on you and how well you can study and retain information. It took me several months to complete, but once I did, within a few months I got a good $20K increase once I found my next job as a Sys admin. Having the discipline will help you to push through. Once you get a feel for the first exam, the rest of the exams will come easily.

And yes...practice..and never stop learning!

Thank you for the advice. I actually already have a cert, so I'm glad I'm on track (judging by your response).

As far as going out, I don't go out a lot. I'm also not willing to shut myself out from the world. I want to be happy, not burned out. My manager even says I have to take time and chill outside of work. I think it's important to work and study hard, but also to not make yourself sick.

Dakinggamer87

Slowhand wrote: »

I also agree with Mow: eat an elephant.

In all seriousness, it's a risky proposition but one that's perfectly doable if you're willing to put the work in. If you dedicate yourself to pursuing your MCSA/MCSE while you're starting off at this new place, you can grow that startup Windows network along with your skillset. The advantage with working for a startup, there's a good chance their infrastructure is so small, (especially considering that the Linux/Unix guys most likely set up AD,) that not much as been touched and you can really grow it from scratch without having to undo someone else's giant mess.

If you think you can handle it, it'll be an excellent chance to really get your hands dirty and learn a whole lot. Take my advice as someone who started out with smaller companies and moved to larger environments: it's a great way to start, especially if the company grows over time. The absolute key is to grow your skills so you, yourself, aren't the bottleneck that keeps the infrastructure from growing and adapting. This will also most likely be an excellent chance to learn about virtualization, storage, networking, and probably also Linux/Unix. Wear all the hats, study hard, and you'll be one of those hardcore admins that basically runs a huge corporate network somewhere and seems to know everything, before you know it.

+1

I would just add to this that the right attitude, motivation, and passion can help you grow anywhere. So, doing labs and practicing will help your skills on the technical side but also your confidence and soft skills which are just as vital.

Good luck!!