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Career Rating and Comparison
| Category | This Career | All Rated Careers |
|---|---|---|
| Career Satisfaction |   |  |
Degrees and Schools
Most employers who hire network and systems administrators require a bachelor's degree from a college or university, preferring degrees in information technology or computer science. Some, however, will hire candidates with an associate's degree from a vocational or technical school, and/or who are qualified through work experience and certifications. Regardless of education level, certifications in specific network technologies and software are considered the industry standard by most employers, and employees are frequently expected to have them or be actively pursuing them. Some employers offer cost reimbursement for courses and tests related to certification or degree programs.
Classes
The course load for students in two-year or four-year degree computer science programs is usually divided between classes and computer lab work. In addition to independent assignments, group projects allow students to apply what they're learning by creating actual networks. Students also study:
- Installation of computer and network hardware including configuration of routers, hubs, switches, servers, networking protocols and transmission media
- Introduction to networks including LANs, WANs and wireless
- Internet and intranet administration
- Principles of telecommunications
- Wiring (topology)
- Specific network software products
- User account setup and management
- Monitoring of network performance, analysis and troubleshooting
- Terminology and design theory
- Network security and risk analysis
- E-commerce and database management
- Programming languages, platforms and operating systems
Keeping up-to-date on emerging technologies is essential for network and systems administrators. As part of their jobs, they may occasionally attend conferences, take certification courses for specific hardware or software products, and join user groups.
Online Classes and Programs
Aspiring network and systems administrators will find many options to chose from when comparing online degree programs in computer science or information systems. Selecting programs that have been accredited by organizations such as ABET helps ensure that credits will be accepted at other schools in the future.
Employment Requirements
A combination of work experience and certifications in specific in-demand products or a two-year associate's degree in computer science may be sufficient for some employers. However, many consider a bachelor's degree to be a minimum requirement for network and systems administrators.
How to Evaluate Schools
Those seeking to become network and systems administrators should ask the following questions when comparing degree programs:
- Accreditation - Has the school been accredited by a governing body in computer science / information technology? What, if any, direct-learning oversight organizations have accredited an online program? Are these organizations recognized by the US Department of Education?
- Relevant courses - Are the courses offered addressing important emerging technologies, providing comprehensive training on in-demand software and hardware?
- Practical experience - How much computer lab time is required? Are there plenty of opportunities for internships or other practical experience?
- Tuition and financial assistance - What options are available for tuition assistance? How much guidance is offered when it comes to scholarships, loans and work study programs? Will there be other expenses in addition to textbooks and fees, such as the purchase of expensive software programs and manuals, or lab time?
- School and class size - Is the student-faculty ratio well suited for interactive learning with teachers? When comparing the sizes of schools, what kinds of facilities and learning options are available? For example are online courses offered and if so can they be blended with on-campus studies? What about advanced degree options – for instance can a student readily apply his/her previous studies towards a degree such as a Master's?
- Career assistance- What services does the program offer at graduation? Are there well attended career fairs? Is a job placement program available, and does it have a good success rate?
Network And Systems Administrator Job Description
Computers and the networks that connect them must be set up and maintained properly in order to work well for their users. Network and systems administrators establish computer systems for organizations -- designing, installing and supporting each component. They may work for small businesses, large corporations or the government.
The responsibilities of network and systems administrators include:
- Determining the needs of clients, documenting requirements and planning implementation.
- Designing and setting up Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs) or segments within them.
- Designing and setting up Internet connectivity and intranets.
- Expanding and integrating networks.
- Testing to make sure computers, software and networks are all working together efficiently, and performing repairs and upgrades.
- Troubleshooting current problems and anticipating future problems.
- Securing data on networks and testing for vulnerabilities.
- Working with wireless technology, databases and e-commerce.
Network and systems administrators work in offices or computer labs as full-time employees or self-employed consultants. Their work often involves telecommuting.
Career Profiles
To help career searchers evaluate their options, BrainTrack has asked hundreds of workers to profile their jobs with a review and ratings. See below for a summary of this career compared to all rated careers and for detailed reviews.
| Category | This Career | All Rated Careers |
|---|---|---|
| Career Satisfaction | | |
| Opportunity for Promotion | | |
| Career Flexibility | | |
| How Cool Is The Career | | |
| How Stressful | | |
| Social Orientation | | |
| Earnings Potential | | |
| Task Variety | | |
| Job Security | | |
Job Title: Systems Administrator
Attended: The University Of Texas At Austin • Austin, TX
Studied Electrical Engineering (completion in 2009)
Highest relevant degree: Master's
• Submitted: 2/13/2012
"Great job helping a small company with its IT needs. However, I think in about a year, I will definitely need a bigger challenge"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 8 | My school is ranked about 7th in engineering in the US. It also ranked about 11th in electrical engineering nationally. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 3 | We have only 3 IT professionals with a manager. Hence, there is some possibility of movement, but it's quite limited. |
| Job Security | 7 | My company is a small independent E&P company with a relatively small IT budget. This in a way makes my job secure, but then again, management could decide to outsource this service someday. |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | I am paid very well. I cannot complain. |
| How Stressful | 8 | Quite a stressful job because we are understaffed in the IT department. However, there are days (quite few, though) where relatively nothing goes wrong and work is less stressful. |
| Task Variety | 4 | Relatively the same tasks - server license not working, set up accounts for new employees, etc. I think I need more challenges. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 5 | It's good work. Also, it's exciting that what you do is quite important within an organization. However, it can get quite repetitive at times. |
| Career Flexibility | 7 | My company takes a lot of my time but pays me well. However, I'm open to more challenging short time work. |
| Social Orientation | 9 | I do interact well with other employees when I help them with their IT needs. We also do hangout at social functions. |
Job Title: Network Administrator
Attended: St. John's University • Queens, NY
Studied Computer Security Systems (completion in 2010)
Highest relevant degree: Master's
• Submitted: 2/15/2012
"The pay for this job is great, and that is one of the main reasons I went to college for this. It is also something I could see myself doing for a very long time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 7 | The program itself was very good, but there were too many core courses to take. It would have been better if they had more major related courses. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 6 | I don't feel as if there is much left for me to accomplish here. I feel like I am at the top of my game. |
| Job Security | 7 | While I feel quite needed at my job, there is always the chance someone younger could work their way up and replace me. This field is constantly growing and job security is not always a sure thing. |
| Earnings Potential | 9 | The earnings potential is excellent. The people with the skills and certifications required to work in this field are scarce, and as such companies are willing to pay top dollar for them. |
| How Stressful | 8 | There is a lot of pressure everywhere. Network policy is very strict and it is up to me to report any sort of misuse I see. Depending on what I report, people could lose their jobs. |
| Task Variety | 5 | One could see this job as dull after a certain point. You constantly do some of the same things over and over to the point where it might be numbing. Luckily, I rather enjoy my job. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 10 | Coolness is just one of the many perks in this field! Everyone sees you as the gatekeeper and protector of all information. |
| Career Flexibility | 9 | The flexibility is excellent. It is extremely easy for me to stay at home and remotely monitor all traffic coming through the network. |
| Social Orientation | 6 | I mostly work alone in my office, and it is in an almost isolated part of the building. Even when I'm outside I do not interact much as this field is something that might bee too complicated for most people to understand in normal conversation. |
Job Title: System Administrator
Attended: Texas A&M University • College Station, TX
Studied Computer Science (completion in 2012)
Highest relevant degree: Master's
• Submitted: 2/28/2012
"I am satisfied with the pay, although the work gets monotonous sometimes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 7 | The curriculum consists of great courses. Research is not that advanced, though. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 8 | If you are good at the job, there will be other companies ready to hire you if you aren't advancing in your company. |
| Job Security | 9 | There are plenty of jobs available related to comp science. Many of my batchmates have received multiple job offers. |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | There are very high paying jobs available in the field. Bay Area/Silicon Valley - the hub of IT - is full of such jobs. |
| How Stressful | 7 | Continuos product releases with deadlines don't allow one to relax. Competition is fierce - there are 100 companies out in the market with similar products. You gotta be on your toes all the time. |
| Task Variety | 6 | As I mentioned, work gets monotonous frequently. This is because getting expertise on one set of technology takes time, so you gotta work for a long time on one technology to give back something new or worthwhile. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 7 | We are the techies! People like us create iPhones and develop cool operating systems, like Android. There's no glamour involved, though. |
| Career Flexibility | 8 | The work-from-home option is always available through VPN. You can move to a different platform or product, if you feel you've seen enough of one. |
| Social Orientation | 4 | Most of the time, you just sit behind your development box. The only social interactions in the job are with your team and manager. |
Job Title: Systems Administrator
Attended: Front Range Community College • Westminster, CO
Studied System Administration (completion in 2005)
Highest relevant degree: Bachelor's
• Submitted: 3/3/2012
"I love my job. I get to work with great people and have a very skilled team working with me. I have my own office, which is also very nice."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | Fantastic school, helped me get my career going too. It was affordable as well. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 10 | I work for a company with lots of opportunity for advancement. It is a major satellite television provider with literally hundreds of possible promotions to be had. |
| Job Security | 7 | |
| Earnings Potential | 10 | Like I said, there is room to move up in my company, and therefore there is earning potential as well. So yes, it is promising. |
| How Stressful | 5 | Even the best admins have frustrating days when nothing seems to work. This goes for almost all areas of computers and internet related work. Yes, stress is there. |
| Task Variety | 7 | |
| How Cool Is The Career | 7 | It's cool to me, but hey, I'm a nerd. It's a fun environment and we get to watch television in the break room, so I can't ask for much more, right? |
| Career Flexibility | 5 | Well, it's a job and I do have to show up when they want me there. I don't take sick days, and never find cause to need a day off. I have vacation time and that's enough for me. |
| Social Orientation | 2 | I don't really talk very much unless it's work related while in the office. I don't find much in common with my coworkers. |
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