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The time was September, 2014. Scotland narrowly voted to stay in the U.K. Guardians of the Galaxy was the number one box office hit. And the Devolutions Crew was busy asking the wonderful members of our community (a.k.a. YOU) to share the top 3 reasons to become a SysAdmin, and the top 3 reasons not to become a SysAdmin.
So today, as we gear up to celebrate SysAdmin Appreciation Day on July 28, we thought it would be fun to hit the wayback button and recap the results from our September 2014 poll.
Top 3 Reasons to Become a System Administrator
1. You’re always needed.
As a SysAdmin, someone always needs your help. At times it can be overwhelming, but it’s nice to know how essential you are. Your job really matters.
2. You help others.
This is an extension of the first reason to be a SysAdmin: you’re very helpful, even to the point that people think you have superpowers (which you kind of do, in the sense that you have the power of the life and death over their computer, software, devices, and so on!). But really, what makes this aspect of the job so special is that you get the chance to work with some great people, and make a positive difference in their lives.
3. You get to play with the newest toys.
As a SysAdmin, you’re always first in line when it comes to playing with the newest techie toys — and best of all, you’re paid to do it! Plus, you’re constantly learning new things, which boosts your knowledge and supports your career progression.
Top 3 Reasons NOT to become a System Administrator:
1. STRESS!
Ugh. When you’re a SysAdmin, everything is URGENT — even when it’s not! There’s a lot of pressure, especially since most of your colleagues don’t understand what you do (and never will). Sometimes you may not even want to open your email, because you know there are a lot of freaked out people banging on your virtual door.
2. Hours, hours… and more hours!
SysAdmins work long hours — there is no typical 9-5 workday. Sometimes you get a call at 7am, other times you’re just about to settle in to watch Game of Thrones, and you have to spring into action. And even when you aren’t solving problems, there’s always ongoing maintenance, updates, patches, and so on. You’re working lots of weekends, holidays, and even on SysAdmin Appreciation Day!
3. Your advice is sometimes ignored.
As a SysAdmin, you have a clear understanding of what’s really going on with your IT infrastructure. You know about the inefficiencies, the security vulnerabilities, the users who do things they really shouldn’t be doing, and so on. But what happens when you escalate all of this feedback to the Powers That Be in your company? A lot of times, they don’t do anything. So that means you often have to wait for things to turn into a full-blown crisis before people actually take action, and do what you advised them to do months or years beforehand.
Our Opinion
At Devolutions, we have an enormous respect for SysAdmins, and we work very hard to make your lives easier and simpler. We know the pressures you face, and we also know that you don’t always (or often) get the recognition and praise that you deserve. That’s why we’re dedicating a whole week to appreciating the SysAdmins out there. Keep up the essential and amazing work!
