Who is the system administrator? Who is a sysadmin? What is system administration

The profession of a system administrator is one of the most demanded today. Thanks to the work of this specialist, all computer equipment of any company functions properly. For more information on who a sysadmin is and what he does, read below.

Average salary: 40,000 rubles per month

Demand

Payability

Competition

Entry barrier

Perspectives

A system administrator is an employee of a company or organization who is responsible for the smooth operation of the "fleet" of computer and office equipment, software and the internal network as a whole, as well as for the security of stored information.

History of the profession

The profession of a system administrator appeared in the 80s of the XX century, when large firms began to install modern sophisticated computing equipment that required constant maintenance. It is believed that the first local area network was created at the Pentagon, and the best specialists of their time were engaged in its adjustment.

With the development of the Internet and the development of software available to all users, PCs have become ubiquitous. Now a sysadmin is not a computer genius, but a standard employee of an enterprise or office who understands hardware, software and network technologies and is able to ensure the smooth operation of all equipment in an organization.

Description of the profession

In large companies with a large number of office equipment, several system administrators usually work, each of them is engaged in work in his own profile:

• System architect- a highly qualified engineer capable of selecting the necessary applications to create a corporate infrastructure.
• Net-administrator responsible for local networks and Internet connection. He knows how to lay cables, configure network protocols, organize routing, billing systems.
• Web server administrator installs software on it, configures and maintains it. Usually works for hosting companies.
• Database wizard provides services for the systematization of information, its placement and preservation.
• Network Security Specialist responsible for protecting corporate documents from unauthorized outside interference, countering viruses, DDOS attacks, develops internal regulations for staff.
• E-mail adminictrator configures mail services and constantly maintains them in working order, fights against spam and malicious software sent in letters.

If the number of workplaces in the company does not exceed 30, then the system administrator has to perform the functions of all these employees at once.

What specialties are better to study

You can become a system administrator by graduating from a secondary vocational or higher educational institution in one of the specialties:

• information systems (general profile or by industry - economy, transport, communications, etc.);
• computers, complexes, systems and networks;
• organization and technology of information protection;
• network and system administration;
• computer systems and complexes, etc.

• Interregional Academy of Construction and Industrial Complex;
• Computer Academy "STEP";
• Modern Science and Technology Academy;
• International Academy of Expertise and Evaluation.

In all these educational institutions, for a very affordable price, you can get good knowledge, confirmed by a diploma of professional training.

Responsibilities at work

The responsibilities of the system administrator include the implementation of a number of tasks of different directions:

• installation and configuration of computers and office equipment;
• creation of a local corporate network and automatic telephone exchange, determination of access levels for each employee;
• ensuring the smooth functioning of servers and system software (Linux, Windows);
• creating user accounts and keeping them up to date;
• taking measures for the safe operation of the company's network;
• installation, maintenance and timely updating of applied and office software (accounting and other specialized programs, MS Office, e-mail, Internet browsers);
• maintenance of equipment;
• data safety control, regular data backup.

In addition, the system administrator constantly monitors the status of office equipment (computers, laptops, faxes, scanners, printers) and components, prepares proposals for its replacement with a more modern and productive one. He can also take part in the procurement of the necessary hardware and software. In addition, the sysadmin does the rough work: connects and lays wires so that office workers do not stumble over them, negotiates with service organizations, is responsible for the timely refilling of toner cartridges, and participates in the disposal of decommissioned computers and office equipment.

And, of course, there is no escape from the employees of the organization, who constantly ask naive, from the point of view of a professional, questions like “where did the information go, because it was just here”. Consulting the staff and providing them with technical assistance is also the responsibility of the system administrator.

Who suits

The profession of a system administrator is suitable for people with a mathematical mindset who love to delve into technology. Minimum requirements for a sysadmin:

• knowledge of various versions of OS Windows, the ability to customize and maintain them, it will also not hurt to own Linux;
• ability to work with server software;
• the skill of building local computer systems and using network protocols;
• knowledge of the most common applied software, depending on the direction of the company (1C, MS Office, Outlook);
• understanding of the PC hardware device, the ability to troubleshoot;
• technical English.

Sometimes you need knowledge of coding languages, at least at the initial level (JavaScript, PHP) and the ability to organize the smooth operation of remote users.

And now the characteristics of a good sysadmin in terms of personal qualities:

• responsible, patient and disciplined;
• has logical thinking, a technical mindset and a good memory;
• persistent and persistent in achieving the goal;
• creative and proactive;
• stress-resistant;
• sociable and able to tell difficult things in simple words;
• constantly improving his qualifications through self-education.

The advantages of the profession include its relevance, good wages and working conditions. In addition, this position in the organization is to a certain extent “strategic”: a good specialist is constantly in contact with the management and forms the direction of the company's movement in terms of informatization. Such an employee is autonomous and works according to a free schedule, moreover, hardly anyone else in the company has sufficient knowledge to check the effectiveness of his activities.

The description of the profession will be one-sided, if you do not remember the negative aspects, which include constant nerves due to the fact that something constantly breaks or glitches, which causes corresponding friction with the authorities. An irregular working day, eye fatigue from the monitor cannot be called an advantage.

How much do they get

The size of the salary of a system administrator depends on the region, the specific place of work and the level of qualifications. So, the average income of an employee who owns a standard set of tools and skills in the country fluctuates between 40-45 thousand rubles, in Moscow - 15-20% more. If you specialize in one area of ​​activity (web servers, networks, information security), you can count on higher earnings, but at the same time, employment opportunities are significantly reduced.

If a specialist knows how to work with databases on Linux and web servers with a high load, then his salary is much higher - from 60 to 75 thousand rubles, and in the capital - about 85 thousand rubles. In addition, using a home, or even a work, computer, you can earn extra money, for example, remotely run another small company.

How to build a career

As for career advancement, there are no special prospects for a universal employee in a government organization or small business; the same issues will have to be dealt with for years. If the company's activities are related to the provision of services to clients in the field of informatization, in this case, a career is quite possible. Starting as an intern or junior sysadmin, you can, having received additional education, become the head of the information technology department, or even the IT director.

In addition, there is the option of freelancing or starting your own business. Professionals with pedagogical ability teach courses at training centers, usually remotely. With a good knowledge of technical English, you can work for a foreign IT company with a good income, but you will have to withstand serious competition.

Profession prospects

Nowadays it is profitable and prestigious to be a system administrator, since the market demand for such specialists is high. The main thing is to have fundamental knowledge, be able to apply it in practice, track and master constantly emerging technical innovations. Although, according to some experts, the cloudless future of sysadmins in the coming decades will be in jeopardy. The development of cloud technologies, neural networks and artificial intelligence can “bite off” a significant part of their work, primarily related to fixing and configuring software and storing information.

So, today we will try to answer the question: "Who is the system administrator?" In addition, we will figure out how much such a person earns, what he does, and how good and important his work is in the modern world. After all, each profession has its own place. Let's start with you as soon as possible to analyze our today's topic.

Concept

Who is the sysadmin? Let's try to answer this question, but first we will decipher this concept. After all, the name of our today's profession is far from a Russian abbreviation.

The point is that "sysadmin" stands for "system administrator". That is, this person is working with some kind of networks. And since this is a computer profession, then, as you might guess, such people will work with these machines.

Who is the sysadmin? After we have learned the full title of the position, it will be several times easier to reveal his duties and profession as a whole. So let's try to do this. Indeed, before starting work, it is always important to know what lies ahead of us.

What does it do

After we revealed the concept a little and figured out the question: "Who is the system administrator?" - it is necessary to learn about the job responsibilities of such workers. Especially if you are interested in this profession. Maybe you will be "ripped off three skins" and require huge work?

Not at all. In fact, the job of "sysadmin" is what almost every user dreams of. You will have to configure operating systems, reinstall, install software and connect equipment. It also includes setting up an Internet connection, treating your computer from viruses, protecting your system from various infections. In general, everything that the average user is now capable of doing.

In truth, sysadmin, software, and computers are the three essential ingredients of this profession. Sometimes especially advanced system administrators even do programming. This gives them a significant advantage over other workers. Let's now see what the pros and cons of this profession. It can't be that good, can it? Then everyone would aspire to be a system administrator.

Minuses

Well, let's start with the negative aspects. After all, it is they who, as a rule, make us wonder whether this or that place is right for us or not. The notes "sysadmin is good or bad" can often be found in many articles on the topic of work.

The first thing that should only be noticed is the obligatory presence of perseverance in a person. As a system administrator, you will have to spend most of your time at your computer without leaving it. Fortunately, for most modern users, this is not such a big deal.

In addition, system administrators are empowered with tremendous power and, as a result, responsibility. After all, the work within the company, which is performed on computers, will depend on you. Something breaks - and you have to fix everything quickly and efficiently. In cases where you know exactly what you are doing, do not be afraid.

The monotony of work and its monotony is another significant disadvantage of the chosen profession. Every day, everything will come down to the fact that you come to check the work of computers, if necessary, configure the equipment, and then go to your workplace and carry out the orders of the chief regarding the settings of the PC. Many people get bored with such a schedule.

pros

True, our today's profession also has a number of advantages. They can be found when reading the notes "sysadmin - good or bad". In fact, there are much more positive aspects here than negative ones.

The first point is the work schedule. Very often system administrators are hired with a free schedule, that is, on call. When services are not needed, you come to the workplace, then check the operation of all equipment and leave. And sometimes you stay in your office and go about your business until your services are required. And the salary still "drips".

The second point is the ease of use for most users. Modern people in computers are very advanced. That is why you can fix most of the difficulties encountered on computers without too much trouble. If the work is "not dusty and simple", and even brings a good income, then the employee will perform it at the highest level.

It is also worth noting that in most cases, system administrators are on their own after carrying out daily checks of the equipment. You can drink coffee, play games (especially if the bosses do not follow you, but provided a separate office), surf the Internet, or chat with friends. All this is very beneficial for your lifestyle. The main thing is not to "go too far" and not start "working to the detriment".

Plus, working at a computer is predominantly mental work. You don't have to carry bricks, work in bad weather, and so on. Usually, workers are given their offices where they can drink tea, warm up and just feel comfortable.

If you are not a supporter of communicating with people, then the system administrator is your profession. All you will do is work at the computer. Contact with living people is minimal here. Thus, it is a goldmine for introverted individuals.

How much does he earn

And here is another rather important point. After all, any profession and position should be paid somehow. Sysadmin-salary is a connection on which, as a rule, the quality of a person's work depends.

The point is that if you are required to do a lot of work for a small salary, then, of course, you should refuse. A system administrator with a freelance (called - came and fixed, went home) receives from 10,000 rubles a month. But the employees of even the smallest firms with a full-time or flexible schedule - from 20,000 rubles.

With all this, the higher the salary, the better the system administrator will fulfill his duties. After all, then he will be interested in this. Thus, we can say that our today's profession is a rather profitable occupation.

Conclusion

Now our conversation has come to an end. Today we have learned with you who the system administrators are, what they do, what the pros and cons of this profession are, and how well the work of such workers is paid.

As you can see, this "spot" might suit most advanced computer users. Honestly, you need to study to be a system administrator. For example, on In addition, you can complete specialized courses to obtain a "crust". But sometimes you can do without it. That's all there is to it.

Today is the day of system administrators, which was invented for the first time in Chicago by computer scientist Ted Kekatos, an American by birth, exactly 11 years ago in 1999. Since then, the last Friday of July is celebrated every year by many people who call themselves sysadmins. So who are these people?

A sysadmin is an employee of a company, an enterprise, who ensures the smooth operation of a whole group of computers, is responsible for its security, and also monitors the installation of software updates. The position of a sysadmin includes constant control over equipment, backing up systems, important information, as well as restoring systems and software as a result of a failure.

In the middle of the last decade, system administrators were ordinary people - self-taught with certain skills in the field of computer science. At the present time, the system administrator is presented with a number of requirements and obligations. For this, there are special organizations that train specialists in this field, presenting them with certificates at the end of the course and successfully passing the exams. For example, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Linux Professional Institute (LPI).

System administrators are divided into several groups. System administrators on Windows systems and admins who work on Linux / Unix systems. Network Administrators - This is mainly the people who work with Cisco networks. A special group includes system administrators working with a database, mainly Oracle.
Relatively recently, a group of people monitoring virtual systems - VirtualMWare and those responsible for the operation of a web server - web administrators have been added to them. Depending on the state of the enterprise, there may be one or more of them.

The sysadmin is abbreviated name of the profession system administrator. He is engaged in setting up computer equipment, monitoring its work. It is an interesting, challenging and well-paid profession.

What is the job of a sysadmin

According to the rules, the system administrator should only deal with installing, debugging and monitoring behind computer equipment. From experience, the situation looks somewhat different. Usually a sysadmin performs a wide variety of work related to the operation of computers and computer networks.

He is engaged repair and maintenance of office equipment, installation of operating systems and auxiliary programs. Installs a local network and a lot of other things that he shouldn't do by definition.

Of course, the fact of forced disregard affects the operation of computers and computer systems. They work unstable, often fail while the sysadmin is busy with other things. The result is equipment downtime and large losses.

What knowledge and skills a sysadmin should have

The system administrator should know about the device and operation of the computer and all computer networks. He must be able to work with any operating system and specialized programs.

He must be able to properly assemble and disassemble the computer and even compose it from different components. That is, to have certain knowledge in circuitry and electronics.

Some resources write that the sysadmin should also be able to develop and layout sites, but this is already superfluous. In fact, he must understand principles of programming. Even know several programming languages, but the area in which he will have to use this knowledge is outside of web design and layout.

He must be able to write programs to test the operation of equipment, or those that improve the performance and stability of computers. So that the system notifies immediately of a malfunction before a real emergency occurs and the equipment is completely out of order.

What sysadmin usually does, although he shouldn't

In most small and medium-sized firms and companies, in government agencies, the sysadmin is not doing what he should be doing. Such firms and institutions, for some unknown reason, hire a highly qualified specialist in order to so that it does:

• Installation of operating systems (today this can be done by a student or a simple PC operator, but the name is a system administrator);
• Search and remove viruses (it is not clear why a good antivirus was not installed);
• Connecting a mouse, keyboard and monitor to the system unit (easier than installing an OS);
• Cleaning and debugging printers, filling cartridges;
• Connecting a computer to the network, installing a modem and a router;
• Elimination of technical problems, replacement of parts in the system unit;
• Correction of errors in the 1C: Accounting program.

The list goes on and on. All of this should be handled by other professionals who are best outsourced.

This suggests that managers simply do not have the understanding that the system administrator should not deal with such trifles that distract him from his main work - monitor the work of computers and debug it in such a way that the whole system runs smoothly.

How to get a job as a system administrator

It is quite easy for a system administrator to find a job, the question is what kind of job it is. Most managers do not understand what level of specialist they need, so a situation often happens when the system administrator does not work at work(see section above).

If a specialist has normal work experience, he will try to find a place where he can work by profession, and not by some unknown person. Unfortunately, most sysadmins have a very different experience doing odd jobs.

Therefore, large IT companies such as Yandex., are forced to carry out for their own means of training the specialists necessary for the company. Provides training courses and certification for system administrators. There are similar departments in other companies, for example, Google and Microsoft, the latter have even developed a whole system of certification of specialists.

Over time, managers will understand that at work, you need not only those who run around the office, but also those who are vigilant at work of the system.

At the right time, the system administrator will determine the cause and fix the failed computer equipment. Eliminates not only the cause of the failure, but also prevents serious damage from occurring, which will lead to long downtime and costly repairs.

What kind of profession is a system administrator? Terms of reference and responsibility. Social bonuses and cash royalties.

On the specialization of the system administrator.

To be very rough, there are sisdamines with specialization and without specialization. Usually, a career starts without specialization, then they have several "bent" branches of development and one or two or three, in which their further life takes place (the classic "builds" of characters in RPG correspond very well to this). A sysadmin without specialization is an overgrown enikeyschik (I will analyze this thesis below). However, the demand for a sysadmin of a narrow specialization is lower (if we count in pieces of vacancies) than for system administrators of generalists (I will also reveal this thesis below). However, with fewer vacancies, the real need for qualified specialists is much higher than there are specialists themselves, that is, the higher the qualifications, the less competition. At some point, you will have several offers from different companies, although you do not plan to leave the current one.

(Running a little ahead - the higher the qualifications, the longer it takes to look for a new job, for a top specialist looking for a job for half a year is quite normal. This is typical not only for admins, but also for other professions with high responsibility and narrow specialization).

Who needs sysadmins?

Since a sysadmin is a profession, money is paid for it. The money is usually paid by the company to its employees. This means that companies need sysadmins.

So, in accordance with the above classification, there are two important types of employers - profile and non-profile.

Let's start with non-core ones. A non-core employer is a company that is NOT engaged in IT, or is engaged in it in an area far from the system administrator. Bright "antipodes" of IT-ness: travel agencies, real estate companies, car dealers, etc. For them, an administrator is a kind of "electrician / computer manager". They do not need a complex infrastructure, they do not know about what sysadmins do, what is complex and what is simple. They cannot control the quality of the system administrator's work, and the only sign of his success is "works" or "not". The exact level of development of a company varies greatly and can boil down to "setting up printers and ICQ" to supporting rather exotic programs (this is especially the case for medical institutions). In any case, the IT complexity of their configuration is most often minimal, and there is no need to talk about the real "economy" of the system administrator. This level fits into It-outsourcing,.

Separately, mention should be made of companies with a high degree of ititization of the non-IT business. (A vivid example is retail chains, banks). Most often, in such a company there is still a person who is able to assess the quality of work and the complexity of the solution, he is usually able to speak with the system administrator in a normal language, and not express himself with bird words about “the Internet does not work”, “the processor under the table beeps”, etc. etc. However, despite the possible complexity of the configuration, it is quite limited by the budget and the needs of the company, and usually does not require going beyond the minimum to work. The needs of the IT department are perceived as a pure burden that needs to be defended in this very avian language.

The second type of employers are specialized companies. Most large Internet sites are such, these also include hosters, data centers (if they do something other than renting units / dedicated), companies whose business is tied to computer technology (cellular companies, processing centers). Note that specialized companies also have non-core administrators (who are engaged in servicing workplaces in the back office), when applying for a job, you need to find out exactly what you will be doing for yourself.

Such companies usually look for employees "for tasks", that is, they need a person who can deal with some area of ​​their activities.

An important feature of specialized companies is the constructiveness of what you do. You are no longer a "computer electrician", you are the person who determines how well the main business tool of the company will work. There is usually no concept of a "technology ceiling" or bird language here.

In fact, such a profession does not exist. It so happened that many companies want to have a person on the staff who will be responsible for "everything computerized." Usually these are non-core companies. And they want one or two, not three dozen certified specialists. (For those who want to talk about their brilliant present in the person of an Oracle administrator, etc. - I repeat, we are talking about the situation on the market). Hence the simple rule: they will want everything from you right away. Moreover, in the future you will find that superficial knowledge about everything is not particularly appreciated. However, these jobs are a great place to start - you can try everything and find out what you like best.

Thus, there is an obvious contradiction between the work of a novice system administrator (more precisely, the requirements that are imposed on him) and further career growth. This contradiction does not appear immediately, but after a while, when a person masters work.

However, let's get back to the work of the system administrator. Here is a list of the areas most commonly encountered by a sysadmin. Please note - these areas are far beyond the bounds of reason, but - see above, they want everything from you, at once, and preferably for little money. Example: how much a system administrator can earn in Minsk.

What is meant by system administration?

(we are talking about universal system administrators, of course)
Network administration. In its minimal form, it is a “guru of the configuration of a desktop wi-fi router”, in its maximum, it is a person who will plan a network for 1000 people with branches in five cities. This includes: network topology (which piece of hardware to plug into which and why), SCS planning (where and how many sockets), configuration of nats and vpns, etc. All sorts of Internet access control services - squid, IIS, smart and stupid firewalls, IDS, etc. go to the same heap.
Administration of workstations. Burned-out power supplies, solving a problem with another bank-client, fixing a broken print, solving the problem "how can I open this file", fighting viruses for windows, with Hdd, working with, etc. The minimum level is to set an office, the maximum is to develop a group policy for automatically rolling out a new version of software that does not have msi (you have to do it yourself). At the same time, problems with automatic deployment of workstations, backups, secure deletion, etc. are solved.
Centralized authorization. This is usually the Active Directory. One of the "purest" disciplines, it is also one of the most difficult. The minimum level is to add / remove users, drive the workstation to the domain. The maximum is to implement automatic assignment of policies to users of a given OU in case of access to a computer in one of the nodes of a neighboring tree in the forest (we all love this terminology, yes).
Mail. It is conventionally divided into three worlds: small windows mail servers (Kerio class), the mighty and terrible Exchange, a normal linux / freebsd server with any sane mail server (postfix, exim, sendmail, etc.). Minimum level: add a mailbox, add another domain and add an additional email to the user. Maximum level: configure mailing ticket system, mailing list, spam filtering, automatic mailbox creation, etc.
Databases - Most often it is part of another infrastructure. Specialized DBAs are a league of their own. Minimum level: install, restart, connect in the application, add / remove a database. Usually the same ability to make a backup and restore it (which is more difficult). There is no maximum level because if you know any DBMS well, SQL, are able to deploy a server with an active asynchronous subscription to another database, then this is not quite a “universal system administrator” anymore. A conditional ceiling can be considered the ability to fix a broken MyISAM database.
1C. Despite the fact that 1C is such a company that produces toys and educational disks, “1C” usually means 1C: Enterprise, 1C: Accounting and other nightmarish offspring of the perverted union of accounting and programming. A person who knows a lot about "this" is called a "1C programmer" (not to be confused with normal programmers). Minimum level: create a new database, add / delete a user. Maximum level: correct the configuration, add a field to the report, deal with how 1C lies with SQL.
Websites. This can mean almost anything - from "ordering shared hosting" to "solving a performance problem in django-orm when working with postregsql." Copywriting, search engine spam (SEO), web design, web programming, etc. can easily be included in this area. Minimum level: be able to do a little typesetting in html, there is no maximum because the different professions are listed. By the way, there is a real system administrator among them: web server administrator - load ballancing, failover, high avablility, clusters, etc., which again goes beyond the category of "universality".
Access control systems and video surveillance. Most often they are made by specialized organizations, however, it happens that the system administrator also has to tinker. Minimum level: pick up one more camera, register an access card. Maximum level: auto export of video to archive, synchronization of all types of control. The future is most likely not admin, as far as I know, this area is usually not liked by administrators.
ATC. Another area that falls into system administration by accident. Minimum level: add forwarding, connect an additional incoming line. Maximum level: raise your Asterisk with a voice menu by 300 points, a sip-skype gate, routing that can be transferred between IP, copper and E1 depending on conditions. It also often includes telephone legacy, "knocking crowns", sorting out all kinds of plesiosynchronous incoming lines, E1, etc. I repeat, this is not an admin specialization - in general, telephonists are engaged in this.
Print / scan. Most often, a trivial task, until you have to make printers networked and solve the problems of all kinds of industrial printers. Minimum level: pick up the printer; Maximum level - solve the problem of color profiles, connect the label printer as a network, automatically assign printers when the user logs on to the computer.

In addition, there are many specific areas: terminal servers, various ERP / CMS, utility software for network maintenance, etc.

Summing up: it is impossible to be not only a professional, but at least it is more or less good to know all this. But you need to know. It is on this contradiction that the career of a novice administrator is built.

Separately, it must be said about those with whom you will come across during the interview. Unlike other cases, people who are far from computers are 99% likely to interview you. And they will not check your knowledge, but your adequacy and "quick answers." If you shower them with clever words, you will not be perceived adequately.

The same one is an Enikeian. (from the expression in English - "press any key" - press any key)
This is the person who is blamed for all the poorly formalized and tedious work, communication with users and fiddling with iron.

The main things that an enikeys usually do:
helpdesk - help desk. Answer phone calls from employees, show you how to press any key, help you find the column sort button, and pick out a stuck disk in the drive.
Preparation of workstations - installation, connection, wiring, OS and software installation, etc.
The solution to any non-verbal garbage with custom applications - this is especially true for software from the tax and bank clients.
Correction of SCS (new sockets, transfer of existing ones), diagnostics of problems, switching, if there are crosses, then their expansion.

If the company does not have any manager, then his duties are performed by the system administrator.

Note that the "system administrator assistant" is most often practically a consumable with a high turnover. In one company, it got to the point that the head of the department did not know by name all the assistant administrators (3 pcs), because at least someone left once a month and a half.

From the point of view of an engineer, such a job is a springboard to system administration, but by no means the main profession.

We will talk about the profiles of specialized system administrators a little later, but for now, about a career within these two professions.

Who goes to enikeyschiki?

My experience says that people usually go there without specialized education. Most often they are young, although I interviewed my 42-year-old uncle for the position of "Assistant System Administrator". Despite the fact that the duties described above seem to be almost trivial, for many it is the most difficult step. Becoming an administrator from the Administrator Assistant is easier than becoming a sysadmin assistant.

The main reason: they will want from you knowledge that is comparable to the administrator. Moreover, half of this knowledge is not stated anywhere in books and is a passing experience (for example, fiddling with bank clients). Another important feature is the "feel of computers", I have met many people at interviews, they simply could not appreciate the naturalness of what is happening in the computer, which greatly interfered with their analysis of the situation. This is a non-verbal experience, it appears after a long time working with computers.

A typical career looks like this: an assistant to a system administrator (or an administrator in a small company with 5-8 people), an administrator, an administrator (maybe 2-3 more times as an administrator), the beginning of a real specialization. Specialization can be of two types: improving the technical level (instead of superficial knowledge about everything, deep knowledge about a little), and an administrative career - head of the IT department, CIO (CIO), etc. These are two completely different areas - the first has to do with computers, the second has to do with people, personnel management, planning, budgeting, meetings, etc.

The transition from stage to stage is determined by several factors: 1) Theoretical knowledge 2) Practical skills 3) Knowledge of realities 4) Connections and relationships with other people (both inside and outside the company).

Among this, the third point looks not very clear. What are "realities"?

Knowledge of realities.

It is about knowing what is usually used in companies, how much it costs and how it works. Relatively speaking, this is a person who knows that modern offices put 5e, and not ThickEthernet (as described in the 1993 book), that putting the 6th category is unjustified (although this is advised by the manufacturer's booklet), that programmers need an eye yes eyes, otherwise the company will be tightly tied to a specific person, etc. In other words, knowledge of realities is the ability to say what exactly is needed in terms that will be understandable to both the supplier and those around him.

Skills and their application.

Until a certain moment, almost everything is decided. Without some skill set, no theoretical knowledge will help. It simply includes "many kilometers behind the wheel" - solving many problems, skills in working with the console and typical software, knowledge of the symptoms of problems, knowledge of typical solutions for typical cases.

Theory in the life of a system administrator.

At first, theoretical knowledge is not very important, since you do not have the proper feel of computers in order to perceive them correctly. However, if you do not invest your time and effort in theoretical knowledge, then you will not quickly notice how you get stuck at your level. The salary will grow slightly, perhaps there will be a career, but the it-shny world around will stop changing. The same technologies, the same glitches. Lack of theoretical knowledge does not interfere with work - it interferes with understanding how it works and how to fix something that is not working. Experience greatly replaces theory in the sense of solving problems, but does not give the strength to see the situation in general, to find the real reason (instead of the reason).

Yes, they mean a lot, especially in the case of a career as an IT director. The only way to avoid the need to have a lot of acquaintances and play the king of the hill office games is professionalism (read, experience and theory). If not, then only personal connections, knowledge of people, the ability to feel them, the ability to order them and in every possible way to guide them. According to my observations, about 30% of enikeys find their first job by acquaintance.

For highly specialized administrators, communications mean something completely different. The narrower the specialization, the smaller the assortment of employers, the more likely it is to know everyone or almost everyone. Having a familiar name greatly reduces the time it takes to find a job. In this case, we are not talking about "connections" in the everyday sense, but about professional fame.