Cyber Work Podcast: How to become a network admin

Introduction 

In this episode of the Cyber Work with Infosec podcast (formerly CyberSpeak), Chris Sienko spoke with Elias Papatestas about the path you can take to become a network admin. Eli is a long-time veteran of the IT industry going back to the 1980s and has extensive experience in the finance, pharmaceutical and telecommunication industries.

1. What drew you to networking and keeps you excited about it?

Eli was a teenager when the PC was in its infancy and his parents were interested in computing, so he always had computers around to tinker with which is the origin of his passion. From there, he became interested in IT when the industry was still young. What really drew him to it was his love for learning new things — from and making modifications to video games to helping businesses make mail merges. It all boils down to one word: curiosity.

2. What are the jobs you will do from entry level to network admin?

This question really depends on the size of your organization. There are some foundational jobs you will perform, including basic troubleshooting for physical network infrastructure, setting up devices and making sure they are plugged in, basic installations based on a checklist, replacing equipment and setting basic configuration.

When you move more towards network admin, you will start making configuration decisions or giving input towards that process and managing the priority of different tasks. Troubleshooting and working with end users will still be on your plate as a network admin, and the business requirements of the organization will move more to the forefront.

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3. Do network admins work on nuts-and-bolts issues or do they work more closely with the C-suite?

This also depends on the size of the organization, but generally speaking, working with the C-suite is more (Read more...)