1

Hello again community,

Good news - I got my job back!

It’s been a (short) while, but here’s a little backdrop:

About 3 weeks ago I got laid off from my employer, and sure enough they needed their technician back! So I have resumed my position and I am back at it. However, they also laid off the Network Admin (not meeting profit margins - those snakes) and so I have to assume his responsibilities, and man it is keeping me busy! I’m just excited to begin working again and now I have a great opportunity in front of me, which I don’t intend to let it slip by.

I was just wondering what some of you may recommend to me that may benefit me and further prepare me for this position I am about to take on. Currently, I am taking Network and Server classes; but I have no certifications. For right now, I guess you can consider me as a Jr. Sys/Net Admin - kinda a jack of all trades. But previously, my title was Help Desk Technician; but now, with jobs being cut left and right - it leaves me (and another gentleman) to take on all of the responsibilities for IT.

Anyways I am glad I am back. And hope I can continue to learn and contribute to the community.

Talk soon guys,

HeinzenIT

25 Spice ups
2

They do not deserve you. You are to good for them.

By what you describe:

  1. Your Employer’s company is having financial issues. (no job security)
  2. They hired you back because doing so was cheaper than keeping the Network Admin. (no loyalty towards employees)

This indicates that they will not think twice about letting you go, if they find a cheaper alternative. If I was you I would look for a new job and quit as soon as you do find one.

It seems you have a good attitude and your are motivated, which will help you in your path.

38 Spice ups
3

Polish your résumé. Spend at least an hour a day refining it, job searching, networking with people, and the like.

As you are taking classes, devote quiet & study time every night to it (2hrs/unit taken is the standard). See if Dreamspark is available. See if CompTIA vouchers are available. Plan for university transfer (UCSC, UCD, & UCB are local-ish). Be prepared to move (current town is small). Can always move back after a few years of university, and positions of increased responsibility & exposure.

6 Spice ups
4

Be more careful about the details you are postinig, this could get you into lots of trouble. What if your current employer reads this?

8 Spice ups
5

It’s nice to have an income back but I’d definitely be looking to get another position as soon as possible - it doesn’t sound like this company puts any value on its staff. (I think you should have asked for more money to come back!)

Stick with the Certs to back up your experience and keep in touch with the consulting firm!

2 Spice ups
6

Another way into some job security might be convincing your current employer to pay for some of those much needed certifications. They would then feel the need to tie you into a contract for some time.

This is very dependent on your local employment laws and the employers policies. But if it works can get you a double benefit of getting the certification you need for future job hunts and also gives you some job security; at least in the short term.

You would have to play it smart and get strict terms upfront, but that is true of any contract you sign any-ways :slight_smile:
Of course if they are not willing to improve their workforce better to know in advance… and look for those who are.

Oh and on the topic of skills, that Linux machine can be a great learning experience for networking. Try setting up OpenVPN for remote access. I learned bosses LOVE having the ability of working from home (whether for them or employees) so providing a solution for that (and free to boot) is a great boost to your value. And you will learn allot about allot along the way :wink:

1 Spice up
7

My intuition is telling me to leave this employer under you own terms and not theirs. Right now the job is paying the light bill, don’t push it asking for a raise. They may just find someone willing to do the extra work cheaper than you. Use the time to fill out your resume and increase your skills. You can be more picky for job-next while you currently have one.

I would also recommend to sanitize your posts a little. Too much information is sometimes not helpful in the long run.

3 Spice ups
8

I have to say that I agree with Andres, however, a job is better than no job, if I was out of work and in your position I would also have taken back the old job. Now it might not be a very secure job or one that you get paid as much as you should, but you are taking the responsibilities of a sys admin, so you are getting experience and you say you are taking classes, so in my opinion. You are doing the correct thing for you.

I obviously wouldn’t want to stay at that company too long, jump ship as soon as you can, but just keep thinking that you are an acting system administrator, as such after a while you will probably be able to land yourself a job with the title sys admin, with better money, security and prospects.

Then you can tell your current employer where to go!

Obviously if a different job arises else where, jump ship buddy. Ps keep up the home studying/classes and congrats on working again.

Pps. Just read the part about asking for a raise, I personally wouldn’t, sounds like they are trying to save money, use this job as experience, after all you are earning the same money you was before.

2 Spice ups
9

As soon as you can? RUN! they have already proven that they will not pay the proper amount for you to be a trained Net admin. and they have already broken the trust by letting you go. you do not have any loyalty to this company other than they are paying you a weekly salary.

Use this as a stepping stone and experience to learn new things.

Overall, good luck.

3 Spice ups
10

I’ve used to work for a company that wants Sys Admin work for Help Desk Tech money. It won’t end well. Put your resume out there.

1 Spice up
11

@HeinzenIT ,

If you ask for a raise they will canned you sooner. I have strong work ethics, but in this case I would punch in, look busy, maybe do a thing or two and punch out. Pace the work and milk it until you find another job, then quit.

1 Spice up
12

First start documenting everything on a spreadsheet.

Also call all your vendors and make sure you are an authorized representative on all accounts.

Have tabs on the spreadsheet like this

Sites with username and passwords COX, Comcast Account Numbers PIN’s etc…

Server tab | Server, Name, IP, what it does.

All Reserved IP Addresses

All Printers model and IP’s

All odd devices Cameras etc…

Phones system

Backup all config’s for Cisco, Phones anything.

Check licenses for everything, expiration date and put it in lettermelater.com

You are in charge now, Own it and improve on things you can.

Automate tasks.

2 Spice ups
13

Like it has already been pointed out, they didn’t hire back the Network Admin because they could get you on for cheaper to do the same work. You’re there because they didn’t want to (or simply can’t) pay more money. Use this as an opportunity to see if they will foot the bill for any kind of training (books, classes, etc).

In the meantime, as Curtis3363 said, document everything. You need to learn everything you can about your network and have that information easily at your disposal. The sooner you can put together all of this information, the easier your day to day work will be.

1 Spice up
14

This is what I did at my last job

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/431816-help-desk-duties-as-a-website

15

@HeinzenIT,

Congrats on getting your job back and it sounds like you have some work ahead of you. I wanted to let you know about CBT Nuggets and our wide variety of IT training that can be a great resource for most of the questions that you will face with your new responsibilities. Check us out with this 7-day free trial and if you have any questions, I am here to help. Good luck!

1 Spice up
16

I see this as a golden opportunity to further your career. What they are doing is wrong, but that should not stop you from making the most of it. My last company continually piled on more tasks - especially when the IT Manager left - and I took that opportunity to learn, grow, and strengthen my skills and knowledge (along with my resume). After spending a bit of time there (and not seeing any raises for my added efforts - something you’re likely to see), I took my new set of skills somewhere else and saw a dramatic impact on my career.

Continue taking the classes and getting certifications, focusing on the low-hanging fruit. If you have a basic background in servers, work on getting the MCSA (or other). If you have a good understanding of networking, go for the Network+. Once those are out of the way, look at a few deeper certifications.

In time, this company will either see your growing value (and pay you for it), or you will have the background to find greater opportunities elsewhere. Personally, I have found some challenges in the past with taking the next big step in my career, and I had to wait for the right opportunity. This company may not pay you a lot, but the knowledge and experience will be worth its weight in gold.

2 Spice ups
17

Thanks for the headsup! I removed my previous post just in case :slight_smile:

18

Get what you can out of it, but don’t get comfortable.

Do what the others here have said: learn, document, PREPARE.

Not a matter of if but when.

19

This is true, BUT it could be a great opportunity for some on the job training and a boost to your career down the line. Remember though, keep updating that resume as you go. Good Luck!

20

Like most have already said, this place sounds a little shaky. Get the resume updated, get it out there, get a new job, then get out of this one. Good luck!!