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As the title says I feel like I’m stuck in the position that I’m. I really haven’t learned anything new (that I could take to another job) in at least the past month or more, and since I’m just the IT lackey here, and get all the meaningless tickets that I have already done before there doesn’t look like I will be learning anything new for a while. Does anyone have any suggestions about things that I could try doing while I’m here to help me learn more, or if there is something that I can pick up and read or watch that is fairly cheap that will help me learn a bit more about taking the next step forward. I’m really wanting to learn all that I can about networking, security, and other topics that will help me become a network admin or network analyst.

If you need more info please let me know.

27 Spice ups
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Start teaching yourself PowerShell. It is in everything now. It will give you a good marketable skill.

9 Spice ups
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+1 for Powershell. Everything in the MS server world is going that direction.

1 Spice up
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Certify in Network +, Security + , CCNA if you want to be become a network guru.

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Powershell free ebooks - List of Free PowerShell eBooks - Force Multiplication through IT Automation

There are a lot of Microsoft Jump Start videos where they go through products/technologies and what they do and how to configure them.

And here is a compilation of some links for getting certified for various IT career paths: http://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/show/5873

6 Spice ups
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Subscribe to the Spiceworks groups that you want to learn more about (by email). Treat the posts as low priority tickets that you need to research and solve. Chime in with clarification requests for points you don’t understand and relevant information you discover.

…

[profit]

13 Spice ups
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I am guessing you have let your employers know you want/need more challenges.

If not, then why not?

4 Spice ups
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Get a TechNet membership and create a bunch of VMs within your own test domain at home. You can experiment with all kinds of stuff that way.

3 Spice ups
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David9459 wrote:

I am guessing you have let your employers know you want/need more challenges.

If not, then why not?

Yes, this - Have you asked them if there are any additional projects that you could work on? Maybe implementing a new ghosting system or something like that.

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Get a gig with a non-profit and you will have access to Technet for almost nothing. Great suggestion Justin.

4 Spice ups
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Take control like the others said. Setup test lab and learn and learn. Grab a book of interest, etc. You are not defined by your current position, so seize the day.

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Justin wrote:

David9459 wrote:

I am guessing you have let your employers know you want/need more challenges.

If not, then why not?

Yes, this - Have you asked them if there are any additional projects that you could work on? Maybe implementing a new ghosting system or something like that.

Agreed!

The question should be what are you interested in doing? Security? Networking? SQL? Powershell? Helpdesk? etc.

One good thing about IT fields is that you can always refocus on what interests you.

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I know the feeling…I am in your exact same position and its not enviable… the only advice I can give you is to start teaching yourself new technologies and dont wait/hope your job will provide you with the training or opportunity to learn and grow in this field.

You want to get into networking, then start down the CCENT/CCNA path… maybe get the Network+ first so you have one under your belt. Also, keep an eye out for a new job, one that will provide you with opportunities to grow and learn.

Thats what im doing and we are, essentially, in the same boat.

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You can do what I did, grab a spare desktop, install linux, and start playing. :smiley:

1 Spice up
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Yeah I’ve already let my boss know. That’s where I got the title from since that’s what I told him. I added in the (that I could take to another job). When I told him this he was like you just learned SSO last week. The only problems with SSO is I don’t really see it being in to many places.

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We have quite a few free resources to help you decide which path you want to take, including white papers, mobile apps, webinars, and blog posts. Resources Library | Global Knowledge

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Nevada4807 wrote:

Yeah I’ve already let my boss know. That’s where I got the title from since that’s what I told him. I added in the (that I could take to another job). When I told him this he was like you just learned SSO last week. The only problems with SSO is I don’t really see it being in to many places.

SSO is pretty big within healthcare from what I’ve seen, but other than that I don’t have much experience with it. Have you suggested some new projects that you could work on or are you asking him for ideas? I would recommend trying to find things that nobody there likes to do and find a way to make them easier through scripting, automation, or web-based tools. There is always something that could use improving.

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Rockn wrote:

+1 for Powershell. Everything in the MS server world is going that direction.

+2 or virtualization stuff, security stuff, Citrix, or how to burp the ABC’s.

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Mitchell.holt wrote:

how to burp the ABC’s.

I got that one down. I don’t know how many times a day I’m told that I’m either a gas bag or just gross.

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Rockn wrote:

Get a gig with a non-profit and you will have access to Technet for almost nothing. Great suggestion Justin.

Is a hospital considered non-profit?