Systems Administrator
What the work is
Plans, develops, installs, troubleshoots, maintains and supports an operating system and associated server hardware, software and databases, ensuring optimum system integrity, security, backup and performance.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Installs, configures and maintains server hardware, software, operating systems and databases infrastructure
- Diagnoses and resolves hardware, software and network connectivity issues to ensure uninterrupted system operation
- Conducts regular system backups and recovery procedures, ensuring data safety and integrity
- Facilitates IT infrastructure changes through change management processes, in accordance with organisational protocols
- Provides system related technical support and guidance to end users
- Manages user accounts, permissions and security policies to ensure data security and compliance with regulations
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in the small IT team of a fictional regional council that runs its own servers and databases. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A system upgrade goes through overnight and nobody notices because everything just works
- You find the cause of a slow database and watch it speed up
- A colleague says they finally trust the system enough to stop keeping their own backup spreadsheet
Hard days
- A server fails at 6am and people are already queueing at the counter
- Being rung at the weekend because you are the only one who knows how it fits together
- Someone senior wants access to everything, and you are the one who has to say no
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 271232, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.