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Career Advice on How to Become a Network and Computer Systems Administrator

General Career Information

Do you feel that life is too exciting and too fast paced? Do television shows geared towards old people seem like too much fun for you to handle? If you answered yes to either one of these questions, you might want to pencil in network and computer systems administrator on your job search or career planning list. 
 
This not-so-exciting career will have you doing such fun things as building and installing LAN, or local-area networks, and WAN, or wide-area networks, for big corporations and other entities. Once these networks are in place, you get to be the person that keeps it all working smoothly. You are also the person who has several people scream and yell at you all day when the network goes down. Secretly these people often love with things go wrong as they get to vent on an underling, which in this case, is you. Oh you bet it’s exciting!
 

Career Facts:

As a network and computer systems administrator, no one will give you a second thought until something goes wrong with the network. However, when something does go wrong, it’s like the end of Frankenstein. Guess who Frankenstein is! That’s right, the flaming torches and pitchforks are for you. Needless to say, there is some pressure to keep the network up and running.

 

Career Opportunities and Job Outlook-Excellent:

The network and computer systems administrator is another fine example of a soul-crushing career that is expected to have an excellent rate of growth. By 2016, there will be nearly 400,000 network and computer systems administrators all at the beckon call of balding, screaming “MBA types” that are more than eager to take a golf club to that “computer geek who thinks he’s so smart.” If this all sounds like a dream job to you, then you are in luck as they are hiring!
 
Job Outlook is Excellent
 

A Day in The Life:

Your day as a network and computer systems administrator is spent hoping that nothing goes wrong with the network. If it does, the screaming MBA types seem to come straight out of the wall like something from a science-fiction film, with golf clubs and alpha-male attitudes armed and ready. The bottom line is that as a network and computer systems administrator, you better keep everything running smoothly.
 

Average Salary:

The average salary for being the “computer geek who runs this thing” is about $62,000. The top ten percent of network and computer systems administrators can expect to earn about $97,000. This salary should cover the stress and health, related costs of the job and the long therapy sessions one may have to sign up for on occasion. Starting salaries usually average about $50,000, but can go a bit higher.

$50k-$90k

 

Career Training and Qualifications:

Training can vary, but in general a Bachelor’s Degree is preferred. After all, CEOs enjoy screaming at college-educated people more.
 
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