Becoming a Network Manager

[Lambert]

Hello,

 

I am 15 and would like to become a Network Manager. I am currently taking Btec ICT at School and I am learning alot and I am going to be doing work experience with my Schools ICT Techs. Now what do I need to know to become a Network Manager? I am most hopeing to be Windows based so yeah please tell me things like scripting etc.

[iatkinson]

The wealth of skills you need to become a good network manager is pretty broad. You need to get in as a basic technician, modern apprenticeships good for this then work your way up. The more you get involved with managing projects, budgets and people will lead you in the right direction towards a more senior position. For a guide on what to learn just cram as much in as you can, knowing lots of different coding terminology is great but most of this can be researched when needed, better is to work on logic and problem solving skills along with the basics of network management, teamwork and communication.

[mattx]

Now what do I need to know to become a Network Manager?

 

Not a great deal really - having a brown nose helps..... Just joking..... :-)

[apeo]

At the age of 15 and you already know what you want to do... at that age i didnt know what i wanted to do the next day let alone my life, and i still to some degree dont know where im going

 

Agree with iatkinson, rack up as much experience and knowledge as you can and work your way up. Its a rare for someone to just jump straight into a network managers position.

[dan400007]

Definately need a broad range of knowledge in order to make the right decisions.

 

When I first started I didn't know what the difference was between a Hub and Switch was let alone the different Layers. Understanding the Client/Server network along with the physical networkings (I rekon) is the best place to start.

 

Keep looking at these forums as someone will have the answers that you need. Also as soon as you can get a couple of old computers or one fast system (using VMWare) and then build a mini network. Break it, Fix it, Break it again and fix it again. Hands on experience is the greatest teacher.

[localzuk]

Being a Network Manager, at least for me, means being good at everything a random person throws at you. So the skills I have would be

 

*Windows Server (NT4/2000/2K3)

*Windows (98/ME/2000/XP/Vista)

*Linux and its many heads

*Mac OS (although I have yet to use OS X Server, but will be picking this up shortly)

*Network infrastructure installation

*Network design, including both layer 2 and layer 3 concepts and tools (QoS, VLANs, RADIUS, broadcast storm prevention etc...)

*Network Monitoring and incident identification

*Any software you can imagine, from Office to Photoshop to 'Nessy'

*Laser printer maintenance and repair

*Inkjet printer maintenance and repair

*Video editing and filming

*Sound editing and recording

*VOIP phone system design, installation and maintenance (Asterisk)

*iSCSI

*Video Conferencing and H323

*Systems procurement and maintaining a good relationship with suppliers

*Major project design and implementation (such as the complete refurbishment of 3 ICT suites at the same time)

*Problem solving skills

 

Plus a lot more. This is one of the problems with school network managers - we do a huge amount of different things but most of the time a employer will never realise it as they never see it.

[dhicks]

> I am 15 and would like to become a Network Manager. I am currently

> taking Btec ICT at School and I am learning alot and I am going to be

> doing work experience with my Schools ICT Techs.

 

What do you plan to do post-16? Are you going to do A-levels and look to go to university, or do you plan to start work at 18?

 

> Now what do I need to know to become a Network Manager? I am most

> hopeing to be Windows based so yeah please tell me things like scripting

> etc.

 

Don't get to fixated on the job title "network manager", at 15 a vague "something to do with computers" will suffice. Get the hang of programming. The easiest way to learn how to program is to have some kind of project that you want to complete. This might be a game, or a utility of some kind - I'm sure we can come up with a few suggestions if you like (do you have to do coursework or assignments for your Btec?). Don't worry too much about which language you program in, have a go at several - with practice you can pick up the syntax of new languages in a couple of days.

 

--

David Hicks

 

--

David Hicks

[elsiegee40]

@dhicks - some sound advice

[webman]

Just don't go down the strictly Microsoft route, there is more to IT than that excuse of a company. As localzuk pointed out, Linux and UNIX knowledge is quite valuable in this day and age.

[torledo]

At the age of 15 and you already know what you want to do... at that age i didnt know what i wanted to do the next day let alone my life, and i still to some degree dont know where im going

 

Agree with iatkinson, rack up as much experience and knowledge as you can and work your way up. Its a rare for someone to just jump straight into a network managers position.

 

At 15 I just wanted to pass my GCSE's, get the exams over and done with and get the hell out of my school.

 

My next step was just following what others (and my older brother) did. Got to 6th form to do A-Levels. I had no idea what I wanted from studying or even had a thought about career options. The plan was to just do the A-levels I was good at and see what came of it.

 

After a couple of false starts (training, work, degree course change)

it wasn't until 2001/2002 and the work year of my degree course that I realised i wanted to be a sysadmin. I love what I do but.........

 

With hindsight, I wish I had gone down the specialist route, not because of job enjoyment, but becuase of career progression and pay. What stopped me from doing this was that I wasn't academically talented, and that's what the IT consultancies are looking for....bright people with excellent grades who they can train to work on big projects. I know a lot of people who got 2:1's and 1:1's and are now Oracle or SAP gurus...very different to the life of a school network manager. Not necessarily more enjoyable.

 

People like IBM and HP are looking for bright graduates to take on in their 'acadmies' thus within a few months you could be a fully qualified storage or openview guru working on customer projects. Within a few years you could strike out on your own and earn £600+ a day as a consultant. That's if you go down the university route and that would be my recommendation..get onto a good IT degree (you don't need straight A's to get onto a good IT degree) with a university who have links with the IT companies, then choose carefully your work placement and get onto one of these 'academy' or graduate apprentice programs after you graduate and you'll be set for many years to come. Easier said than done, but if you identify the opportunities early on you can accomplish all of this.

 

You'll also have more career options if you get an IT related degree. You can still work in IT support if you want part-time and develop some DBA, networking or programming skills while you study but aim high as there's a serious skills gap in the higher paid areas of IT that's only going to become more acute over the next few years. If you're already thinking about your career at 15 you could be the type of person who cashes in 7 or 8 years from now.

 

That's the route I wish I had taken, nothing wrong working as an NM in education but it's just not financially rewarding - particularly when you look at the current cost of living and house prices. Even if you're a senior manager on £35K after years of working you're way up you could still find yourself with little left over each month after you pay your mortgage, council tax and bills.

[SpuffMonkey]

IMHO - don't do it - its a thankless task and not particularly well paid, you have to completely relearn your knowledgebase every couple of years and when you're past 40 - you can't get a decent job for love nor money.

 

If you're bright - be an accountant, engineer or a lawyer - at least they have a properly defined career structure.

[mattx]

As localzuk pointed out, Linux and UNIX knowledge is quite valuable in this day and age.

 

What about OS/2 ?

[pallen]

I wouldn't necessarily go down the degree route. I did that and it was cack. The lifestyle was good, but the course was too much theory based. I found that when I left I was applying for jobs but not getting past the interview as it soon became apparent that I didn't have the practical knowlegde to backup the theory.

 

I went travelling for a bit after Uni, and when I got back my theory was too old to get me into any decent job. I stumbled around for a couple of years doing a few different things until I stumbled into where I am now, an IT Tech in a secondary school. I am now hoping that with my experience here and my qualifications I can get more jobs a little easier in the future.

 

One thing is for certain you NEED experience. With only qualifications you cant get the jobs that need practical experience and you cant get the entry level jobs as they think you will soon leave for being over qualified. Work and train on the job - a happy medium. If you can find a company that will pay for your training too - even better

[torledo]

I wouldn't necessarily go down the degree route. I did that and it was cack. The lifestyle was good, but the course was too much theory based. I found that when I left I was applying for jobs but not getting past the interview as it soon became apparent that I didn't have the practical knowlegde to backup the theory.

 

I went travelling for a bit after Uni, and when I got back my theory was too old to get me into any decent job. I stumbled around for a couple of years doing a few different things until I stumbled into where I am now, an IT Tech in a secondary school. I am now hoping that with my experience here and my qualifications I can get more jobs a little easier in the future.

 

One thing is for certain you NEED experience. With only qualifications you cant get the jobs that need practical experience and you cant get the entry level jobs as they think you will soon leave for being over qualified. Work and train on the job - a happy medium. If you can find a company that will pay for your training too - even better

 

I think that's true if you do the wrong degree at the wrong institution, and you don't understand the options available to you on completion of the degree. For a school technician relevant work experience is crucial. That's why it's all the more important that you get the opportunity to do an industrial placement as tpart of the degree.

[webman]

What about OS/2 ?

 

Who uses OS/2?

[torledo]

As localzuk pointed out, Linux and UNIX knowledge is quite valuable in this day and age.

 

What about OS/2 ?

 

OS/2 was a great operating system. At the time light years ahead of Windows, But is anyone still using it ? even as a legacy OS and if so who and how ? I know you may have said it tongue in cheek, but OS/2 rocks,

and I'd like to hear from any OS/2 users if there are any of you left.

[mattx]

OS/2 is where I learnt most of my related OS skills from - LAN & Warp server pi55ed all over windows and linux at the time. I remember running OS/2 ver 3 and 4 on my old overclocked P75s for weeks at a time without having to re-boot.

Shame IBM never really marketed it proberly. Just did a quick check for the OS/2 site I used to use all the time and its no longer there - [ the OS/2 supersite ]

[torledo]

OS/2 is where I learnt most of my related OS skills from - LAN & Warp server pi55ed all over windows and linux at the time. I remember running OS/2 ver 3 and 4 on my old overclocked P75s for weeks at a time without having to re-boot.

Shame IBM never really marketed it proberly. Just did a quick check for the OS/2 site I used to use all the time and its no longer there - [ the OS/2 supersite ]

 

So what period are we talking about here, must have been around 1995/96, didn't realise there was an OS/2 server aswell, must have been a killer combo way better than what was around at the time, NT 3.51 (urghhhhh!!!) and Netware 4.x (IPX only I think).

 

Agree with you that it was all down to marketing, i heard that there have been numerous requests from OS/2 fans to IBM to release it to the community as an open source project.

[webman]

eComStation is a PC operating system based on OS/2, published by Serenity Systems International, USA. It includes several additions and accompanying software.

[torledo]

IMHO - don't do it - its a thankless task and not particularly well paid, you have to completely relearn your knowledgebase every couple of years and when you're past 40 - you can't get a decent job for love nor money.

 

If you're bright - be an accountant, engineer or a lawyer - at least they have a properly defined career structure.

 

I agree with most of what you've said, but i wouldn't recommend a bright person becoming an accountant or lawyer. What a waste of talent!!!

 

There are defined career structures within IT but those companies tend to be blue chips or consultancies. You can get the right training and structured training as a technology consultant or project manager but it's diffcult in education. If you land a job in a large university or within the LA that person may be able to achieve that kind of career progession.

 

Retooling every few years is presumably not so much of a chore if you specialise in a particular area, for example if you're a MIS or sharepoint specialist.

[Grommit]

Hello,

 

I am 15 and would like to become a Network Manager. I am currently taking Btec ICT at School and I am learning alot and I am going to be doing work experience with my Schools ICT Techs. Now what do I need to know to become a Network Manager? I am most hopeing to be Windows based so yeah please tell me things like scripting etc.

 

Trust me mate don't do it..... become a database designer or something that pays well.

 

The 3rd worst job in the UK is a Network Manager

[sahmeepee]

The 3rd worst job in the UK is a Network Manager

 

OK, I'll bite... what are the other 2? :-k

[webman]

The 3rd worst job in the UK is a Network Manager

 

OK, I'll bite... what are the other 2? :-k

 

According to the NUT, one of those would probably be "Teacher"

[Joedetic]

Don't become an accountant or a lawyer. What you might like to consider is getting some experience from an engineering aspect as opposed to network management.

 

What people are saying about it not paying well and being thankless. The pay is bad because they're coming from an educational ICT point of view...the pay can be better in industry if you find the right company and you have a specialism that they require for example Netware, Active directory or maybe a network security specialist and they're concerned with intrusion detection/prevention or something.

 

Being a thankless job. Well that's just the way the world is these days. Grumpy end-users wanting everything done last week and the way they asked not the proper way.

[Lambert]

I would actually like to work in a school enviroment.