Xeogred wrote:Bump, how'd most of you guys get your foot in the door?
I've used Linux at home for over 6 years now, and have always wanted to get into Administration. It's been pretty rough, as I have no schooling, and only a few certifications to show. Best Buy and Geek Squad were my biggest jobs. I staid there for nearly 5 years. Befoe that, I did some 'Tech support' jobs at a couple call-centers. Those are the worst...
Last year, I decided to leave Best Buy after a restructure, and their refusal to promote me for a third time. Even my direct supervisor thought it was unfair and told me that he'd quit after all I had been through. I just started promoting myself and putting my resume in everywhere. I even made business cards with a QR-Code that listed my certifications.
I managed to land a job at a Hosting company. Honestly, it wasn't too hard to get. I partially regret it, because I know very little about hosting and get stressed out trying to learn while troubleshooting at work. Fortunately, our other Admins are extremely nice and helpful. Surprisingly, I'm not the only one in these shoes. There are Admins here that don't know a damn thing. It's kind of frustrating how little they know, and their lack of interest on expanding their knowledge. That's the whole reason I took this job.
Eventually, I'd like to start my own thing, working for small businesses back home. I had a couple contracts before I left for this job, but I really needed something more steady. Having a kid causes life to make decisions for you. I had just started college, but this was more fast-tracked.
I'd say find the closest Hosting Company/Server Farm and just put in your resume. Upsell yourself like crazy, and try to get the minimum required certs. It may not be my dream job, but having a few years of 'Linux Administrator' on my resume will make it sparkle a bit more.
