Hello everyone,

I just want to vent my frustration.

I am currently a Network Administrator (at my company they only use Win2K3 server). And I want to break into Linux System Administration. I have gotten my Linux+ and I've been using Linux (on my home network...as well as my friend's small network at his print shop) for about 2 years now.

So I go on monster and dice and a half dozen job boards and NO LUCK with finding jobs! Everyone wants 5+ years to even be considered! How am I supposed to get experience if I don't get hired? Kinda of a catch 22.

Is anyone going through anything similar? Am I alone here? And with current Linux Administrators...How did you get "in"? Any help

-Custangro

At my job, the previous I.T. guy set up the whole network to be all Windows OS based. When he left, I took over and I slowly started implementing Linux. I convinced my boss that it was free, secure, and easier to maintain. She allowed me to slowly start implementing Linux systems in our network. Now I work in a heterogeneous environment with Windows, Linux, and Mac, and can put down on my resume that I work with these types of system. I'll be honest and say that at the time, I did not know much about Linux but was eager to learn it (I still don't know much about it). The only way to learn it is by implementing it, so that's what I did.

So if you're able to, try to convince your boss or I.T. team to implement a Linux system. It can be anything: file/print server, DHCP server, DNS, proxy, firewall, web server, FTP server, administrative computer, guest client computer, etc... And lastly, start talking and letting people know that you are looking for a Linux systems admin job. Someone may know someone who is looking to hire

The same for me. I started by implementing little projects in All-Windows shops. My first one was a CMS Website (Content Management System) that had a search engine for technical documents. It was also a print server. It helped take off the printing processes from the Netware 3.11 server that we where using - this was back in 1996.

When I worked for a Fortune 500 Cruise Line Company I implemented a system that would monitor, log and alert all the admins about disk consumption. They where running a combination of Windows NT/2000; the disks sometimes would get full of data and systems would crash. They didn't have a way to integrate all this into one application to know ahead of time when the systems where being filled. I created a script running out of my Linux workstation that ran great for more than a year. It made a very big difference.

I then moved on to an ISP - that wanted the world for a penny - that only lasted about four months; I setup several DNS servers and started on an Email system.

Worked for a Health Agency and that's where I upgraded the NT 4.0, SCO UNIX systems to Fedora Core 1,2. I migrated everything and it all worked well, faster and more stable. Even their Windows Samba shares worked better than NT.

After that I began doing some consulting and now I work for a small Real Estate IT provider; eventhough I work mostly with Linux, now my official title is UNIX Administrator - Thank God! Now I work exclusively with Linux 99% of the time.

All this happened beginning in 1996 until now. I'm telling you this so you can get an idea of what it takes to make it to permanent Linux Administrator. You have to bust your chops. Your confidence and your results will speak for themselves and nobody can take that away from you - the experience that comes from hard work and perceiverance.

But I still do not conform myself with this. Time will show where I'll go. With God's will I will be able to achive my real dream.