Today, advances in computer networking have made it one of today’s dynamic fields. This career can offer many good career opportunities, especially as network administrators.
Organizations and companies need this human resource to ensure their computer system operates smoothly as well as improve workload.
This article will cover the advantages and disadvantages of being a network administrator, so you know whether it suits your interests. Let’s get right into the details!
What does a Network Administrator do?
The network administrator’s tasks are related to networking and computer operations. They often maintain, handle arising problems, backup data, and manage related systems.
Their duties can be different, depending on the position and the business scale:
- Network management and computer safety
- Improve your computer’s performance
- Add, remove, or update the safety system
- Install and upgrade hardware and software systems for computers
- Fix problems with the computer system, such as infected software.
- Support employees in the department on how to use computers safely.
There are many boons for you to pursue as a network administrator, including high income, stable work, perfect working space, and freelance chances. Here’s a closer look at the pros of being a network administrator.
1. Good Income
Its obvious upside is the high salary. Our statistical results have shown that the average salary of a network administrator is $88,410 per year. It will be about $35,000 higher than the earnings in most other jobs in the same tech sector.
Its demand is always high and tends to increase in the coming years. Therefore, you can fully expect great earnings if you have rich skills.
2. Job Stability
Information technology is a crucial department in all companies. This dependence has made it a hot career and created many jobs for new graduates.
When a computer or network failure occurs, most companies will severely decrease performance. So, that is the most evident proof of how crucial a network administrator is. In the future, this career could open you up to many new techniques with practical approaches.
3. Self-Development
Some freshers will work at a large company with a stable income. Meanwhile, others choose freelance work because they value its returns.
Both paths give you more chances to advance your career faster. For example, a full-time job will provide you with a broader network for future freelance work.
In contrast, freelancing from the start will be fit for introverted people who need to work more flexibly.
You will efficiently perform tasks at home via the internet without going to the workplace. And the skills from projects will help you land gainful jobs quickly.
4. Flexible Working Environment
The network job nature is entirely engaging for you to pursue. In detail, you will quickly work with many clients simultaneously to handle their trouble.
You can start your career as an intern at a small business. Then, you can apply to more giant corporations with massive networks as you gain hands-on skills.
5. Constant Learning
Constantly learning is the skill you need to become a network administrator.
Since technology is evolving rapidly, you should stay up to date with the latest things in hardware and software to handle your work.
For example, new hardware may require a different approach or introduce vulnerabilities that need addressing. By keeping technology up to date, you can ensure your network stays secure and efficient.
Being a network administrator is a challenging career choice. You need patience and the ability to work under pressure to pursue this job for a long time. The cons of being a network administrator below are the things you should consider.
6. Stress
Performing the same tasks every day is familiar to system administrators. On the other hand, they can take weeks to detect and fix network and system failures.
All these problems can also make you feel stressed and lose interest in work.
7. Technical Expertise
This job requires a lot of skills and knowledge. The strong development in this industry puts even more demands on your study program.
When you’ve wasted years at university, you may have missed many of the field’s valuable changes in the real world.
So you need to consider developing skills:
- Programming skills
- Communication skills
- Master handling and problem-solving skills
- Network analysis and skills
8. Responsibility
Unlike other options in the same technology field, this career requires you to be more responsible. As mentioned above, you need to maintain and improve the performance of your computer and network.
So, if you are not responsible or highly disciplined, your computer network may often encounter complex problems.
9. Attention To Details
Although the requirement for attention to detail is a small minus point, it is also worth considering if you choose this career to develop.
You will need to focus, evaluate and test every detail in the network system or each part of the computer.
These actions will help you easily identify problems and deal with them quickly. Yet, it also causes many problems, especially the long working time.
Conclusion
We have helped you to know the pros and cons of being a computer network administrator. Indeed, this career requires a lot of special knowledge and skills, which you must get over a long period.
But it also opens up great career opportunities for people with high salaries and flexible working hours. This article is helpful for you to make the right career decision. Thank you for reading!