Hi everyone! I've been in the IT field for about 27 years, starting from the ground up and eventually working my way into sysadmin roles. I've done a bit of everything for various organizations over the years. Lately, I've been craving a change, and an opportunity has come up for a secondment with our architecture team, which I'm excited about since I've collaborated with them on several projects before. I'll be starting in about a month and would love your input on a few things: 1. Have any of you made a similar switch? What was your experience? 2. Do you have any recommendations on training or processes to manage this type of workload? 3. Is there anything else I should consider before diving in? I appreciate any advice you can provide! Thanks!
3 Answers
Yeah, the role is definitely less hands-on now. Most of the time, it's all about meetings and going through documents and diagrams. Whether you're in-house or leased out to clients can really change the experience too. Having a lab setup for personal projects can definitely help keep your skills sharp! There are also positions like Engineering Architect that let you do both the design and some implementation, which might be a good fit for you if you want to stay technical.
Before diving into your new role, see if your past experience can benefit the architecture team. Here are a few starters: - Check their backup process and whether they test recovery. - Make sure their configuration files are under version control. - Consider whether they have security and performance monitoring needs.
I made a similar move and honestly, I kind of regret it. The architecture role can be pretty hands-off and might feel a bit dull. It often involves a lot of diagramming and communication about best practices rather than hands-on tech work.
I did wonder about that! I have a homelab that I plan to tinker with, hoping that will help satisfy my hands-on cravings.
You know, moving into architecture is something you really should have considered earlier in your career. I wonder if you've been missing out on better pay and opportunities by staying too long in sysadmin roles.
Just a heads up, your tools will change too. You might not be using PowerShell or any of the other tech you’re familiar with as much. Get ready for a lot of Teams, PowerPoint, and Visio from now on!