I've been working as an IT technician in manufacturing for about four years, but I don't have a degree or certifications yet. My current environment includes Cisco equipment, VMware, Windows systems, network monitoring, and an ongoing move toward hybrid infrastructure with a focus on Azure. Most of the opportunities I find are still support-heavy, and I'd like to move toward networking or systems administration. What skills, projects, certifications, or career moves would best help me make that transition?
5 Answers
A lot of people make this move without a degree by building skills outside work. A home lab can give you practical experience with virtualization, Windows and Linux administration, networking, identity management, and automation. If there isn’t a path into infrastructure internally, keep building experience and apply externally to junior sysadmin or infrastructure engineer roles.
Certifications may be a more efficient investment than a degree for your situation. Azure certifications, networking credentials, or a VMware-related certification could help validate your experience and get your resume past initial screening. A community college program in network or server administration is another option if you want more formal theory and a credential without committing to a full degree.
You probably don’t need to choose between practical experience and credentials. Keep pursuing real infrastructure work, document those projects, and add one targeted certification that matches the roles you want. For your background, Azure or networking would be reasonable starting points, depending on whether you want to lean toward cloud administration or network engineering.
Talk with your manager about taking on more infrastructure, systems administration, or automation work. Volunteer for projects involving Azure, VMware, networking, monitoring, scripting, and migrations. Even if your title remains the same, that experience can help you qualify for the next role.
I’ve brought it up, and I’m hoping more automation opportunities become available later this year.
Your resume can make a huge difference, especially if it clearly shows the infrastructure work you’ve actually done. Highlight specific technologies, projects, troubleshooting wins, automation, and measurable results rather than just listing responsibilities. You don’t necessarily need a degree or certifications if you can demonstrate strong hands-on knowledge and back up every claim in an interview.
That makes sense. I’m going to focus on presenting my actual experience and projects more clearly.
I’m already working on building my skills. Support isn’t necessarily bad, but there isn’t much room for growth where I am now.