Hey everyone! I've been working in a tier 1 helpdesk position for about 8 months now, and I'm looking to level up my career. My ultimate goal is to get into cybersecurity, but I know I need to gain more experience first. Right now, I'm focused on landing a sysadmin role, and I'm currently studying for my Security+ certification. What would be the best path to become a sysadmin? Should I try to collect more certifications, or would it be better to aim for a tier 2 helpdesk position instead? Also, how difficult would it be to transition to that role with my current helpdesk experience and the cert?
1 Answer
Collecting certs isn't always necessary; Security+ is good, but don't stress too much about others. The path you take really depends on what kind of sysadmin role you're aiming for. If you're looking into managing old-school Windows or Linux servers, consider setting up a homelab to get hands-on experience. At work, make sure to go beyond just the basics—be proactive about troubleshooting and exploring logs instead of just wiping devices. If you're interested in MDM or SaaS admin roles, ask for read-only access to get familiar with those systems. Try to absorb knowledge from conference talks about best practices as well. Also, solidify your understanding of foundational concepts like DNS—know how to set it up and troubleshoot it, not just change settings on a client.
Should I be looking for tier 2 support positions then? Also, I'm hoping for a better salary!