UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

thanks for asking this question hpicracing...this entire thread is very informative...the member-sysadmins who have answered are very nice to share their experiences and give their advice
i would like to ask a question...if i may...what about vacations? you get vacations when you ask your company right? and you dont have to carry your work cell phone to your vacation right?
beside the satisfaction of being able to solve challenging system problems...what are the additional perks of being a sysadmin? what i m actually trying to know is what is the lifestyle of a unix sysadmin?

At our company, vacation means that you are not to be bothered except if you are the only person who can solve this, and even then you aren't expected to come in and help (though it would pay very nice overtime).
Additional perks: free training if you can argue well enough that it's work related
And what's your definition of "lifestyle"? What a typical day looks like?

Lifestyle? going to work when I feel like ( stay in bed when others are already at work: I start thinking it time to go at around 9:00) on the other hand yes I stay late (past 20:00).
Now if I get at work at 9:30, they are all looking at their watch...
Because of the overtime I have extra days for vacation like next week I will be of from wed 8 to sun 19... and will still have 4 weeks holidays to take
Typical day? Today - got to work at 9:49 decided I would to some music at 11:30 so of I went to play (church organ) back at 14:30 solved a few strange issues, help apprentices, did some TSM (def vol stuff) Taken the dispatch and support of a team for the one who had to stay had to leave: kid is ill... and plenty time here to see how things are going...
I have another 30 disk volumes to create, do a bit of patching on my favorite HP box. that means I will leave around 19:30-20:00...

Thanks for all the information!
Could someone tell me how accurate this information is? I got it off the princeton review(Test Prep: GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, SAT, ACT, and More). It's actually where I found the info on system administration that got me thinking I'd like to do it. After some googling I decided it was perfect for me. Anyways, here's this info from the princeton review. If someone could tell me if it's accurate I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
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A Day in the life of a Systems Administrator

A systems administrator installs computers and their operating systems, as well as the software that relates to the Internet, including Web servers-the heart of the system that delivers information to the Internet. There are lots of pieces of software that run in conjunction with Web servers that need to be installed, maintained, and configured to deliver different kinds of content to Web pages. There are Java applets, programs that run in conjunction with the Web server such as Cold Fusionª, a Netscape application server that connects to and searches databases, and advertising servers that deliver ads to Web pages-all of which demand the attention of the systems administrator. Even after all of these pieces are installed and running, the components require maintenance. There are maintenance issues, upgrade issues, and compatibility issues. The Internet was essentially invented by Unix professionals, and much of the Internet is run on Unix (an operating system like Windows. Versions of Unix are free (like Linux) or commercial (like Sun Microsystem, Hewlett Packard, IBM, and Silicon Graphics). Though there are Web sites running on other systems, a systems administrator generally utilizes a Unix-based system. It takes years to learn and master Unix. “I don't know every nuance of the program. I know as much as I need to know to keep things running, and I learn all the time. Once you have a feel for Unix, you can make your way around other versions,” says one systems administrator. There's a favorite saying among the Unix crowd: You can't create Unix administrators, you have to grow them. “It's really an organic process and you learn from doing. You can't just teach someone a bunch of Unix commands. You have to be using it in an environment. You can go to Sun Microsystem's training school and learn Unix that way, but you won't actually know how to maintain a system.” Depending on the systems administrator job, an eight-hour day is fairly typical. The stress level varies, depending on the number of Web servers running. When one is down, revenue runs out the door, so the job can be stressful at times. If you're interested in systems administration, get a really cheap computer, send away for a Linux disk or free Unix clone software like BSD, and install it. Get a manual and learn how to use it. “You'll spend many frustrating hours banging your head against the wall, but if you're the kind of person who likes to solve puzzles, you'll like this job. It's extremely rewarding when you figure out a problem and see how it all makes sense. This field is all about problem-solving. You need to be a tinkerer at heart,” says one systems administrator.
Paying Your Dues

If you're constantly messing with your computer at home-fixing it, upgrading it, and reinstalling things on it-then systems administration might be a good career opportunity for you. You can get an interview simply because you fool around with your computer at home and are able speak intelligently about how to fix problems. A systems administration position is not a first step, it's a second step, and without any training or knowledge of Unix, tech support is the best place to start. “At the beginning stage, a large part of desktop support is personality-people skills, being able to hand hold, patience, confidence, an avid interest in technology, and a willingness to learn are qualities that go a long way,” says one SA. Even before you learn the practical applications, it's good to learn the theory. Go to a search engine, type TCP/IP, and start reading about how it works. “You're gonna be knee-deep in the nitty-gritty, and it's essential to understand how computers work and how networks talk to each other in order to de-bug problems,” recommends one systems administrator."
Two Years Out

During your first two years, you might not do anything directly related to the smooth running of the system; you might be just reading up on new developments. Part of your job is to expand your knowledge base and figure out how to improve the system you're working on. It's a constant learning process; you build on your foundation of knowledge. “For the first year, you're not going to know what you're doing,” says one systems administrator. At this level, “Try to get into a company that is pre-IPO where you can get stock options,” recommends one tech professional. “People make millions that way and you can rack up some serious cash-even in a low-level position.”
Five Years Out

Jobs are easy to find once you're in the Internet environment. “I didn't even look for my job. Recruiters were calling me fairly constantly,” says one professional, who notes that tech guys change jobs more often than people change underwear. Once you can say that you know Unix, you've configured a Netscape Web server, you've worked with Apache, and you understand Perl, every job you take will pay more money. Professionals earn about a 20 percent raise moving from one company to another. After five years of doing nothing but Unix, you can easily command a six-figure salary. At this level, there are many more jobs than there are people to fill them. “There are thousands of jobs out there for anyone with half a brain. If you have a whole brain, you can name your price,” says one professional who estimates that there are 100,000 unfilled systems administration jobs.
Ten Years Out

At this stage, you're at the top of the Unix administration game, and you can move on to chief technical officer as the head of a group. These professionals earn big money. You can also consult and earn $125 per hour or more.


# of people in profession:

Female: %

Male: 100%

Average hours per week: 40

Average starting salary: $37,000.00

Average salary after 5 years: $120,000.00

Average salary after 10 to 15 years: $120,000.00

Professionals Read:

Books, Films, and TV Shows Featuring the Profession:

Major Employers

Most companies, large or small, employ systems administrators to keep their systems running smoothly.
Major Associations

The Systems Administration Guild (SAGE)
USENIX: The Advanced Computing Systems Association


phone:
fax:

Systems Administration, Networking, and Security
SANS Institute - Network, Security, Computer, Audit Information & Training
5401 Westbard Ave.
Bethesda MD 20816
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it seems to me like...life of a unix sysadmin is "have to work whenever you are needed" ,which wouldn't really be much if you are very apt and efficient, and the rest of the time is off!!...

life of a rock-star...just go and play in your concert and enjoy rest of the time

is there no paperwork work involved? do you really need not work 9 to 5 ? like the rest of the world?

@pludi: yes, what does your typical day look like?

Typical day (mind that I'm still in training at the current site):

05:00 Kill the alarm
07:00(ish) Clock in at work, get coffee, turn on displays
07:10 - 07:45 Check email for requests and status messages from systems, check performance and health monitoring for anomalies not checked by operators or other admins
07:45 - 08:00 Talk with boss over coffee on the days tasks (who I might have to coordinate with, ...)
08:00 - 12:00 Maintenance tasks, inhouse training, writing automation scripts, updating documentation, ...
12:00 Lunch
12:30 - 15:45 See above
15:45(ish) Clock out, head home

It's still about a year to go 'till I'll be considered knowledgeable enough to be put on on-call rotation, but according to my mentor there's not much change once I get there.

I don't trust the salary numbers in that review posted a few messages up. The starting is way too low, the 5 and 10 year may be too high. Depends on where you are working to a great extent, but they aren't accurate for my area (Minneapolis, MN). Finding jobs is fairly easy. Recruiters do call you fairly often once you're established and well-known. I've been laid off 3 times and switched jobs on my own 3 times in 10 years, and never been unemployed more than 8 days. But don't expect a 20% raise every time or to be making six figures by year 5. And totally ignore the guy talking about being an IPO millionaire. That guy is a comedian or an idiot . . . I'm guessing this is fairly old and they are referring to the late 90's tech bubble when things were out of control. Or maybe those comments came from people in silicon valley where you can make $150,000 and still be poor because the cost of living is so high.

Most places I've worked are pretty flexible about hours. They know Unix admins work nights and weekends pretty frequently so usually they aren't very strict about being there 9 to 5 every day. You will definitely be putting in your hours, just not the same hours as everybody else.

Vacations have never been a problem except for one job where I was the only Unix admin. Even there I could take days off but I had to prepare by making sure all necessary work during those days was done ahead of time and I had a backup to cover while I was gone (usually a DBA or programmer). I do not take my pager or laptop on vacation, but in an emergency it is possible they'd call me and that would be ok with me if it truly was important.