Find out the top 10 core skills you need to master as a system administrator and what hard skills you need to know to succeed in this job.

A system administrator has the primary duty of overseeing and maintaining all Information Technology operations and related infrastructure in a company. He/she will see to it that all Technical IT operations and systems are working effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, he or she will see to it that all standards of the systems are maintained to the highest levels.

Besides that, he or she will perform the following duties; install and configure all hardware and software systems, perform troubleshooting techniques on the systems, undertake daily backup operations, develop workable security procedures and policies, monitor system logs, create and assign user accounts and maintain high system standards.

Core Skills Required to be a System Administrator

Core skills describe a set of non-technical abilities, knowledge, and understanding that form the basis for successful participation in the workplace. Core skills enable employees to efficiently and professionally navigate the world of work and interact with others, as well as adapt and think critically to solve problems.

Core skills are often tagged onto job descriptions to find or attract employees with specific essential core values that enable the company to remain competitive, build relationships, and improve productivity.

A system administrator should master the following 10 core skills to fulfill her job properly.

Problem Solving:

Problem Solving is the skill of defining a problem to determine its cause, identify it, prioritize and select alternative solutions to implement in solving the problems and reviving relationships.

A System Administrator has a fundamental role in finding ways to address all types of problems through having a good method to use when approaching a problem without being ineffective, favoring or causing painful consequences.

Troubleshooting:

Troubleshooting is solving a problem or determining a question to an issue which is often applied to repairing failed products or processes on a machine or a system.

A System Administrator must be able to diagnose any trouble in the management flow caused by a failure of any kind and determine to remedy the causes of the symptoms with the final product being the confirmation that the solution restores the process to an excellent working state.

Motivating others:

Motivating is using persuasion, incentives and mental or physical stimulants to influence the way people think or behave individually or in groups.

A System Administrator ought to learn how to tap into the employee's enthusiasm as well as motivate the staff not just with money but with a motivation that comes through the daily relationship with each employee and creating an environment that fosters employee engagement and motivation.

Dependability:

Dependability is the characteristic of being able to be counted on and relied upon by providing services that be trusted within a period.

A System Administrator needs to be dependable and hire reliable employees who can be counted on as consistent and beneficial to the business, building their niche as an essential element of the larger team without worrying about bringing less than your efforts.

Work Attitude:

Work Attitude is one's feelings towards and beliefs about one's job and their behavior that can tell how it feels to be there.

A System Administrator ought to encourage his workers and provide all the requirements for the workplace to ensure a positive attitude is maintained by the employees that can help them get a promotion, succeed on projects, meet goals and enjoy the job more.

Problem/Situation Analysis:

Problem/Situation Analysis is the ability to solve problems and assess situations to know what kind of solution is required to calm it down.

A System Administrator should learn how to identify and analyze problems and situations as well as use available resources to resolve them constructively by reaching a consensus through looking at an issue in a professional, not personal way.

Project Management:

Project Management is structuring a to-do list for your project or company containing tasks and responsibilities as well as creating a roadmap for the execution of those duties promptly.

A System Administrator must place emphasis on the application of the project management methodologies and principles by the staff in the daily functions and responsibilities to foster efficiently as well as create a competitive advantage in the heavily competitive business space.

Entrepreneurial Thinking:

Entrepreneurial Thinking is a mindset that allows embraces critical questioning, innovation, service and continuous improvement with an attitude of change.

A System Administrator should challenge himself to see the big picture and creatively think outside the box too with the ability to fight all the challenges faced and keep going in the face of calamity and the social skills needed to build great teams in the workplace.

Computer Skills:

Computer Skills are the necessary computer working skills that each employee need to have while seeking to get admitted into the professional world.

A System Administrator ought to be technologically oriented and hire employees with strong computer skills because they fare better in the job market than their tech-challenged counterparts bringing a high level of quality employees in the job seeking category.

Technical Skills:

Technical Skills are the abilities and knowledge mostly related to mechanical, IT, scientific and mathematical needed to perform specific tasks in the workplace.

A System Administrator ought to hire employees with particular talents and expertise that helps them perform certain duties and jobs that other skills like soft skills cannot perform to grow both the business and the employee and bring in productivity.

Hard Skills Required to be a System Administrator

Hard skills are job-specific skill sets, or expertise, that are teachable and whose presence can be tested through exams. While core skills are more difficult to quantify and less tangible, hard skills are quantifiable and more defined.

Hard skills are usually listed on an applicant's resume to help recruiters know the applicant's qualifications for the applied position. A recruiter, therefore, needs to review the applicant's resume and education to find out if he/she has the knowledge necessary to get the job done.

A system administrator should have a good command of the following hard skills to succeed in her job.

System Administrator: Hard skills list

Advise Management on Long-Term Capacity Plans and Growth
Assign Passwords and Maintain Database Access
Analyze and Recommend Database Improvements
Analyze Impact of Database Changes to the Business
Audit Database Access and Requests
Backup and Restore Data
Communicate Requirements to System Administrator
Comfortable Working With Production Servers
Configure Database Software
Continually Review Processes for Improvement
Debug Database Issues on Live Data
Deploy System Updates
Design and Build Database Management System
Develop and Test Methods to Synchronize Data
Develop and Secure Network Structures
Ensure Data is Secure
Ensure Databases Run Efficiently
Ensure Platform Availability
Extract Live Data
Guarantee Database Setup Meets Industry Requirements
Identify User Needs to Create and Administer Databases
Implement Backup and Recovery Plan
Install Database Software
Install Updates
Maintain Database
Merge Databases
Mine Data
Modify Databases to Specific User Requirements
Monitor Available Disk Space
Oversee Development of New Databases
Optimize Queries on Live Data
Plan Disk Storage Requirements
Proactively Tune Database in Production
Prevent Data Loss
Quickly Assess a Situation and Develop/Implement a Solution
Recover Lost Data
Repair Program Bugs
Research Emerging Technology
Review Existing Solutions
Set Security Permissions for Database
Setup Safety Measures to Recover Data
Solid Project Management Capabilities
Solid Understanding of Company's Data Needs
Strong Technical and Interpersonal Communication
Test Database to Ensure Everything Operates Efficiently Without Error
Test Recovery Plans
Thorough Knowledge of SQL
Troubleshoot Database Errors
Understanding of Popular Database Management Software (SQL and MySQL)
Update Database Permissions
Work Closely with Development Teams with Regards to Database Updates and Design

Related Articles