No CS Degree, No Experience — Can I Still Become a Linux Admin?
Posted by avxnash_@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 196 comments
Hey everyone,
I’m a complete fresher with no industry experience. I come from an electrical engineering background, but I’ve recently decided to shift into the Linux system administration field.
Right now, I’m learning Linux and Bash scripting on my own. I’m trying to stay consistent, but I feel a bit lost because:
I don’t know what to study next
I have no mentor or senior to guide me
I don’t have a clear vision of what skills are most important or how to structure my learning
For those of you who transitioned into Linux sysadmin (especially without a CS degree), how did you go about it? What should I focus on next after Linux and Bash basics? What kind of small projects or hands-on experience helped you the most?
Any suggestions, advice, or resources would be really helpful. I just want to make sure I’m moving in the right direction.
Thanks a lot in advance!
Mindestiny@reddit
You definitely do not need a CS degree to be any sort of sysadmin
IlPassera@reddit
It certainly makes it harder though. Every posting Ive seen highly prefers or requires a 4 year degree
brnstormer@reddit
Most posting i see say cs or x experience, usually 3-4years.
May have to start a bit lower, like help desk/L1 support til you get some experience
ElectricOne55@reddit
I've been in tech 5 years now and have multiple certs. I've been trying to leave my current job to find something else but I get no interviews now compared to 3 years ago when I had less experience, which makes no sense. My first degree was in kinesiology. Would I need to go back for a tech specific 2nd bachelors maybe at WGU for cheaper, or would that be a waste of money and time?
brnstormer@reddit
You have to make sure that your resume can get through the ATS. Their automated systems could weed you out and nobody ever actually sees your resume. I was having the same problem and just keep tweaking eventually I got 3 interviews.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Ya I would get maybe 1 interview out of 50 resumes. Even then, it would be for some small business msp that had horrible reviews.
I feel like the degree would just be a resume bullet point too. I was worried about Ats systems filtering me out due to not having a specific degree. I think it's more a case of getting more keyword hits like you were saying. So, the cost of the degree even at 4000 to 8000 for wgu wouldn't be worth the money or time and may bot even help me as much? I thought of a masters in IT or MBA too. But, u think those would either have me look overqualified, and a lot of tech roles don't even require a masters anyways.
lordjedi@reddit
Sometimes that's where you gotta start. Get your foot in the door somewhere, then someone else notices you, then you switch again.
ElectricOne55@reddit
I hate my current role because because my manager added all these insane goals. We work with Google Workspace cloud products, and I feel like no one uses Google in most environments.
For my goals I have to get a Google Workspace cert, do 40 hours of linkedinlearning videos on powershell, write a script, 40 hours of linkedinlearning on "soft skills", do 2 presentations that are an hour long each, then I have to do these extra provisioning support tickets where I have to get on an hour long video call with the clients to do these I have to do 10 to get a 3, 15 for a 4, and 20 to get a 5 just on that section of my review. Then I have to do "improvements" 6 to get a 3, 10 to get a 4, and 15 to get a 5, but he also grades them on an intensity scale of 1 to 5, so if I do improvements that he rates as a 1 then I would have to do 30.
The pay is good at 95k and it's remote. But, it's weird because they don't awknowledge my birthday or work anniversary in the chat. It seems like everyone's in it for theirself. The only conversations we have outside of technical stuff is just cringe conversations about the weather or someone bragging about a vacation they went on. My manager is very technical and seems like he has no life outside of the job.
The jobs in my area only pay 30 to 50k though. It's getting so bad I'm almost debating taking a paycut. My other option is to move, since remote jobs are getting harder to come by.
lordjedi@reddit
Bragging or just talking? Having a life outside of work is a good thing.
Talking about the weather isn't cringe. It's something not work related to talk about when everyone is remote. We talk about the weather all the time and it's actually pretty refreshing.
Not everything has to involve work.
The birthday thing you got me on. Maybe mention that to your boss if it bothers you so much. I was at a place that gave you a birthday card during your birthday month, but that was a small brightspot in an otherwise bad place.
This is also simply not true and it sounds like it's based more on your feelings than any real facts.
https://6sense.com/tech/office-suites/google-workspace-market-share
ElectricOne55@reddit
Regarding the birthday or anniversary with everyone else their manager would post it in the all chat and people would thumbs it up or comment something. My first year no one said nothing about my bday or work anniversary. I thought it was just cause I was new so I let it go. My previous manager was this lady that was really petty too so I thought it was just her.
The this new dude came in. He did the same thing. When my bday came I posted it just to our team chat. My manager however still didn't post it to the main chat. Then when my anniversary came still nothing. This time I brought it up in our daily standup. What makes it weirder is he said he got a notification and would post on it later that day but he never did.
lordjedi@reddit
It sounds like your issue is with some of the things your manager is doing.
I really can't relate to any of this since I've always been far more interested in tech stuff. Having my birthday or work anniversary recognized never seemed like a big deal to me. If it's a big deal to you, then perhaps you might want to bring it up again. If it continues and the work is otherwise great, keep bringing it up.
My boss is super personable and is also keeping track of projects and goals.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Would it bother you if the other team managers bring it up for their team members though?
lordjedi@reddit
Not really. I've never been bothered by that at all. I've always been happy for other people to be given a "Happy Birthday".
The things that bother me are when teams or individuals are given recognition on a project and then myself or my team are left out. That did happen once and I was furious (literally every other group got recognized and then IT was completely ignored). I didn't quit over it though. I quit that job because I got tired of the 1 hr (each way) commute.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Ya pay is good and its remote. It also sucks that no one is hiring and it's hard to get interviews. I do feel like there is lack of recognition too. In the all teams monthly meeting other managers will say how so amd so coworker did this and how they appreciate them. My manager will just say we had a fast or slow quarter and that we are doing all these improvements which I feel are unnecessary.
Ssakaa@reddit
... so... what would you prefer they talk about? And, why do you seem to depend on your coworkers for your socialization? And, are you sure your boss doesn't just keep work and life outside of work separate?
ElectricOne55@reddit
I think it was because my last role everyone was overly social and there was more camaraderie and people would joke around. Whereas, in this role no one has any conversations but just abstract technical stuff and it feels impersonal. That is a good point of not depending on coworkers for socialization.
Ssakaa@reddit
It's definitely a rough change to get used to, and especially so when you also associate that with the stresses of some stiff goals there.
On the Google workspace side, it doesn't have a ton of market penetration at the upper end simply because Microsoft has had a strangle hold on "business email" and basic "office" applications for a very long time, while Google has targetted k-12 and academia, and "simple". Since those are the most basic tools everyone uses to interact with other organizations outside, any little compatibility issues become a huge issue, and that "simple" target means less obscure features (while businesses like to try to pry as much functionality out of Office as they can get, see the misuse of Excel in most places, and using outlook as a full event scheduling suite)... so Microsoft has just been a "cost of doing business". Despite all the issues Microsoft has, many business will not accept the risk of avoidable inefficiencies that their competition don't have, and their competition typically has Microsoft. Aside from MS existing, the whole workspace suite is a pretty nice platform for general use. It does the job, generally stays out of the way about as well as gmail does for email, etc.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Is it just me or do you think those goals are borderline unreachable? I also feel like no one really uses Google Workspace except clients that are desperately trying to save money. Which sucks because a lot of clients in that predicament tend to be the biggest complainers too. It's weird getting used to the differences like Google sheets vs Excel etc.
Ssakaa@reddit
I think staight top numbers might be borderline unreachable, but that's sort of the goal for metrics. If "shows up and keeps the seat warm" is a 5/5, there's nothing more to push for. What does stand out is how absurdly... regimented it is. IT tends to be quite reactive, so assigning hard numbers to things can be pretty difficult to get right... but, as you note in your listing, assigning "flexible" numbers leaves things arbitrary and subjective. Worse, IT KPIs tend to promote gaming the system, instead of focusing on actually providing value... but, it also sounds like you're in an MSP, given dealing with the systems in use by clients... so metrics, outside of billable hours, are really a mess anyways.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Ya so it can be unpredictable. For instance we had a higher client workload this year. So, with having migration projects no one has even trained me on the support ticket calls yet. Yet it's already halfway through the year.
brnstormer@reddit
In the last 3 months, batting 4 for \~50ish......but I'm applying to a lot i really don't have the experience to get. Turned down 1 that made an offer...... When HR people go on a tangent about how you're going to be aware of the next steps and all the details are going to be provided so there's no surprises and then they fail to do what they told you they were going to do four days in a row. It's time to just kick them to the curb.
But I've more recently made resume improvements because I doubt I was making it through ats. This ADP shit is super sketch in my eyes, sorry for the blurry pic
ElectricOne55@reddit
Wow bruh, the amount of corporate buzzword slop in that ADP post was crazy. Reminded me of some meetings I've been in before where they ramble on about nothing. I remember one time I actually actually applied for ADP itself and they made me do like 5 interviews just for a level 1 help desk role. Where oftentimes they asked the same questions in multiple interviews. I ended up taking another role because the interview process was rediculously long.
I haven't had a serious interview in 2 years now though so I kinda miss even getting an interview these days lol. It could be because I'm not applying enough either. Because I've only applied for 50 jobs last year and this year. But, the companies I did get resposnes from were so bad it made me stop looking. I did an interview with this one comapny where this dude was wearing a hoody and the other guy had his camera off. They just grilled me on all these technical questions and had no personality based questions. Another one, was this recruiter lady who again asked only questions. I felt like I was talking to a brick wall, because I felt like she wasn't even understanding what I was saying. They marketed that job as remote, but said I would have to travel to different client locations 2 to 4 times a month. So, I was like wtf that role too.
Have you ever had interviewers get all mad and ask why you only stayed at certain jobs a year or a few months. I feel like telling them the truth that ya these employers either don't pay enough, or management is toxic and makes you do the roles of multiple people because they're short staffed. But, you have to say some stupid bs about how much you love there company or want to achieve goals. Yet, how do they expect you to stay at places multiple years when a lot of these companies do random layoffs every year now it seems like? With the stories in the news of big tech companies doing major layoffs, you would think employers would stop harping on the length someone has been at a company. It gets annoying being asked these questions. What do you do in that situation?
brnstormer@reddit
🤣 its 7 pages long, thats just the first two paragraphs
ElectricOne55@reddit
Do you adjust your resume bullet points for each role, or do you have templates that you just make small adjustments to?
brnstormer@reddit
If im far off i do, but my new standard seems pretty good. Cover letters are always ai, then made more concise and specific
ElectricOne55@reddit
Nice bro and you use AI for the resume points too?
brnstormer@reddit
Initially yes, but many tweaks since. Gemini mainly
ElectricOne55@reddit
I used to et recruiters reach out on linkedin. But, now I get none. Even though I've altered stuff on my linkedin. Idk if it's cause I need to verfiy and if that makes a difference?
brnstormer@reddit
Im not verified and have very little on linkedin, i hate linkedin. But i do have my 'good' standard resume visible to recruiters
ElectricOne55@reddit
Ya I've never got a job through linkedin. The jobs on linkedin are really picky and sometimes want 7 to 15 years of experience. I feel like linkedin is more catered to senior roles, and people that like to glaze management and gossip at work. I work in tech and whenever I would talk with someone that was a nurse, teacher, or worked in the trades they would tell me they never even used linkedin.
I got annoyed with the recruiters that only offer 6 month contract to hire or 3 month contract roles.
brnstormer@reddit
One of my interviews came from linkedin, the one i declined the job. Thats it
ElectricOne55@reddit
Do you think it wouldn't be worth it to go back for 2nd degree in IT or CS even though I already have a bachelors?
brnstormer@reddit
Personally, i'd do a few certs in the direction you want to go. I only have sec +, no cs, and im doing linux and net +
ElectricOne55@reddit
I have comptia trio, Azure, CCNA, and Google Cloud certs. I feel similar to you about my manager. It's this really technical guy that seems like he has no life outside of the job. He added all of these insane goals. We do 20 to 30 cloud migration projects a year. I hate this role because we work with Google Workspace cloud products, and I feel like no one uses Google in most environments.
For my goals I have to get a Google Workspace cert, do 40 hours of linkedinlearning videos on powershell, write a script, 40 hours of linkedinlearning on "soft skills", do 2 presentations that are an hour long each, then I have to do these extra provisioning support tickets where I have to get on an hour long video call with the clients to do these I have to do 10 to get a 3, 15 for a 4, and 20 to get a 5 just on that section of my review. Then I have to do "improvements" 6 to get a 3, 10 to get a 4, and 15 to get a 5, but he also grades them on an intensity scale of 1 to 5, so if I do improvements that he rates as a 1 then I would have to do 30.
lordjedi@reddit
The economy was super hot 3 years ago, especially in the sysadmin space. It has since cooled quite a bit, so it makes perfect sense why you're having more trouble getting interviews now.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Thanks ya so it's not due to not having a tech specific degree, and you think that's not really what is affecting my chances as much?
lordjedi@reddit
I do.
I don't have a tech degree or certs. Spent most of my career at small businesses. Not sure if my current resume would make it through the AI filters, but I like to think I could tweak it to do it if necessary.
I think with the current job market the way it is, it's going to take a lot more work to get interviews. Keep at it and eventually you'll get something.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Ya im thinking it's the just the job market. I have less recruiters reaching out to me on linkedin. But, most of them only were hiring for contract to hire roles anyways.
anna_lynn_fection@reddit
The job market has change a lot in that time.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Do you think why I'm not getting responses is more due the job market moreso than me not having a tech specific degree?
anna_lynn_fection@reddit
It's probably both. When the demand is lower, they can be pickier. A few years ago, the market was booming pretty good and they were having trouble getting talent.
Now, they can pick from a bunch of people with degrees, certs, and 15 years of experience who are looking.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Do you think I'd need to go back for a tech specific degree or would it be a waste of time and money?
anna_lynn_fection@reddit
With the market like it is right now, it might be worth it. But I would see about asking people who hire more. I only know what I know from feedback from other posts on this sub about the issue.
"I've heard chatter."
ElectricOne55@reddit
I hate my current role because because my manager added all these insane goals. We work with Google Workspace cloud products, and I feel like no one uses Google in most environments.
For my goals I have to get a Google Workspace cert, do 40 hours of linkedinlearning videos on powershell, write a script, 40 hours of linkedinlearning on "soft skills", do 2 presentations that are an hour long each, then I have to do these extra provisioning support tickets where I have to get on an hour long video call with the clients to do these I have to do 10 to get a 3, 15 for a 4, and 20 to get a 5 just on that section of my review. Then I have to do "improvements" 6 to get a 3, 10 to get a 4, and 15 to get a 5, but he also grades them on an intensity scale of 1 to 5, so if I do improvements that he rates as a 1 then I would have to do 30.
anna_lynn_fection@reddit
Ouch. Sorry. And then they wonder why people burn out of the field. It's not the actual work that does it most of the time. It's all the baggage that everyone seems to place on it.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Ya its like the managers made jobs harder than they need to be in the tech field and they don't want to teach or train you.
MonkeyBrawler@reddit
You'd likely still have to start there out of college regardless.
overgrownkudzu@reddit
Honestly this seems so bizarre to me. I've got a CS degree and currently am doing an IT security MSc, and i'd say maybe 10% (if even that, it's more now than in my BSc though) of what we're learning in University is relevant to practical admin work. That's just not what University is even for.
Maybe it's different in the US but here it's totally normal not to have a college degree for working in the IT sector, most people have vocational training degrees (which tend to put a much higher focus on direct practical application vs. theoretical conceptual knowledge)
_DeathByMisadventure@reddit
Why is everyone in this chat stuck on CS? CS has zilch to do with sysadmin either in practice or principle. CS is about programming algorithms and the like. Not even normal software devs get good use out of a CS degree. It's been over 20 years ago now CS was the only computer degree available.
There's plenty of degree programs that are much more applicable to sysadmins, and even "regular software devs." That should be what we should be discussing.
timbotheny26@reddit
I don't get it either.
From every CS graduate I've talked to and every CS course breakdown I've looked at, it's just not the degree you want to pursue if you're interested in system administration or anything involving infrastructure and support. Computer Science is what you go for if you're interested in programming and software development or something similar.
It also doesn't help that any kind of IT administration/infrastructure degree is barely being offered anywhere nowadays, at least not outside of expensive and hard to get into private technical colleges/universities. So, even if you wanted to get a degree, it's more difficult just because of how little it seems to be offered anywhere.
pdoherty972@reddit
Agreed. For some reason people assume that 'computer science' in college teaches people everything about computers. But, like you mentioned, systems administration is a whole different thing and it's like a black art that you only learn through exposure and effort/repetition. I knew a programmer once who came to a LAN party at my place back in the mid-1990s. I dropped him an ethernet cable for him to get on the network and walked off to help someone else. When I came back he was still baffled trying to figure out why the ethernet wouldn't fit his port on the back. He was trying to put it into his modem and didn't even have a network card.
vi-shift-zz@reddit
We had two CS students studying Information Systems intern with us last semester. We had them creating IaC workflows using github and Azure. They did good work and learned a lot. Realize there are lots of avenues in a university, including research and work study to get practical experience.
timbotheny26@reddit
So had these students already gotten their CS degrees or...? You say they were studying Information Systems, but the name makes it sound like an IT degree, not a CS degree.
zzmorg82@reddit
I have a “Computer Information Systems” degree myself, but the bulk of my courses were all CS-centric. The only “IT-centric” classes I took were Data Networking (nothing hands-on or relevant, just theory based concepts) and a Security course (spinning up an Ubuntu VM and running metasploit).
The CIS degree really is just CS-lite from my experience, but I was in school from 2014-2019 so it could be different nowadays.
vi-shift-zz@reddit
Information Systems is a degree specialization in our CS program. One senior course requires an internship, we are infrastructure systems engineers so we listed what our project focus would be. I can't speak to the IS program but I was a Computer Engineering major that took all the CS curriculum plus electrical engineering. At that time CS was all algorithms, programming, data structures, etc ...
timbotheny26@reddit
Gotcha, thanks for clarifying.
whocaresjustneedone@reddit
Were they CS students or were they IS students? Those are two very different degrees
LegitBullfrog@reddit
As a CS grad I agree. I do a lot of stuff with sys admin and devops too (small company), but that's all self taught. CS is closer to a math degree than an IT degree.
overgrownkudzu@reddit
that's something i appreciate about the german vocational training system. you basically apply for a spot like a normal job and then do 50/50 work in a company and school (split into gen-ed and specific relevant subjects). you don't get paid a ton but at least a bit, and you start gaining practical experience right out of school. takes 2-3 years and you also get an officially recognised tertiary education degree afterwards.
it's not what i personally wanted, but if your end goal is sysadmin type work, it's infinitely more sensible than spending 3 years (or 4 in the US) on a difficult theoretical degree, 95% of which you'll never really use.
timbotheny26@reddit
Sounds almost like an internship here in the US but those don't get you a tertiary degree and aren't always paid. The other downside is that internships only ever seem to be offered to college/university students and no one else, so tough luck you if you want to get into the field but can't/don't want to go to college.
With how similar IT seems to a skilled trade, I find it really disappointing how apprenticeships don't seem to be a thing. A local MSP offers a mentorship program but only for their field techs, not for help desk or anyone who wants to go down the path of a sysadmin. It's really a shame.
ErikTheEngineer@reddit
One problem is IT does not do formal education well...I think this is something we should definitely work on. An information systems degree is basically going to be the equivalent of the CompTIA certs with maybe a few more details thrown on top. Higher ed doesn't seem to be able to create a curriculum that teaches the core skills needed. In my mind, those are logical thinking, problem solving, effective communication and troubleshooting. Everything else is trainable and will be swapped out in a year anyway given the frantic pace vendors set.
OkWheel4741@reddit
Degrees have turned into proof you can stick with something difficult and put in the effort to get something challenging.
That is not a joke I have heard HR ladies say that almost word for word our system is cooked
Oso-reLAXed@reddit
Degrees have always been that way, in fact it was even more so the case that decades ago just having a college degree put you in a class of worker that could, much more easily than today, find jobs in completely different or adjacent fields simply because you had done this hard thing that demonstrated you have the organizational skills and self-sufficiency to be able to complete a degree.
If anything that sentiment is less prevalent today than in decades past. In 1990 about 21% of the population over the age of 25 had a Bachelor's or above, and today it's around double that. Combine that with an economy and workforce that select for hyper-specialization, and the first things that employers are going to look for on resumes are A. direct production work experience with whatever it is they do and then B. education that is focused directly on what that company does (certs, specialized college degree).
With those two things being so in demand, having just any 4 year degree as a demonstration of general competence is in less demand than it used to be. I would say that it's become more a checkbox than anything, and that's a direct result of the supply of college educated workers that are available.
pdoherty972@reddit
Yep - employers ask for it simply because they know there's a glut of them in the labor force and it's a threshold of quality (makes it all the less likely they'll end up with a dud employee).
The percentage of US adults with bachelors degrees or higher is about 37% right now.
pdoherty972@reddit
Degrees are a filtering process at a minimum, because mostly only people who are already smart, disciplined and capable of focused effort can complete them.
dubslies@reddit
Most of what I know regarding admin and programming came from dicking around on my own both before, during and after high school/college, but not really from the actual course work itself. I've sat on hiring panels for programmers straight out of college who basically had no idea what they were doing, and then heard from 20 year olds who didn't go to college who were already operating at a professional level.
As far as I am concerned, college degrees aren't very helpful when it comes to evaluating tech skills. I would never rule someone out purely for not having a degree.
ElectricOne55@reddit
I've been in tech 5 years now and have multiple certs. I've been trying to leave my current job to find something else but I get no interviews now compared to 3 years ago when I had less experience, which makes no sense. My first degree was in kinesiology. Would I need to go back for a tech specific 2nd bachelors maybe at WGU for cheaper, or would that be a waste of money and time?
NoRetries89@reddit
The job market is a lot worse than it was 3 years ago. It's not you.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Thanks ya so it's not having a tech specific degree, and I don't need to do that then?
cryptoanarchy@reddit
Simply put, many HR departments toss resumes with no degree. I know, I have no degree. My last job took 200 applications to yield 2 offers. I would maybe have an easier time now with six years more experience.
pdoherty972@reddit
Yeah that's because far too many people are going to and completing degrees in the hopes it makes them stand out. So now employers ask for degrees even when they know they're irrelevant.
rcp9ty@reddit
A four year degree doesn't mean computer science. There are 4 year degrees in management information systems and there are 4 year degrees in other things related to system admin. For example the OP is an electrical engineer... They could go into computer engineering as a 4 year degree and be similar to cs but more well rounded.
LegitBullfrog@reddit
OP says they have an EE background. I assume that means at least a 4 year degree.
GetOffMyLawn_@reddit
Usually a degree is required if you want to be promoted, especially into a management position.
If you're help desk or entry level then a diploma is adequate.
ibringstharuckus@reddit
Do they hold to this requirement? Where i work they have that as a bullshit preferred qualification even though the engineers I've worked with mostly had associates and certs. I always thought in IT you want a 4 year/master's degree if you want to go into management at some point
25toten@reddit
I spent 7 years in various help desk / sys admin roles. I just started doing CS for a moderate size company without any formal education in CS. Security has always been relevant to all roles, especially in networking. I know enough to be dangerous and lock an environment down, but am still learning and will start taking certs soon.
Mindestiny@reddit
CS = Computer Science. Aka software engineering, not security.
It gets put on a lot of job postings by HR goons who don't know the difference between tech disciplines and just think "computers = IT"
Mrhiddenlotus@reddit
pdoherty972@reddit
I think a better way to phrase this is:
A CS degree definitely does not prepare you to ______
5panks@reddit
Damn, I hope my boss doesn't find out I don't have a CS degree if you did. He'd probably assume I was paying someone else to do my job or something haha.
ARasool@reddit
Take me for example!
I break prod environments, I tear down firewalls, I ask questions, and I'm still here!
For now...
Hangulman@reddit
My first admin job, I was so stupidly underqualified it was hilarious. I had an A+ certificate. That's it. I thought I was getting hired to fix busted CD drives and image PCs.
Instead, they ask "how are with active directory and server configuration?
I managed to fake it for 4 years before I finally quit.
ElectricOne55@reddit
I've been in tech 5 years now and have multiple certs. I've been trying to leave my current job to find something else but I get no interviews now compared to 3 years ago when I had less experience, which makes no sense. My first degree was in kinesiology. Would I need to go back for a tech specific 2nd bachelors maybe at WGU for cheaper, or would that be a waste of money and time?
Mindestiny@reddit
Honestly? It depends on your experience but no. I'd hire someone with 5 years hands on IT experience over someone with a fresh out of school degree in "IT" any day of the week.
That being said, the industry is horrible right now. There just aren't jobs anywhere because the economy is shit.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Ya I get no recruiters reaching on linkedin or anything. I have Azure, CCNA, and Google Cloud, and Comptia trio certs so I have pretty much all the main certs I need. I thought of changing careers to electrician because of the AI fears and bad job market. The trades hype now reminds me of the learn to code hype in the 2010s. I would have to start all over pay wise too.
Zealousideal-Tap-713@reddit
I think a lot of CS students are starting to move into IT, due to companies thinking vibe coding is the way to go forward.
Mindestiny@reddit
Yeah, I've definitely been seeing a lot of career track shifts since the Big Tech layoffs have completely decimated the software engineering field, even before vibe coding took off.
dathar@reddit
Nor the syseng level either. Out of all the years I've worked, only met one higher-up that said anything along the lines of "oh it is basic CS" to building a lookup table thing, once.
Busy-Play9497@reddit
Si te dan chance y eres bueno, claro que sí..... Lo que cuenta es tu capacidad e inteligencia y una oportunidad.
planeturban@reddit
Install proxmox (or virtual box if you don’t have a spare machine).
Spin up a VM.
Learn how to save and close a file using vi.
Learn how to setup CIFS, NFS, Apache/Nignx (normal webbserver and reverse proxy).
Learn how to automate these things using Ansible.
Learn how to run docker
Learn how to create your own docker image.
????
Profit.
techofmanythings@reddit
Solid advice and I’m glad you included vi. I didn’t encounter vi till after I graduated college. Meanwhile it’s on every Linux system and is so critical to know at least the very basics.
TrulyTilt3d@reddit
The basics
Esc, :q! <-- force quit, changes abandoned
Esc, :q <-- quit, will error if changes
Esc, :qa! <-- force quit, no saves (empties buffers)
Esc, :wq! <-- write changes, quit, force :wq
Esc, :x <-- quit, save. basically :wq
Esc, ZZ <--Exit, will save
Esc, ZQ <--Exit, will not save
michaelpaoli@reddit
Learn vi. If you want to learn vim too, whatever, but do be aware of the differences. vim adds a whole lot that's not in vi, and there may well be times you'll need/want to be able to use vi - and not be tripping up over vim specific stuff - e.g. say you also get to be sysadmin on BSD systems ... there you get vi, not vim, at least by default. Likewise UNIX hosts, generally get vi, not vim (though some have dropped vi in favor of vim).
https://www.mpaoli.net/\~michael/unix/vi/summary.pdf
https://www.mpaoli.net/\~michael/unix/vi/vi.odp
https://www.mpaoli.net/\~michael/unix/vi/README.txt
E.g. these:
Those are vim specific, and won't work in vi.
And sometimes
:q!
won't work in vim, see also:
https://www.mpaoli.net/\~michael/linux/vim/vim_annoyances.txt
TrulyTilt3d@reddit
I work with HPUX, AIX, BSD and multiple Linux distos for work, I know the nuances from vi to vim. The reply was more of a joke based on ops post. I figure most ppl that will read that are on some sort of modern Linux distro just trying to exit vim and get back to nano asap...anyone who is on BSD or UNIX would probably already know they are different, and already have a greater understanding of the differences. Imo
lordjedi@reddit
LOL. Didn't know about the last 3. I learned on vi and have only really memorized the first 2 and the 4th.
TrulyTilt3d@reddit
heh..I've been using Vi/ViM for decades, like multiple and I learned about ZZ and ZQ maybe 4 months ago. I also learned after that post that :cq will quit with an error code. I've never used that either.
chum-guzzling-shark@reddit
i just use nano for everything. hasnt affected me at all
techofmanythings@reddit
Ugh nano. But ultimately it fulfills the same idea. A lightweight and common text editor for when you need to ssh into a system to check things or change things.
Though I’m pretty sure vi is more common at the end of the day knowing both to the minimum is going to be ideal. I hate nano but I can use it lol.
planeturban@reddit
It was the most asked question one year at stack overflow. :)
techofmanythings@reddit
Oh really? lol
simple1689@reddit
I always keep this post saved from /u/iconrad
https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxadmin/comments/2s924h/how_did_you_get_your_start/cnnw1ma/
Ssakaa@reddit
Gah, I never have gotten around to updating that like I want to... there's a lot to add with containerized workloads et. al. that're long enough in the tooth to include these days.
BloodyIron@reddit
It hasn't been CIFS since the early 00's. It's SMB, NOT CIFS. SMB, Server Message Block is the protocol. CIFS is a Microsoft-lead title-only variant of the SMBv1 protocol.
It hasn't been CIFS (despite Linux and other areas using INCORRECT nomenclature) for literally decades.
PLEASE STOP CALLING IT CIFS.
Icedman81@reddit
It is CIFS and SMB. CIFS is a Microsoft specific dialect of SMB. Latest revision of the CIFS protocol documentation is version 31, dated 2025-06-10 (as in, about a month ago).
IMO, in this sense, who cares if someone uses CIFS and someone uses SMB - they're the same thing, especially when most workstations are Winblows. If you were running a pure UNIX/*NIX/RandomOS environment, you wouldn't bother with SMB/CIFS, but use something better, like NFS or whatever.
In other words, if you want to blame someone of confusion, blame Microshaft and their product leads or whoever comes up with this crap. Not the open source guys who have to guess what the protocol name of the day is - for all I care, they could name it "Microshaft Proprietary Enhanced Network Impotence System" or "MicroPENIS".
I probably should write a private kernel patch that changes SMB and CIFS monikers to MicroPENIS or µPENIS, just to spite this kind of whining.
BloodyIron@reddit
Because details like this matter. If you're working in a corporate space where everyone refers to it as CIFS, then either of these problematic scenarios exist:
Modern "Windows" File shares are FACTUALLY SMB and NOT CIFS. The spec for CIFS is strictly tied to SMB v1, so if it is ACTUALLY used, you're extremely doing it wrong.
THIS is why correct terminology is important.
STOP CALLING IT CIFS. YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY USING CIFS.
Icedman81@reddit
And if you had actually bothered reading what I wrote, they are the same. I linked you to the actual sites where definition of CIFS is - as in a Microsoft specific dialect of SMB that is still under active development. But hey, you keep on reading your Wikipedia articles, instead of going to the source. Academia might have a word for you about referencing just the Wikipedia article.
And yes, if you are using a Microsoft variant, you are using CIFS and depending on which Windows Server version you are using, the protocol version will differ. The underlying foundation (SMB) to the dialect will change accordingly.
But hey. Don't trust me. Go read the actual documentation by the developer.
BloodyIron@reddit
You completely glossed over the security concerns related to continuing to use the CIFS protocol. Stop trying to mislead people into thinking using CIFS is a good idea in any shape or form, just because it is still being supported by Microsoft.
I don't know what your goal is here. Windows Server DOES NOT by default provision CIFS protocol shares, it provisions SMB protocol shares. This is fully documented. This is also the same for Samba SMB protocol shares. When adjusting versioning of either Windows Server shares or Samba shares they literally use the nomenclature SMB and not CIFS.
You're here just to be contrarian, not actually have a productive dialogue. Using the term CIFS IS PROBELMATIC and the whole reason I brought it up is BECAUSE IT CAUSES MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES JUST BY USING IT. And you somehow think that's worth being contrarian to?
No.
planeturban@reddit
I’m old, OK? :D
tango0ne@reddit
In my place smb is called samba…
BloodyIron@reddit
And that's another misconception. Samba provides SMB shares, Active Directory Domain Services (and other AD stuff), printer services, and a few other things.
SMB, by definition, stands for Server Message Block.
Like really, come now, you think Windows serving SMB shares is going to use Samba under the hood? ;)
BloodyIron@reddit
The misconception happens to anyone of any age from what I've seen. Don't worry about it! :) You got this, I believe in you.
p90rushb@reddit
Last time I went into vi I had to purchase a bunch of parts and build another linux computer and ssh to the one stuck in vi so I could get a process list and kill the pid remotely. Took about a week and cost $1000. Unfortunately I don't know of any other way to exit vi.
unccvince@reddit
Nobody uses vi, vim is what people with reason use when on Linux (or nano or whatever else, just nos vi)..
michaelpaoli@reddit
Bullshit! I use vi all the damn time. Yeah, sure, sometimes I use vim, but not generally when I have vi reasonably available. My exceedingly experienced vi fingers/brain fly through vi. vim isn't that compatible - even in it's "compatible" mode, so vim generally slows me down - yeah, sure, I can well use vim, and far better than most, but I can fly through vi significantly faster. And many (though not all) distos do also make vi available (often packaged as nvi), though most default to vim. And, with mechanisms such as /etc/alternatives, many even allow vi to be installed as vi, and even alongside vim. And yeah, vi is also the vi editor, not vim, on the BSDs (though they might also make vim available).
Oh, and f*ck nano, it quite sucks. I'd much rather use ed, than nano. And yes, I do also use ed (and of course ex, which is just another mode of vi - or vice versa ... in fact in vi (or vim), any time one types : to start a command, one is actually giving an ex command.
And yeah, there are also a lot of ways in which vim sucks, or is at least rather to quite annoying.
https://www.mpaoli.net/\~michael/linux/vim/vim_annoyances.txt
Flashy_Possibility34@reddit
vi is aliased to vim by default on installation of vim. So you can’t really blame people for call it vi when that’s the command they use (and save a keystroke in the process).
Regular-Nebula6386@reddit
:x ↩️
balling@reddit
No need to make emoji faces at them
cmpared_to_what@reddit
That’s how you’re supposed to do it
HayabusaJack@reddit
Learn ports please, for troubleshooting purposes. Nothing like asking a prospective candidate a throwaway question, ready to dig in a bit, what port 80 is and having them have no idea.
Jarnagua@reddit
Thats where I park my car when I visit San Francisco.
throwaway133731@reddit
idk about number 9, you can do all that and still not get a job
planeturban@reddit
Depends on what 8 is I guess.
throwaway133731@reddit
true
masterz13@reddit
This looks like some sound advice. I've been a sysadmin for a little over 6 years now and haven't done half of these. I should probably set up a homelab to practice.
Will let you know when I'm making six figures.
planeturban@reddit
This has been my goto list when friends have asked me to ”teach them Linux”.
The main thinking with the list is more ”learn how to navigate the system, and learn how to gather knowledge about how to set things up”.
For you, focus on Ansible (or any other automation tool) because; if you’re not automating, you’re being automated.
/sysadmin for 25 years.
masterz13@reddit
Yep, currently don't automate. Haven't used Ansible or Docker before but have heard of them.
nimbusfool@reddit
To add to your excellent plan, op should also at least study network+. I see so many people breaking in to tech or infosec who want to skip foundational networking.
DizzyAmphibian309@reddit
Just gonna throw in TLS certificates with LetsEncrypt for HTTPS on your webserver, using DNS validation. Also, stick HAProxy in front of Nginx and configure Heartbeat to automatically fail over on failure. Also, try to get as many things running as a non-root user as you can.
These stretch goals are important because having basic knowledge of common Security and Availability techniques will set you apart from others.
12uler@reddit
My company took a large client that ran linux on their backend cluster. I was one of the few who knew linux well enough to navigate and went from there. Things you'll need to know to be functional are Kubernetes, Docker, LVM, LXC, mdadm, backups, file systems(ZFS, BTRFS, NFS, EXT4, etc.), automation, Proxmox, user management, cron, permissions, SELinux, apparmor, ansible, CI/CD, gitlab, iptables, nftables, yaml, json, API implementation, etc. There is so much to learn you'll most likely still be learning 20 years later. I'd suggest home lab something you might find in a production environment and practice making and breaking, then fixing things. For a foot in the door job, you should be able to demonstrate you can functionally manage a basic LAMP stack with a backup server.
TopGlad4560@reddit
Honestly speaking, current IT job market sucks. But it’s not impossible and most of the guys have shared great insights above so you can start from there.
Hoolies@reddit
I am going to give you my unpopular opinion.
Most Linux Admin jobs are dead. People want something else primary and Linux Admin. Just Linux Admin is not going to cut it any more.
Further more there are many jobs that is only for new graduates. Last but not least the market at the moment sucks and it is extremely competitive. You entering now it is going to be very hard.
I believe the best chances you will get if you go for Oracle and Red Hat certs and check for goverment jobs.
michaelpaoli@reddit
Yes. You got your own personal Linux system, congrats, you're a Linux sysadmin.
Now, getting a job as a Linux sysadmin is another matter. And yes, it's doable, but you'll need the right knowledge, skills, and as feasible, experience. So ...
Start by well doing your research, that way we don't later end up with a whiny post here about "but nobody ever told me" - well, you've been told, so no excuses on that.
And, if you still want to pursue Linux sysadmin as a career, with your well done research, you should know what it takes, what employers are looking for, etc. Work on building that knowledge, the skills, and as feasible, the experience. It's not like there's only one way to get there - may possibilities, but work on one or more of the feasible ways to get there - and keep working on it.
Your path will of course, be different than mine, but, e.g., before being a Linux sysadmin, I'd already been a UNIX sysadmin for many years ... about 5 to 10 years, depending exactly how one counts. And before being a UNIX sysadmin, I'd been doing lots of work on electronics, computers, hardware, fair amount of programming, and also relatively early on, I also got my own UNIX system ... and later converted that over to Linux. I did lots of independent study - had been for years ... heck, all the way back to when I was a teen, and maybe even a bit before that. So, well learn how to well do the relevant. Way to land the job is to beat out the competition for the position. So, what's the job like, and what does one competition look like? Rise to the top of that, and they'll want to hire you. And that applies to most any job, including on your way to IT, Linux sysadmin, etc. Different jobs will have different applicants - field of "competition" - and different compensation, responsibilities and requirements, etc.
AshuraBaron@reddit
First think to do is set up a homelab. Doesn't need to be some rack mounted monster. Even a spare or cheap laptop will do. Follow some guides and stay curious. How do you harden security on it? What can you do with it? Look for ideas from other guides or videos. And try and solve your problems. Do you want to do something a different way? Work or making that happen. This is a very organic way to learn and gives you some experience working with remote machines and networking.
Self-learning doesn't have a manual or a path. That's what degrees and training are for. Keep asking questions and digging and be creative. If you want to know what will help in a job look up sys admin job listings. What skills are they looking for? What software do they want you to be familiar with? Build a personal knowledge base. This can be done in any software but create one where you can write down things. Anything you learn, write it down, how to do it and why it works. This gives you experience writing clear documentation that anyone can follow, it works as a reference for when you need to do the thing you did 6 months ago that you forgot about, and explaining something helps you learn it and prompts questions that can help better understand a topic.
Good luck! You probably won't go straight into a sys admin job, but if you keep trying and keep learning you'll get there eventually.
beheadedstraw@reddit
No experience? No.
Build a cheapo lab, get to learning. The resources besides a cheap desktop to learn it are literally free.
Cautious_Village_823@reddit
Lol I love people who say Ive decided to try a completely different career can I jump up to an admin or management position with zero experience?
3-4 years in an active environment and it's certainly possible, but why would you think you can be a sysadmin now? Are you ready to deal with any potential issues that come up, NOT on your own schedule or being able to do whatever without worrying about compliance or data loss for a company, even if you "know" how to use linux?
It would be like me saying I'm a network engineer, I decided I wanted to start restoring cars as a hobby and am teaching myself, can I get a job as a team lead telling other mechanics what to do?
Again, why is that even a question. That's the thing with the internet these days everyone thinks because it exists they can do a job 3 rungs up the ladder with no experience. And I'm sorry if this comes off as harsh but like why would you even ask that.
If you're talking about a plan to work somewhere for a few years to level up that's different, but that's not your question. IT is a LOT of googling but a complete lack of experience in corporate environments basically means you know nothing even if you think you do, because the weirdest and most obscure things will come up. And it's fine to google, encouraged and required even, but if you have to google every step for every issue, you're not a sysadmin You're a relative of someone in the company who knew how to use the internet young and they didn't want to pay an actual experienced sysadmin.
I agree if you're interested and can take a job at a lower level or work with someone more experienced it's completely possible but it already sounds like you're ready to jump up and trash someones system talkin about "no cs degree or experience" even the CS degree I think most people would say idk if that means you're an admin but no degree OR experience? Come on people the Internet doesn't mean you qualify for any job you feel like is a fun hobby.
djgizmo@reddit
yes.
do things. put on paper. get job.
i-heart-linux@reddit
Feel free to DM me, am your guy as I became a senior linux engineer with no cs degree. I had to start at an MSP, shit was hell but it’s how i got my “experience”
BrianKronberg@reddit
AI is a good coach. I have a CS degree and there was only really one class that helped me with what a Linux admin needs to know, and you can probably find that one at MIT’s free classes.
https://ocw.mit.edu/search/?q=Linux
ukulele87@reddit
If you have no experience you really need to start from the bottom.
Helpdesk or IT support, in a job that lets you slowly get into the sys admin stuff and understand the whole living beast of infrastructure.
I feel thinking in becoming a "linux sysadmin" its kind of the wrong aproach, while you can aim for that and specialize in that you REALLY need to have a broad view of everything infrastructure, thats why a few years of helpdesk where you at least interact with all the moving parts its a must.
jebuizy@reddit
Yes but there aren't really many Linux "admins" anymore. It's a dying title. You want to look to dev ops, cloud ops, SRE or Platform Engineering. It will probably take some time.
Renaisance@reddit
I have a background in Electronics Engineering but transitioned to Networking but now work as a Sysadmin. If you want to learn Linux imo the best way is to make it your daily driver and get comfortable with the terminal. If you’re making automation scripts stick with vim/neovim.
If you don’t have a spare device to install vms or proxmox with, if you still have your school email get the github student pack and get DigitalOcean. You get $200 for free, use that to spin up Linux vms and ssh into them and look up how to spin up web servers, dockerize them, and then spin up another vm and use docker and see if it runs. Play around with it, break it, if you fully borked it delete the vm and spin up another one.
lordjedi@reddit
Of course.
Find an entry level job where they need a Linux/Unix Admin. Don't be at all surprised to find out that you're doing very basic tasks.
Like any other job, you're going to need to start at the bottom and work your way up. So you won't be making senior salary to start, even if you were working as a EE before. You'll be making junior level salary and be given junior level tasks.
Suaveman01@reddit
Very unlikely, focus on getting a help desk job first before spending too much time learning Linux
McGrizzly@reddit
Can you become one? Absolutely, with 3-4 years of experience working your way up a service desk and then likely changing companies.
Can you begin your career as one? Extremely unlikely.
haywire@reddit
I started my tech career as a sysadmin/dev on minimum wage for a small agency with my only qualification being a fuckin nerd but it was a different world in 2007.
DarthtacoX@reddit
Some company will hire him. Cheap. To fuck up their shit. As long as he doesn't cost to much on paper.
HayabusaJack@reddit
Seriously. I (45 years in) recently started in a company where the last guy left in a huff (like, sent an email saying my last day is tomorrow).
Now I’m creating changes to replace failed hard drives in three storage arrays that have been reporting failures since 2023.
Anlarb@reddit
Check around your local community colleges, they may have something to get you oriented, and maybe even get your foot in the door to a local business with.
hujs0n77@reddit
Linux alone is not enough also you probably need a few years experience in that field. Most Linux jobs are for seniors ?
Walbabyesser@reddit
?? why?
hujs0n77@reddit
Why what
Walbabyesser@reddit
„most linux jobs are for seniors“
serverhorror@reddit
What?
I'd long for juniors who aren't biased towards other operating systems.
It's frustratingly hard to get a Junior who learned "single OS concepts" to expand to other operating systems. Most people don't teach fundamentals but throw them right into GPO or AD and then that's that.
If you've ever only worked with a single OS, it's incredibly hard to relearn so you can apply knowledge generally.
How do I know? I had to do it the other way around.
No, not they are not. That's definitely wrong.
GetOffMyLawn_@reddit
Oh god yes. I am retired now but over the decades I've encountered so many people who think that the OS they used in college or whatever is the "best OS". Which is totally stupid. And then refuse to learn another OS. I went thru at least a dozen in my career. Personally I started on Apple-DOS, went thru all the DEC operating systems (PDP/VAX/Alpha), worked on several flavors of *NIX, used whatever it is CISCO embeds in its hardware I think it's IOS, MS-DOS and Windows/WFW/W9*/WNT/etc, and those are just the well known ones. There are a bunch of lesser known ones.
Ok_Support_4750@reddit
im a network engineer. i learned linux because i needed open source tools like librenms to monitor and automate in the network. i never found a good training for linux more than just tinkering around with different tools.
pdoherty972@reddit
Udemy has some Linux courses that look interesting.
DevinSysAdmin@reddit
Did you see a news article or something about the pay?
pdoherty972@reddit
You should probably get a study book for the RHCE (RedHat Certified Engineer) exam. That will show you the topics you need to master. And you can study it and then take the RHCE exam to get the certification too, which will help you get hired. Be warned though; the exam is probably the toughest proctored all-day exams, and on live systems, in the IT industry. You'll need to be well-versed to pass it.
73-68-70-78-62-73-73@reddit
Pick up python or go as well. If you can write more than shell, you'll have a little extra to help you along. Don't forget awk and sed.
73-68-70-78-62-73-73@reddit
Yes, you can. Might be difficult to start as one with no degree, but it's possible. You will have to work harder than your peers, if you want to move beyond systems administration to Infrastructure Engineering, SRE, etc. More places are requiring a degree, sometimes CS, sometimes not.
phobug@reddit
I’ve got my first linux admin job by providing free IRC bouncer services from my home PC to 50+ users, occasionally some web hosting. Did this the last 3 years of high school and stared working at 19. So definitely possible.
Advise: - Find an open source project to contribute to. - Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook (There might be a 6th edition in a week) - from there in no particular order: Ansible, Docker, Terraform, Kubernetes.
After the book start looking for junior positions not more than 30 minutes per day. Good luck.
burnte@reddit
No experience means no job. I don't understand why people think you can get into IT with no experience or training.
You're smart, electrical engineering takes brains. Start a homelab, learn lear learn. Take certification courses, and in a year you can get a helpdesk job and learn on the job.
errindel@reddit
As a hiring manager, if you submit a resume for an associate admin without a college degree, but instead you have built a home Linux system or systems for a project you were working on to learn how to be an admin. Then, if you were able to demonstrate some of that by making it through our interviews and looking somewhat knowledgeable, we'd likely hire you.
But we tend to really like people who show inquisitiveness and a desire to learn more about their field, it's part of the clientele we serve, so we like to see it in our employees too (scientific research). Most of us who started out here did exactly that to start out, less about getting certifications, more about diving in and learning about the technology directly. Other industries value different things, so your mileage may vary.
jujbnvcft@reddit
Overthewire.org
Your welcome
inandaudi@reddit
Get a comptia security+. I missed an offer for a well-paying linux admin position because it was a requirement. Find linux labs to do. How to do just about everything. The commands change on older distros. Learning all the new commands won’t help if your on something 15 or 20 years old and yes they should be upgraded but aren’t
Mrhiddenlotus@reddit
It was the standard path for me. Working help desk/tech support in an all Linux shop (even desktops) and worked up. You're not going to get a job without experience though. You have to put in your dues like everyone else.
mitspieler99@reddit
This is still a good thing: https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxadmin/s/Fa4P9X7ZRE
jaredearle@reddit
I did it, back in the 1990s. These days, you’d have to find someone hiring a junior who needs training up.
BloodyIron@reddit
As others have mentioned, building a homelab is the best way to go for self-lesson if you want to build an IT career, Linux or otherwise.
TheVideoGameCritic@reddit
Electrical engineering to Linux sysadmin? What….make that make sense
ExceptionEX@reddit
Cs degree from most schools won't help you with admin jobs anyway, having a degree would get you past HR.
As far as what to learn, there is a great list here.
And with no educational background or experience help desk is a path a lot of people start in, but you don't have to if you have time to try a degree.
AlbatrossFinal701@reddit
Yes you can if you are hungry and willing to learn and practice.
12_nick_12@reddit
Get a job at any MSP to learn some stuff, be lucky enough to get a job at another MSP that focuses in Linux, then finally land a job at a place that’s Linux only. It doesn’t hurt during this to have a home lab doing whatever, at the time my home lab turned into a hybrid with some in the cloud, all Linux, I also have an LLC that does web design and hosting. I do have an associates from a community college majoring in CS, but I’m post certain that was irrelevant to get me current job, the 6 years of Linux experience did.
Dax420@reddit
25 year career in Linux with no degree. But I cut my teeth, help desk then desktop support then IT then sysadmin. If you want to jump the line, highly suggest doing a self study RHCSA or even better, RHCE.
Content_Injury_4821@reddit
I am not Linux systems administrator, but finding a job without any prior experience can be really tough.
twatcrusher9000@reddit
can you grow a beard?
DoodleDosh@reddit
Build things. Raspberry Pi or other cheap boxes. Run a webserver. Run a postfix mail server. Build home assistant and write scripts to talk to hardware like sensors.
We recruit all the time based on approach and attitude, those things are an attribute of an applicant, knowledge and process can be taught. One of our interviews consists of a pile of hardware and 3 hours to build a machine, install an OS and get a basic ftp server and web server running. The choice is up to the applicant, we look to see ‘how’ they approach the task.
ZoeyNet@reddit
Nope. Sysadmin is a pretty high up title, with no experience (workplace or projects) it will be virtually impossible to find any work as a sysadmin, let alone a linux-specific one.
Keep studying, then build some hands-on projects. After you have experience with that, look for entry-level rolls for a couple years.
Sith_Luxuria@reddit
Yup, build stuff in AWS for free, get Linux certs and grind. Good luck.
gordonv@reddit
You need to take a certification course. Go with the Redhat certs. The only Linux certs anyone cares about.
GetOffMyLawn_@reddit
We used to hire people who had some community college courses or certifications.
There are Linux certification paths and you can self study using those, you don't necessarily have to do the courses. You should be able to get copies of the training materials and study those and then take the tests.
For example https://training.linuxfoundation.org/learning-paths/ and the sys admin pathhttps://training.linuxfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LFCS_CurriculumPath_102024a.pdf
It does help to have practical experience to pass exams, and certainly when you get to sys admin level exams it's hard to get experience without a job.
Sometimes you can get a help desk job and work your way up to sys admin.
flummox1234@reddit
EE degree though. You'll be fine.
didact@reddit
I'm gonna snag pieces of your post to comment on, hopefully this is helpful...
No degree at all here. I went from frontline, to service desk, to associate sysadmin, to associate windows engineer, storage engineer, architect, leadership etc - about 2 years in between each. 2nd level certifications got me off the service desk, 3rd level certifications got me between the engineering groups, experience and leadership training was the rest of it.
Clarifying question for you - you make it sound like you have a degree that is not CS right? Potentially even an electrical engineering degree? 2nd/3rd level certs will get you into a sysadmin position pretty handily if so. Also, plenty of companies still run their own datacenters - and the folks who run them need technical critical facilities folks.
Linux is a great foundation. Learning and earning the RHCE certification is a great next step in that regard on your path.
As far as what's next, you've got to figure out where you want to become well rounded. When you get your first job, and are in your first environment, THAT will drive your development out of necessity. Until such time, personally I'd recommend following the devops roadmap at roadmap.sh
If you and I had a conversation as a mentor/mentee, I'd really deep dive into your EE background. Depending on what you've got there, you might end up with me suggesting strongly that you go into a critical facilities career and parlay your current experience into what can be a pretty technical role. Critical facilities would include datacenter plant and power, fiber, and all of the systems that monitor and control all of that. I'd encourage some parallel learning in the systems arena.
This is kind of a repeat of what to study next - basically if you follow the roadmap.sh for devops you're going to wind up somewhere as an associate, and their environment will drive the majority of your personal development.
Sir_Vinci@reddit
You will have a tough road. It's not that someone with a degree knows more than you, but a lot of places won't look at your resume without one.
You can make up for this (in my opinion) with either experience, which is my #1 metric for hiring, or initiative.
By initiative, I mean generate your own experience. Build things. Use them. Break them. Fix them. Find a problem and design a solution. Nothing turns me off of a candidate quite like someone who says their experience is "playing with" something. What that tells me is that they installed it and poked around. I want to see that you did something with it that gave you insight that someone else doesn't have.
Be open to the idea of starting in a lower function and growing to where you want to be. If you don't have the experience that an employer wants for a Linux admin, maybe you can start more generic and do general helpdesk. From there, show your suoervisor(s) that you want to learn and grow. Make efforts to do so on your own. Take on additional responsibilities.
That sort of thing takes time, but it builds your experience and shows value. Employees that show initiative and value will be the first to be offered new projects and exposure to things beyond their current assignment, at least in my environment. I need employees that can do their job, but aren't interested in growing too, but I won't waste my time or theirs trying to advance them if they aren't interested. If they want to grow and show that they are willing to do it without me having to drag them along the path, I'll make every effort to get them where they want to grow into.
Maybe that was a circuitous answer to your question, but that's my take as someone who hires in IT.
Jadeware@reddit
I started May 16, 2025 because I screwed up the partitions in my MacBook and thought I got hacked.
Learned how to read syslogs
They basically said “you’re an idiot. Don’t DO that partition thing.”
Kept the momentum going.
I submitted an honest application a few days ago - I have an interview for database administrator this week with a base salary of $50k
Listen, I’m being straight up with you. I didn’t do anything special. Do enough until you feel as though you’ve made all the beginner mistakes beforehand.
When you can no longer find answers to your problem online, and when ChatGPT can no longer assist you.
Apply!
You are ready.
nukacola2022@reddit
One of the best programmers I know started in accounting. You can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it and work hard.
ErikTheEngineer@reddit
Having a degree in something checks the first box. I saw a poster say that a degree is now a proxy for being willing to independently get through something long-term and TBH I agree...there are plenty of emotionally mature people without degrees and other ways to get there, but having one lets people navigate the modern workplace a little easier. Plus, people will call me elitist but it does help a lot when you're one of 500 applicants for a job and the first resume filter is "has degree"...it's a good insurance policy for tough times (which exist in tech.)
That said, you definitely don't need a CS degree. Mine's in chemistry, plenty of people I know have arts or business education. A EE degree is even better. With no experience, you're going to have to start out in something like a helpdesk or NOC. It's becoming harder to break out of these entry-level jobs with the cloud and SaaS hiding all the details, but there still are large companies that are hybrid. I'm biased but I still think it's critical to get fundamentals under your belt, which will help you understand all the cloud stuff much better and be able to troubleshoot more effectively. Unfortunately, most businesses use Windows on the end user side, so getting Linux experience right out of the gate is a little harder. I did Unix and VMS support as a college job so I had some exposure, but the productivity layer in most businesses is either Windows/Office or MacOS/Google Workspaces/8 billion SaaS applications.
The key is once you're in your first job, look for opportunities to expand your knowledge. Volunteer to help with basic sysadmin tasks and if you show you know what you're doing, you'll eventually get more responsibility and be able to move to a next-level job. My career arc over 30 years has basically been to not be on the absolute cutting edge, but always seek out new projects/things to do. I've went from Windows support to Windows Server support, to VMWare/Linux/application admin stuff, to Azure and AWS just by being the person willing to take on some extra tasks without killing myself grinding 80 hours a week. Bottom line, get a support job, study for a few certifications, and show the next employer what you're capable of. It's tough because employers seem to want a drop-in replacement that knows everything, but it can be done.
Flashy_Possibility34@reddit
There are many non-traditional pathways into computing, but you still need to find a way to build up experience somehow. I work in high performance computing (HPC) at a university. I don’t have a CS degree but I do have a Ph.D. in physics. I built up enough knowledge in HPC doing research in astrophysics to be an HPC expert. You just need to find some way of getting experience in a way that you can show results. E.g. setup your own web server and host your own website documenting your own experiences. If you can find a “pet” project and document it, you will build experience that can help you get a job. Do not underestimate the importance/impact of good documentation.
ancientpsychicpug@reddit
Get a job in helpdesk and go above and beyond for the IT people above you, express interest. I mean don’t go crazy, but just be enthusiastic and helpful. Do it for a year. If no bites, find another job that is 1 step above like a desktop tech. Rinse and repeat until you are where you want to be. Show your manager projects you are working on. I went from helpdesk to cyber security analyst with no degree or certs and it took about 12 years. The jump from help desk to sysadmin took about 3 years and that was me butting my way into the position.
biglawson@reddit
I would pick a Linux certification, study for it, then go and get it. It's good on the resume and shows you know enough. Linux+ would give you a good foundation of how everything works on the biggest distros. CompTIA A+ network+ and security+ are also good entry level certs that aren't directly Linux related but will give you a foundation of computing and troubleshooting.
You may need to start as a help desk and then transition to Linux sysadmin after a year or two also if you have 0 tech experience and only certifications.
Kizzu137@reddit
If you feel lost on what you should study, literally make a big list of what job postings are asking for. Companies are telling you what they want, see what comes up more often, focus on those skills and certifications
Adept-Pomegranate-46@reddit
I have passed go... retired.
Did electronics and ham radio in high school, digital design and engineering, robotics for 15 years, then IT for 30 years.
Finished up as a Technical Accountant Manager before it was over.
Not a day of college. Every job said "Degree or relevant experience". Got many jobs (contract/permanent).
Learned and read all along.
Good luck to you.....
Radiant_Plantain_127@reddit
Get the RHCSA
Hg-203@reddit
Certs would help a lot. Last I heard the red hat certified system admin cert was a good one for Linux. You’re also going to want to dig into automation tools like Ansible or Puppet. As stated by others docker is also a requirement.
Responsible_Ad5216@reddit
Use chatGPT and ask around at this subreddit. Also take this course https://missing.csail.mit.edu/
No need for a degree. Good luck!
TitanFlood@reddit
Bit of Azure and/or CCNA couldn't hurt just incase, good for you for perusing things you enjoy!