Imposter syndrome in first SysAdmin role
Posted by HighlanderWasHere@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 25 comments
Hey guys,
Just started a new job as a Sys Admin after coming from a Desktop Support Engineer role, and I’m dealing with a bit of imposter syndrome.
In my last role, I was mainly handling patching through SCCM then Intune after the migration, handled onboarding/offboarding, some PowerShell automation, and handling L2 tickets, OKTA and Azure troubleshooting, etc. I also had a senior network engineer mentoring me, which gave me exposure to networking and really pushed me to start studying for the CCNA.
Here’s where my head is at: I did not pass the CCNA. I failed pretty hard, around 60% in most sections, and even lower in security. I was upfront about that in the interview. Even so, this new company still hired me and told me the CCNA was not required, just nice to have.
Now the funny part is that at both my old job and now my new one, the network engineer got promoted into management. At my new company, the other sysadmins are SMEs in other areas (One handles InTune, ITAM, Onboarding/offboarding, the other handles Servers, etc) and neither do not really want to touch networking, so it sounds like I’m naturally getting pushed toward that lane by my new IT Manager. My manager is basically saying, “You’ll be fine, you’re going to handle networking stuff with me.”
I know this is a great opportunity, and honestly a lot of people would kill to be in this position, and I'd be lying if i said i wasnt a little bit intimidated.
Just a couple questions to kinda help me get in the right mindset since I know from other posts elsewhere in general, that I'm not alone in feeling like this..
For those of you who moved into sysadmin/networking role before you felt fully ready:
How did you approach it? (I'm on Week 2, so just absorbing as much as I can about our environment, processes, etc)
How did you personally handle the imposter syndrome?
And how do you make the most of an opportunity like this without feeling like you’re drowning?
Really appreciate the time, thank you.
0verstim@reddit
Every single one of us started out with imposter syndrome. Most of us later moved on to burn out. Dont worry, somewhere in between youll find the perfect balance and like your job. Make sure you dont miss it, itll only last about 2 weeks.
Trust_8067@reddit
Why would you ever admit you failed a cert? Why bring it up to begin with?
You don't need a CCNA anyways, you just have to know how networking works, in general.
Not knowing what to do isn't imposter syndrome. Your new, they know you don't know shit. That's why they're teaching you. Just ask questions and do the work, it's not that hard. You're way overthinking this shit.
Do you know how to use google? Do you know how to ask a question when you don't understand something? If you said yes to both of those, you're fine. If not, you're right, you're an imposter. Quit and go work at McDonald's.
Inevitable_Use3885@reddit
Better to be an honest failure than a dishonest success. More than anything, IT is about trust. Everyone needs to know that you may name a mistake and you may be wrong, but what comes out of your mouth is the truth as you see and understand it.
Trust_8067@reddit
There's nothing dishonest about it. You don't list that you have a CCNA in your resume, because you don't. It's literally that simple.
Failing a cert isn't making a mistake. Yes, the most important thing to do at work when you break something, is to be honest about it. You don't go airing your failures in a job interview, that's just fucking stupid.
Hey, don't forget to tell them you cheated on your college girlfriend too when you got drunk at a party and tried a line of coke.
eman0821@reddit
If he failed the exam. I wouldn't even mention anything about obtaining it on a resume. It's just a personal development and try again next time. Just keeping to yourself until you pass the exam.
Trust_8067@reddit
Exactly.
Inevitable_Use3885@reddit
Sorry, I chose the wrong axiom to share. My point was that it's a positive that he was open and honest about his experience and the test outcome.
The goal of an interview is not always to "get the job," but to discover whether or not the organization and the candidate are a good fit and can be successful together.
I apologize for not clarifying my point and for using language that in retrospect could be considered judgemental or inflammatory. That was not my intention.
HighlanderWasHere@reddit (OP)
Appreciate the comments. So basically the topic came up in the team panel interview and I had mentioned that I recently took the CCNA and they followed up with basically "did you pass?" and i said I had failed but that i was still going to take it until i passed, I did not put anything on my resume hinting toward CCNA just in that brief convo. Told them I was using packet tracer labs, JITL, and some Boson/Anki to help.
On a side note, I am definitely overthinking it so I appreciate Trust's comment(s).
Inevitable_Use3885@reddit
As a fellow overthinker, I could use a person like that following me around telling me to knock it off as well. I feel like my original response did not convey my actual message after I read their response.
Always good to hear different opinions!
HighlanderWasHere@reddit (OP)
Totally agreed with your 1st comment u/Inevitable_Use3885 . I've always owned my mistakes and have been told by previous managers that owning the result no matter what was a breath of fresh air and thats where the trust comes in compared to others that just said sorry and later down the road just kept repeating that same mistake over and over. You can work with someone who "Owns it" versus someone saying that they will fix it but just keeps that cycle going and at some point you just have to give up, ive seen my share of IT leadership giving up on a couple people because there's nothing that can be done to help that person give a shit.
ProperEye8285@reddit
Everybody fails CCNA 1st time out the gate; it is hard!
Everybody fails ITIL 1st time out the gate; it is hard!
I can teach someone who tries and fails; I can't teach someone who fails to try. Imposter syndrome is the price you pay for knowing how little you know. The only ones who don't have imposter syndrome are the "know it alls" who don't. Keep learning, keep digging and you will build competence and confidence. You will still go home regularly knowing that you suck. The good news is, so do we all.
i have spoken. ;-)
GoogleDrummer@reddit
Yeah man, I'm almost 20 years in IT and on my third sadmin role and still feel it. Honestly if you don't feel it you're probably at the wrong place.
trullaDE@reddit
In my oppinion, feeling like you don't know anything is part of the job, and to me, actually part of its appeal. You get to learn new stuff all the time, and it will never get boring. Embrace that.
As for imposter syndrome, I'm doing this job for almost 30 years now. and still feel like it sometimes. :-D But on other days, you know you're freaking good at it, and that's why you do it. You will have those days, too.
You also seem to have a nice boss, one that trusts you can handle the stuff they throw at you, and it doesn't get much better than this.
evantom34@reddit
I’ve said it time and time again: the jump from Support to Infrastructure is the most difficult leap to make in IT.
In Infrastructure, you hold the keys to the kingdom. With that power comes a massive responsibility to understand the full gamut of the environment from switches, routers, and access points down to building management systems and complex automations. It’s unfair for anyone to expect you to know everything; what is expected, however, is the ability to find the answer.
Moving into this role requires a mindset shift. In Support, your goal is to assist the user, which often leads to saying "yes" far too often. In Infrastructure, you have to learn how to say, "No, because..." You must learn to communicate at a high level. Instead of staying silent while you struggle, give your lead constant updates:
Imposter syndrome is real. I’ve been technically "underqualified" for every IT role I’ve ever landed. This industry moves rapidly; new apps and systems hit the forefront every day. If you don't have a growth mindset, you will fail. But if you don’t feel some level of imposter syndrome, you aren't maximizing your potential. That discomfort is exactly where the growth happens.
I was early in my career and starting to plateau as a SysAdmin. The pay was great, but the funding was limited and the bureaucracy was stifling. I decided I’d rather keep growing than sit on my laurels. I landed a Network Engineer role with only baseline networking knowledge because I was honest about my experience, and the boss saw potential- the same way your boss does now.
I’m currently learning as fast as I can, throwing every concept into Gemini to bridge the gaps. I knew the theory of DNS, DHCP, and VLANs, but I’m now diving into the deep end of OSPF, EIGRP, point-to-point configurations, and architecture. Even if I were to get fired tomorrow, I can confidently say the knowledge I've gained has already made the risk worth it.
Your boss is taking a shot on you because you’ve shown initiative. He knows exactly where you are today, and he’s betting on what you can become tomorrow. Work your ass off and prove him right. This is your opportunity, don't let it go to waste.
You got this.
Adimentus@reddit
Enough to make a grown man cry T.T
HighlanderWasHere@reddit (OP)
"I’ve said it time and time again: the jump from Support to Infrastructure is the most difficult leap to make in IT." - Crazy reading your comment out loud.. because that's literally word for word what my old Systems Engineer told me just before I left, he said it was THE hardest jump but once you're there just keep learning and moving.
I really appreciate your comment here. Makes me feel a lot better going forward, thank you u/evantom34!
evantom34@reddit
Of course man, you're putting the work in, it will pay off.
A good way to explain it is, learning will feel like drinking from a fire hose. But, day after day, you will start to understand things slowly but surely. DNS resolution will make sense. Layer 2 switching will make sense. Certificate lifecycle will make sense. Privileged access isolation will make sense, RBAC/ID Access and management will make sense. Firewall configurations will make sense.
Inevitable_Use3885@reddit
My first year or two in IT, I didn't know anything, understand anything, and every single thing I touched was new and I had to research or ask for help.
I still remember how happy I was the first time I saw a problem and recognized that I'd seen it before and knew how to troubleshoot.
Always remember that the difference between a Master and a Beginner is that the Master has FAILED more than the Beginner had even tried.
A lot of people will give you grief about failing. When they do, ask you if that person has the courage to make the call and take action if they were in your place or if they'd game the system and watch the pitch go by.
You're going to fail and you're going to make mistakes. IT work is like knife fighting in the sense that if you're in a knife fight, you're inevitably going to get cut. The trick is to always take away some growth and value from your mistakes and experience.
Also remember, unless they fire you or or affects your paycheck, it's not the end of the world.
Just keep putting in your best effort, be honest and open about your mistakes and decisions, and welcome feedback and criticism. Don't feel the need to defend yourself or react to someone chewing you out other than asking what you should have done or what you should do the next time.
You'll get there. All of us were new at one point and all of us still have a lot to learn.
Adimentus@reddit
This goes for just about everything in life. Such strong advice in this one.
fanatic26@reddit
Just approach it like you should any new challenge in your life. Self-confidence is everything. Do not be afraid to admit what you dont know, there is a learning curve to everything. You have more than enough IT experience to pick this up quickly, just dont get in your head about it. I cant speak to imposter syndrome because i have never experienced it, I know in my heart I can keep up with anyone professionally once i spend some time in the trenches learning something. You make the most of the opportunity by just doing things to the best of your ability. If you find you are weak in something, do a little research or just ask for help. The worst employee is the one that asks no questions.
JBD_IT@reddit
Don't drink the Cisco kool-aid! Take the Network+ exam instead, it will be more useful to your career than the CCNA ever will.
RAMSxAI@reddit
I never thought of it as imposter syndrome.
Feeling inexperienced? I think good admins live in it.
You can never know it all, and when you think you do it changes.
Finding someone willing to coach you, being hungry to develop yourself, by the time you are comfortable you will find yourself in systems starting over.
tensorfish@reddit
They hired you after you told them about the failed CCNA, so the only person still interviewing that exam is you. Week 2 job is boring: map the network, learn where the configs, backups and docs live, and know who to escalate to before you touch anything spicy. Confidence usually shows up after a few dull changes go through cleanly.
Intelligent-Pause260@reddit
A lot of people have failed IT certs. Take it again. Utilizes AI to make better study guides. Study more. Keep learning on the job, and ask AI when to explain something you know
Also Linkedin Learning has a TON of free training videos that would be excellent for a junior Sysadmin. It's only $30 a month, i bet your company would pay for it too.
Bottom line, no one was born a sysadmin, we've all had imposter syndrome at some point. Bullshit your way through it and when you don't know something, look it up. It's never been an easier time to be excellent at your job. I'm 41, and when I got my first sysadmin job at 22, I had to look up things i didn't know a 1,000 page Window Server 2003 manual, and that's if I was luckily enough to have been able to buy it for $100 from barnes and noble. You got this.
TabascohFiascoh@reddit
Clear and open communication with my manager, and setting realistic expectations for projects.
Imposter syndrome never goes away, so I just cover my ass with that.