Inexperienced Sysadmin inherited a complex system - overwhelmed and need advice
Posted by Optimal_Finance7525@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 35 comments
Hi everyone, seeking advice/comments on my situation, I’m about a month and a half at this company (\~200 Employees across multiple cities, on-prem server + FW, Windows/Office365 environment, legacy apps and VMs, etc.)
TL DR:
Junior sysadmin, inherited a complex system from
two seniors (both have left in 3 weeks from my start) - overwhelmed and feeling as an impostor. How (and whether) to address it with the management without loosing my position and bringing panic and uncertainty? How to tell users “I don’t know” or “no” when overwhelmed?
Full version:
Joined the company as a junior admin to substitute one of the two senior admins who was leaving (3 weeks notice from my start) - shortly after I receive the news that the second guy leaves as well = I’m staying alone in charge of the whole system. We’ve had about 3 weeks together for the handover and we have some type of documentation which is mostly notes to some particular recurring topics/tasks.
I’m receiving a lot of requests regarding every subject imaginable from regular users, management, external contractors and service providers.
Feeling overwhelmed trying to solve everything. Saying often to users “I don’t know it yet, but I’ll do my research an come back to you later” and pile up the issues and requests , I solve them in the rate slower than the new inquiries come.
Also Defender / HW Dashboards and such add something to check: (for example, just receinlty we had a critical storage failure at one of the two servers (lucky me) - all other tasks were ofc on hold for the day to figure this out of course - making it stressful to catch up afterwards).
The HW is of older generation 2016-2019 , So the company also wants to “move to the cloud” or to a managed IaaS - of course I’m the main advisor and contact point for that to add to the mix (while
Having very basic experience with exactly this)
Should I address it all with the management / HR? Or shall I “fake it” till the things get better with time? Afraid to loose my position or shatter the confidence of them in me.
Fair to say - the second guy leaving was a surprise to the management as well as they say and they look for the teammate for me this whole time (1.5 months by now) - so I get the support hopefully soon enough in coming months.
Public_Warthog3098@reddit
Something tells me this guy isn't telling us the entire truth. He likely sold himself as a experienced sysadmin hoping it sails fine with the other guy. But now he's cooked because he left
Lanky-Storm7@reddit
Start documenting. One thing at a time.
alpha417@reddit
This.
Using your current strengths and toolchains, get good at documenting. The first thing you document will likely be the hardest (you'll need to create a flow), so I would pick a simple task or toolchain...and build from that.
"If you want to make apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe" - Sagan.
Rustycake@reddit
Curious as someone who is it a Sysadmin but trying to become one. What would you be documenting? Is there a specific structure to it?
Sea-Aardvark-756@reddit
A good start is a list of all servers and other equipment you feel in any way unsure of, then start adding things they handle as you figure it out. Even if there's no list or asset tracking or anything and you have to go around getting the serials/MACs and find their IPs from that info to connect and figure out what things do. One time I found a PA system and another device that controlled lights, both on the network and accessible with default vendor passwords, nobody knew about them so I could have made loud sounds or turned the lights different colors, which was a neat discovery. Less neat was finding a Hyper-V host that was over 16 years old sitting on the floor caked with dust that everyone in the site was relying on. When it had issues we at least knew what to check, fix, and eventually replace.
One of the worst possible situations is having an outage and not even knowing what to get eyes on.
Rustycake@reddit
Ok cool. Unfortunately our physical server is a few states away. But I think I can at least get an idea of IP addresses and parts it uses?
alpha417@reddit
I moonlight in pre-hospital emergency medical care so everything there is designed for a volunteer, at 0300, with gloves on. Every single thing that we instruct people on has a flowchart (we call them protocols) , and then the specificity of that flowchart includes granular details as they're required to provide an outcome.
If I was a blossoming sysadmin, I would sit at my desk and I would make a flowchart for "troubleshooting internet access on the computer I'm sitting at". It would start at the ground floor. Absolute basics.
It would include questions like is the computer powered on? If no, can I turn the computer on? If no are the room lights on? If no go to l"ocal power outage" protocol & end this one....etc.
I've implemented these types of protocols for diagnostics for pre-hospital healthcare now in three separate institutions, and they drastically cut down on the "iTz bRoAk, wAt do?" phonecalls. For a new sysadmin this would allow you to look at everything at a step-by-step level to create your own diagnostic workflow. For the end user, it hand holds them through the stuff that would ordinarily be a phone call at 4:00 in the morning
Sea-Aardvark-756@reddit
That's also very helpful, and it may depend on the end users and call volume, but personally I would focus on documenting the systems and purposes for the org as a systems admin, to ensure I could quickly deal with an outage affecting many people, before tackling end-user education to cut down on requests from individuals. If one person can't work at one workstation it's much less concerning than everyone having a vital system offline. Admittedly my experience is heavily influenced by taking a job and having an undocumented host die in the first month, but I'd take basic troubleshooting calls over that nightmare any day.
alpha417@reddit
You are looking at it too superficially. If you unlock "expert mode" (old joke that hung around 25 years too long, if you ask me), the back of each protocol page had things like device metrics, scopes, duties, software revisions, static IP assignments, what port it connected to in the rack, endpoints, circuit breaker assignments in specific panels, break-glass info, purchase date, repair history, etc...all the nitty gritty that the real sysadmin would need, and not the level 1 tech who would be fielding that call.
Either way, I didn't have to commit to memory anything that wasn't absolutely neccessary.
Sea-Aardvark-756@reddit
How would you have information like device metrics, scopes, duties, software revisions, and static IP assignments without collecting it? I'm just saying start with systems data collection, that's not superficial, it's unavoidable.
fanatic26@reddit
you were handed a really bad deal, I would speak with your management to make sure they understand what they have dumped on you. Dont let things overwhelm you, just understand that you can only do so much with the situation you have been dropped in and dont let it get to you.
and for the love of all that is Holy the word is LOSE not LOOSE
northviewtelecom@reddit
This is actually a pretty common situation. The fact that you're solving most issues already means you're doing better than you think.
A few things that helped my clients:
Document everything as you solve it — a simple "problem → solution" doc saves you from solving the same thing twice.
Prioritize by business impact, not user urgency. A VP's slow email matters less than a critical storage failure.
Don't be afraid to bring in outside help for projects. A 200-person company shouldn't expect one junior admin to handle everything.
The "I don't know it yet, but I'll research" approach is the right one. Imposter syndrome is normal — you'll grow into it.
boftr@reddit
I would ask to work with HR to shape the new hire req and use it as a way to fill the gaps in your knowledge.
discgman@reddit
Never say I don't know anything, say please put it in a ticket and it will get documented and taken care of in order received. You need to seriously triage everything right now. Document and take note on what is critical and what can be a project when things slow down. Get a list of daily stuff you need to accomplish and start putting out the fires. Whatever you don't know, look it up. Use a web search or your favorite AI as a helper. Do not use AI as a final draft but as a tool like anything else. Good luck!
DickStripper@reddit
CEO of one of the largest storage companies in the world told me in 1993 the best way to learn is with a project.
You now have 25 projects.
ppyre@reddit
I was there 25 years ago. This can turn to be your dream job. Like many have said, a lot of will ride on management for poor planing but, document everything, dont do any big changes until you are fully familiar with most of the things, you will be jumping from a fire to a fire (this is the part that will teach you how to manage and prioritize). Long hours are unavoidable, not feeling appreciated at times is unavoidable. When time permits start marking things that need to be changed/improved. When management decides to hire someone (this can take time, maybe months), guide them in a way to hire someone that will help you and not someone that will be your boss. Not sure how big the company is and their work environment but if you like the company and thinking long run then this is your opportunity to establish yourself as the head of the IT. Good luck!
GringeITGuy@reddit
A couple thoughts:
- I don't see the need to address management unless they're questioning your performance. It's reasonable 1 new guy isn't going to replace 2 seniors
- Until you get some help you're going to be in constant fire fighting mode. Management needs to understand that. You need to focus on critical business issues first (company not working -> department not working -> user not working -> critical infrastructure needs/changes -> smaller Help Desk style/ERP fires -> proactive work last (updates, maintenance, documentation). Until you get help a lot of T1-T2 user requests and proactive work is simply not going to get done. If end users have an issue they need to go up the chain & when it gets back to your feet, you have to be clear on your priorities. If you get caught up in the constant noise you won't be able to focus on the big fires
- If it seems like it's a bad company & you have good job hopping potential, you can always juggle it as long as you can while applying to other jobs on the side. If you want to get the place stable and don't mind putting extra time in, you can grow a lot professionally in a short period of time and turn it into something stable (eventually); but it's going to be a lot of work until - or if you get to that point. It's pretty unusual for an entire IT team to leave abruptly but one man's trash can be another's treasure
You can't internalize everything though. You're a Jr Sys Admin turning into an IT Director/Sys Admin/Developer/Help Desk all in one. You gotta give yourself some slack. Debbie may not be able to get a new iPhone or the business may have to interface directly with an ERP specialist to resolve some obscure workflow issue for a bit - it'll be okay
Optimal_Finance7525@reddit (OP)
Wow thanks, this post along with multiple others really makes me think more positive. The prioritisation Company-department-user-infrastructure is nice , something I also try to abide by, but still often fail when the chaos strikes (sometimes, even, “Debbie gets her new iPhone set up” with the cost of my 15 min unpaid overtime after work day is over - a bad bad habit) - definitely need to prioritise and communicate more openly. many users also seem to understand it to be honest and try to solve the things themselves first, aka “hey man, I know, I’ve already restarted my pc, but it unfortunately didn’t help so I write to you”
Also interesting point on “no questions on performance? - wait with addressing” - yeah, since it really looks like they get what’s going on , they’re clever people too.
I wouldnt say the company feels as a “bad one” (not by this limited time at least) - for now it really seems like this unexpected leave of the second senior administrator caused most of what’s happening funny now
“Some obscure workflow issue” haha is very on point and is indeed one of the favorite ones
CptBronzeBalls@reddit
You’re in a terrible situation, and no one should blame you for it. Do the best you can. You’ll learn a ton. See if mgmt will pay for some consulting hours to bring the old sysadmins back to answer questions.
If shit fails or doesn’t get done, it’s a company problem, not a ‘you’ problem.
Optimal_Finance7525@reddit (OP)
Thanks, yeah, I have a feeling they also see it that way. Plus, that’s a good idea on consulting hours, I was also thinking of suggesting inviting external specialists for certain topics - likely will try that for the “infrastructure cloud/hybrid migration” one.
danieIsreddit@reddit
I totally agree. You were brought on as a Junior Sysadmin. It's your management's responsibility to make sure the infrastructure is supported. If you can't do or figure out something it's okay. You have been put in an uncomfortable situation. This is a great chance to learn, as well as see what you want to specialize or learn more about within IT. Take this as an opportunity. There will be mistakes and issues, but your management is the one that needs to be worried about their job, not you.
badaz06@reddit
We were all there at one time, and even with 40+ years of experience there are times I'm like "WTF?". So, take a breath and relax.
You're new and overwhelmed. You can only do what you can do. Don't feel stupid for asking questions, and ask a ton of them.
Read a ton. As best you can don't experiment or run something you've never done on production. Don't trust ChatGGPT or Co-piot...always verify.
Expect that you will occasionally mess up. It happens to us all. How you handle it is the key. I've never denied a mistake I made, and I've never been fired for making them. A few were doozies. You lie and get caught...you get canned for sure.
Outside of that, all you can do is your best. If you're doing that, and they don't like it, there are other jobs out there :)
RestartRebootRetire@reddit
Yikes. I'm curious why those guys left and whether they left any documentation.
dummm_azzz@reddit
I started my career in IT in a similar position but without AI and Google was barely a thing. So deep breath, every morning. You got this. Let your management chain drive your priorities. Do set aside some time for researching moving to the cloud. Moving to the cloud will likely be more expensive than they think, go slow and look at options. When you have a problem that u need to take to management always have 1-2+ solutions, it makes their job easier to pick a path rather than try to figure out their own solution. Also you could start doing your own research for possible people to help. If you can, position yourself as the senior, help the management trust you, be their advisor and savior. It could mean long nights, I remember a night defragging an exchange database that went wrong, my boss said to me - hey weren't you wearing that shirt yesterday - why yes, yes I was ..because I haven't been home since yesterday. Weekends and other things could come up to, but you are their guy. You will learn a lot about tech and yourself, but at some point they will have to pay the piper and pony up a big raise for u if they don't hire help. Message me if u want advice or help...I'm always up for a challenge.
Good luck, you got this.
Mehere_64@reddit
Hey you just graduated from junior admin to senior admin. Good and bad at the same time.
Let management know that you need another person now. Not later. Let management know they will need to pay a decent salary to attract another person. Also it might not hurt to tell management that they need to send out a company wide email stating that IT is short staffed or whatever they want. But management needs to make sure that users are not starting to come down on you if that makes sense.
Next thing to do is to make sure your backups are in order and you understand the backup/restoring process.
Go through your list of things to do and prioritize them. Nuances like I don't know how to fix my email signature can you fix it for me, that sort of thing can wait. A users computer is not working at all, well that gets higher priority since the person is not able to work.
Work/life balance. Well you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself too. Sure work some 10 hour days if you feel you need to do so. But don't do it every day of the week.
Best of luck.
RAMSxAI@reddit
200 people, 2 senior admins gone, is the company a start up running out of funds?
If not sounds like they still have a head count, hire someone and focus on keeping the lights on and automation.
MediumFIRE@reddit
The early days you are in the honeymoon period so it's better to ask for help from management now. They obviously know the situation and it would be unrealistic to expect the new person to take the place of 2 experienced folks. How confident are you as a manager? One thing that people struggle with, which I totally get, is being confident enough to say I want to hire a kickass person who has better technical skills than me and not feel threatened by that. You can still be a technical contributor of course, but you can position yourself as someone who creates the roadmap from where you are now, to where you need to be now. This can also be couched under the need for redundancy, which includes people.
Also, sorry to be grammar police but loosing / loose should be losing / lose. I say this so you don't put that in an email to management.
Best of luck...imposter syndrome is a right of passage
Optimal_Finance7525@reddit (OP)
Thanks, yeah the moment I write it down and “say it” the clearer I see that’s the right way to address it.
And thank you for the grammar tip! It’s a good one, I’m sure I’ve switched it up somewhere on display in the past already - English is not my first language so such pointers are very useful.
LesPaulAce@reddit
Do your best.
Don’t just think about out IT workload, think about your career.
This very same thing happened to me 25+ years ago. One of the best things that ever happened. There was no more “junior or senior” there was just me and a guy who knew how to run reports.
Keep yourself in every conversation about how these jobs will be filled. You don’t want the new guys slotted in above you. Make sure you are seen as their peers, and not junior.
Keep your head above water. You will learn a lot. In a year (or less) quit and go somewhere else as a Senior level (which they will never fully treat you as at this company, even if you do a great job).
iwishthisranjunos@reddit
Sounds like my first job in networking. While they were acquiring more companies IT had to be insourced at the same time. They ran per site a different vendor and we counted more than 16 Active Directory installations. While all senior people left after 1 month. This was food logistics so lot of weird systems and 24/7 operations. The first few months will be a fire brigade operations. Document everything and where possible standardize. Don’t underestimate the knowledge of power users and application owners. Once you understand the company start building the IT roadmap. Focus on pain points like old operating systems vs the migration to cloud for modern systems. Then when ready fix every issue as much as possible with a migration to the roadmap or as close as possible. Partner with good VAR and ISP explain the pain and problems you have. They can help with providing resources and knowledge.
ShoeBillStorkeAZ@reddit
Bro! Everyone thinks you know everything. I’m an endpoint engineer for a hospital. I’m amazed at how much they trust me lol. Just don’t screw up cause then you gotta answer. Document everything and get a better idea of the environment around you.
Surfin_Cow@reddit
Sounds like this is a management problem mostly. They need to find someone who can help or deal with these things. As a jr, they are definitely expecting too much from you especially if both seniors are leaving. Even with 3 weeks, theres no way they can get you up to speed.. Either let mgmt. know that you will step up but will require quite some time to get up to speed, or that they need to hire someone who is a senior and able to manage these systems.
FaithlessnessThick29@reddit
Congrats you get to own everything now. As the owner, what you say goes. Learning how to communicate that is key.
Start saying no (not now) to requests which are of the type which are overwhelming you now. Everything that you do from now on should be documented properly, the first time, as you go, so this can be taught to someone when you onboard them.
myfreysa@reddit
Faking it got you in this predicament. What other choice do you have lol
AverageMuggle99@reddit
You got this. Take your time and don’t make rash decisions. You’ll learn so much.