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Top Career Advice from IT Pros
INTRODUCTION
Want a raise? A little respect? Some peace of mind?
These career-saving (and enhancing) tips are
Youre a pro, no doubt about it. But if theres one
brought to you by seasoned IT pros, savvy marketers...
career tip your peers keep coming back to, its this: The
and even a few Spiceworks employees who might
learning never stops. Just like those users who keep
know a thing or two about tech. You can also check
losing their passwords over and over again its going
out the amazing projects in their IT portfolios for more
to keep happening... forever.
expert insights and then create your own. Learn how
So in the spirit of packing your brain full of as

many petabytes of data as it can take, Spiceworks
hand-picked some crowdsourced career tips straight
to stay relevant in a world thats changing faster than

an SSD reboot. Ready to get busy boosting your IT
career? Read on!
from the mouths of real tech experts. Whether youre

looking to upgrade your position, get certified, raise
the career bar, master new skills (and maybe even
the Zen of IT maintenance), discover some resource
goldmines, or just learn the art of being social
Spiceworks has ya covered.
#SpicyCareerTips
TIP
01
Promotion, anyone?
I think that in order to get promoted in todays environment
you need to demonstrate you can do the work.
So, ask for additional responsibility and tackle larger
At that point you have a track record of being able
projects. Once you demonstrate you can be a senior
to do the job and this will assuage any management
systems administrator, for example, you can make
fears that you might not be cut out for that position.
your own case for promotion.
Scott Roberts (jhuscott)

IT Manager, Baltimore, MD
Scotts IT Portfolio
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02
Got skillz?
Focus on adding to your IT knowledge yearly. I try to focus
on a different skill or area of focus quarterly to add up to
one new skill each year.
And to echo others be nice to your users. They may create ridiculous issues, and ask crazy questions, but
without your users, you dont have a job. They are your customers, and no matter how great of an IT pro
you are, if youre surly all the time, your employer will find someone else who has similar IT skills, but
better people skills.
Katie Drucker (Katie)

Social Media & Community Manager, Columbia, SC
Katies IT Portfolio
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03
Tales from the script...

Learn to do sysadmin work from the command line and
scripting. Many of the new technologies being deployed
simply dont have powerful GUIs designed for them anymore.
Eli Etherton (Eli @ elitehcomputerguy.com)

Eli the Computer Guy, Baltimore, MD
Elis IT Portfolio
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04
Polish up your resume.

The best advice I can provide for IT pros to advance their
career in 2014? First and foremost, have a strong resume
that includes a portfolio if possible.
Expand this with an interactive portfolio online that con-
If you dont already have one, start a blog online, and write
cisely shows off all of your different skills, and be sure to
about your solutions to different tough problems you
explain, in a nutshell, what sets it apart. Be aware that the
encounter at work. With social media such a big part of the
non-tech savvy (including HR people!) may not understand
world nowadays, employers are attracted to bringing on
what theyre looking at, at first glance. Be a go getter to-
board rock stars online celebrities who bring with them
day more than ever. The economy is tough nowadays and
a following, have the ability to create buzz, and are able to
employers are being hit hard, so you really need to show
summarize for their employers where the industry is head-
off how you can bring a positive ROI to your company.
ed and how to move forward. Read full quote
Dani Horowitz (Dani at DaniWeb.com)

Business Manager, Bayside, NY
Danis IT Portfolio
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05
Know thy cloud.

The cloud is growing at an amazing speed, and more and
more organizations recognize the immense benefits of
cloud computing.
Thus, the best way IT pros can advance their career is to learn about new cloud technologies. This is the
area where the most exciting and the best paid jobs will be created in the years to come.
Michael Pietroforte (Michael @ 4sysops.com)

Owner at 4sysops.com
Munich, Germany
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06
Nice guys always win.

Always be nice. This industry is full of jerks.
Dont be one of them.
If you are nicer than average there are many benefits:
Youll have a better relationship with users and theyll
Everyone will want to work with you thus you can
be more willing to listen to you when you have to tell
work as a team and divide the work among everyone
them bad news.
instead of doing it yourself. Managers will bend

over backwards to keep you there (in small ways and
sometimes in big ways).
Being nice doesnt mean always saying yes. Have

the discipline to say no when you have to... but
always be ready to suggest alternatives that will
help them get what they want some other way.
Thomas Limoncelli (YesThatTom)

IT Consultant (at Google)
Bloomfield, NJ

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07
The Golden Rule.

My advice is: always follow The Golden Rule.
Treat your customers, your coworkers, your employer, your employees and everyone else you encounter as
you want to be treated yourself. This is the best long term strategy you can have.
Ivan Nekrasov (Ivan@Dell)

Spiceworks Partner
Nashville, TN

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08
The road ahead...

We all have a vision of what makes us truly happy. Working
in IT can, a lot of times, seem so reactive that its too easy to
sit with heads down and just get lost in the job.
Putting out fires, answering user questions, or kicking
Cloud adoption is moving at such a fantastic pace we
off planning the next CTO-driven initiative causes us to
all deserve a chance to take a breath and plan for our
forget the vision and succumb to the daily grind. Each
professional career.
of us has a sense of our professional goals and we know

when a direction doesnt feel right. As an IT person right
now, the next 3-5 years will be interesting.
Do you have a sense of what your job will look like in

5 years? I believe part of any job is to partially focus on
reaching professional goals. Part of that is to ensure
technical knowledge is obtained to accomplish daily
tasks, but there should also be defined guidelines to
Rod Trent (Rod Trent at Windows IT Pro)

Community Manager of Windows IT Pro, owner of myITforum.com
Middletown, Ohio

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09
I T for the win.

Maybe this is less advice than it is an endorsement of IT as
a career. Its a great foundation to build your career on. The
technical, business, social and interaction skills you learn
can take you far.
Heres a little known fact about me my second job
That company folded, but that experience got me a job
out of college and my first job at a start-up was as
at Apollo, which brought me to NeXT, which helped me
a sysadmin. It was a 20 person company building
start my first company Motive where I met the three
next generation software for the CAD / CAM indus-
other founders of Spiceworks. And the rest, as they say,
try. My job was to keep 20 Apollo Workstations (a
is history. And you thought Spiceworks being about
competitor to Sun in the 80s) up and running.
Everything IT was just an accident :-).
Scott Abel (Scott)

President & CEO at Spiceworks, Inc.
Austin, TX

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10
Be water, my friend. -Bruce Lee

Listen to this small snippet from Bruce Lee and then integrate
this philosophy into your IT career. We all know how fast IT can
change. Being like this will help you flow with any changes,
whether they are fast or slow or aggressive or unpredictable.
Jeff Grettler (Jeff Grettler)
IT Operations Manager at Spiceworks, Inc., Austin, TX
Jeffs IT Portfolio
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12
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11
Look at the big brain on [you]!

Learn, educate yourself! To be successful in IT you need to
do more than just get training.
Certs are also valuable and I do have them. They help
Do not stop learning, its a journey. Go out into the
you get launched and learn more about a wider range of
world, both figuratively speaking and literally.
subjects than you normally come into contact with in your

day job. This helps build the width of your knowledge.
But most of all, be open minded and look outside of your
current responsibilities. Become an excellent generalist
before you specialize. Have a T-shaped skill set. Go wide
generally and deep in your current specialties. Move out of
Learn from talking to your peers, partners, vendors,

consultants who all bring their points of view to the table.
Participating in a community and outside of your jobs responsibilities also builds your communication skills, both
in discussions and while presenting. Read full quote
your comfort zone every now and then and tackle a difficult
problem or area.
Didier Van Hoye (workinghardinit)

Blogger (Working Hard In IT), Microsoft MVP
Gent, Belgium
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13
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12
So whatcha want?
In your job search, know what you want. Take time to think about
what is most important to you in your next opportunity.
Too many people jump to the next job without really
Just answering a few of these questions for yourself
analyzing what they really want and end up in a
can help set you in the right direction when you are
place that is not right for them.
searching for a new role or when you get another
Ask yourself things like...whats my passion, do I like

structure or chaos, do I like big or small companies
recruiter phone call. Youll know what sounds right

for you and what doesnt.
and why, do I like a narrow role or spinning lots of

plates, what makes me crazy about my job, why do
I like to go into work everyday?
Jennifer Cantu (Jen C)

Director of Talent & Culture at Spiceworks, Inc.
Austin, TX

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13
Quick Top 10.

1. Dont get a I know everything better complex.
2. Improve your social skills -> this will make a lot of things
easier in your life.
3. The I in IT is more important than the T. And the
6. Be open and flexible, i.e., learn to implement
best place to get I is from people.
what you may not know rather than being boxed
4. There are two types of IT companies: business-centric

and technology-centric. If you like to geek out, avoid
business-centric companies, and the other way around.
5. Grow a sense of humour to survive the stressful situations that you will encounter when something might
not go as planned.
Maxime Trottier (Devolutions)

Spiceworks Partner
Lavaltrie, Quebec, Canada
into learning and implementing what you know. This

will stand you in good stead and give you a broad
background as you grow in your career.
7. While you are in college do a search for the job you
will be seeking when you graduate, and do a gap assessment amongst the experience, projects, technology,
and certifications you will need to land the job.
8. Be focused on what cluster you want to specialize in.
IT is far too big to be a generalist.
Read full quote
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14
Know your bottom line.

Build an expansive network of contacts first and foremost.
Chances are you have many of the skills you need if youre
looking to advance your career, you may just need a resume
booster or two with a few certifications.
If you have the right contacts and the resume to back
Networking, Network Security (CCNA, CCNA Security,
it up, you should be able to obtain the position youre
JNCIA-Junos for the Juniper folks, JNCIS-SEC, etc).
looking for with a reasonable amount of effort. Learn
Windows or Linux Servers (Linux+, RHCSA for Red
the following and get certified: Virtualization (Hyper-V,
Hat folks, RHCE, MCSA for Microsoft folks, MCSE, etc)
ESXi VCP5, Oracle VMCertified Implementation

Specialist, etc).
As much as I dont like working on servers outside

of work, it helps to set up a hardware lab at home
to build out new environments to test out and learn
new products.
Ralph E. McNabb III (rmcnabb)

Microsoft Engineer, Southfield, MI
Ralphs IT Portfolio
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15
Be resourceful.
You cannot know everything. If you do then you are worth
more than your company can afford. Use your resources such
as the Spiceworks Community, Google, Experts Exchange, etc.
Karl Ross (Karl8674)

Systems Engineer
Bradford, PA

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16
Raise the bar...

So you want a raise huh? Do you think you deserve it? Can the
company afford it? Last year I answered yes to all three, asked
for a 15% raise, and low and behold got over an 18% raise.
How did you do this? you ask Well, quite simple if
If you fudge, your whole presentation will fail. Include
you prepare and present. Start with your job descrip-
in this where you succeded and where you have failed,
tion - what do you do, what are your responsibilities,
and what you intend to do to prevent the failure(s)
and what are you expected to do (i.e: On Call, week-
in the future.
ends, etc). Next, do a self evaluation and be honest.

Do you show up on time, do you get your tasks done
correctly and on time, do you go the extra mile or do
you just do what is required? You need to be really
honest with yourself on this one.
Now go and talk with the money folks. This would be the
controller, or bookkeeper, possibly the CIO, or maybe
the owner. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO ASK FOR A RAISE.
You are looking for information on how the company is
doing...financially. Did they give bonuses? Was it a profit-
Paul Chiodo (pchiodo)
able year? What are the projections for next year?
IT Manager, Cuba, MO
Read full quote
Pauls IT Portfolio
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17
Greener pastures...
Get a new job! or Hold up your boss for more money!
Many people dont progress because they dont look
If not, start looking for a new opportunity that will ei-
for new opportunities or ask for more money. Better
ther provide you with a better situation or is a sideways
titles and better pay means you can command even
move to prepare you for a better situation. If you are
better titles and even better pay. If you are not content
willing to work hard and do a great job, why not work
with where you are now, talk to your boss about what
hard to have a great job?
it will take to improve your situation.
Erik Nordman (Erik)

Director of IT, Hollis, NH
Eriks IT Portfolio
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19
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18
Happy little accidents.

Mistakes shape you into the worker/person you become
and are. Some of my best opportunities and successful projects/
implementations have resulted after I failed terribly.
Kacia Steiner (Kacia (QuickCert))

Marketing Manager
Portland, OR

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19
Master IT.
IT is moving away from break/fix. IT nowadays is about system
deployment, adoption and utilization.
How many systems do you have in your environment
Then figure out new ways the system can help the
that users are only scratching the surface of? The next
users and the business make money. That is where
great way to grow your IT career, is find that system in
the value in IT is going forward.
your organization and master it.
Chris Davis (Chris7262)

Systems Implementation Specialist, St. Louis, MO
Chris IT Portfolio
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20
Learn some humility.

Ive stayed miles ahead of the pack by the way I treat my internal
customers and clients. Long gone are the days of the antisocial,
pocket-protected, server-room recluse, stereotypical nerd.
Any monkey can learn technical skills. You need to bring your soft skills to the table these days as well. IT
needs humble, hard-working members who fully understand that If everyone knows what I know, then they
wouldnt be paying me to do what they pay me to do.
Lee Burns (Atillion)

IT Manager
Bend, OR

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21
Document your day.

Keep a record of all that youve worked on as you cross
it off your project list.
That way you have something to show your boss at
Read these two books that have done the most for
review time. And if he/she isnt impressed then you
my IT career: The Practice of System and Network Ad-
can use the list to update your resume.
ministration, and Getting Things Done.
Nicholas Tolstoshev (Nic)

Former Spiceworks Community Manager
Austin, TX

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22
Be unafraid. Be very unafraid.

Never be afraid of emerging technologies. Dont be the
department of NO, but rather, how can this technology be
used to make my (or other peoples) work easier?
Always network with other people in your industry.
When working with someone, always follow up with
Doing this will keep you abreast of different solutions
them, even if nothing is going on. Never leave your
and opinions of how technology is used. Yours is not
customer in the dark.
the only environment different environments require

different solutions, but sometimes theres ideas out
there that can help you enhance your environment.
Rob Dunn (robdunn)

Network/Systems Administrator, Rockford, IL
Robs IT Portfolio
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23
Simply put...
Label and document everything. Keep it simple.
Spiceworks is your friend. Learn new skills, and keep learning!
Remember customer service... talk to users on the phone with
a smile, (yea hard sometimes). You are serving them!
Streamline workflow, look for ways to improve processes.
Back up everything! Be a team player.
Alexia Andrew (Gadget Gal)

Help Desk Tech
Plainview, TX

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24
Manage your peeps.

If you really want to go farther, learn to manage people better.
Nearly 100 years ago a fellow by the name of Dale
Help others achieve results they had no idea they could,
Carnegie mentioned that around 15% of your success
so they can grow, get along at work, set realistic but
at work is technical, the other 85% is getting along with
stretch goals and surpass them.
others. Supervision and management, the real skills

of getting results via others is the MOST valuable skill
you can learn in 2014, not just for yourself but for you
department and for your organization.
These are things great managers do everyday. They

make a huge difference in organizational performance.
So stop taking certification, techie, hardware, software
courses and learn how to coach, mentor and lead.
Randy Ansems (RAnsems)

IT Director, Halifax, Canada
Randys IT Portfolio
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25
Soft skills for hard results.

Document, label, and document some more. Then make Projects
on Spiceworks. And for god sake, keep up with your certifications!
But one of the best IT tips for 2014: LEARN SOFT SKILLS.
They dont go to a library, to the Internet, to a guru, or
Nobody likes to receive an email in capital letters. Heck,
to a fortune teller. They come to you, because youre
it may even infuriate you. Your users (because thats why
their best resource. You ARE the library, the Internet,
were ALL here, for the users) dont like or need to be
and a guru to them.
treated like an idiot because they didnt know to turn it

off and on. Be nice! Were all human. Im paraphrasing
Tom Limoncelli here when I say this, but you should see
it as such a compliment that someone comes to you,
when they know absolutely nothing about something.
Sometimes even a fortune teller (I see a forgotten

password in your future...). So take it as a compliment,
slow down, maybe teach them a thing or two. They
may even surprise you and (successfully) try to fix it
themselves one day.
Justin Dale (JustinCredible)

IT Coordinator, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Justins IT Portfolio
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26
Kindergarten lessons...
Share! When we were in Kindergarten we were taught to share;
we should continue this practice. It will benefit you greatly.
Hoarding knowledge just makes the world more difficult.
1. Be friendly, even to your enemies. You may just win
4. Set up a server at home with a hypervisor on it. Play
them over. Data is important, and critical. Treat it like your
around with all the servers you have room to store.
life. It may just save yours (from an irate boss).

2. Dont be afraid to try something, but make a backup
first (preferably in two or more different locations)!
3. Immerse yourself in tech. Every possible moment, try
something different (MS Windows RT?). You will probably
be working on it sooner or later. More than likely the boss
5. Take time for a break, and get outta that chair.

6. Make a list of preventative maintenance tasks to do /
check on. It may just save your Super Smoked Applewood
BACON someday.
Read full quote
10 year-old will have one.
Josh Hymer (Gadget)

Network/Systems Administrator, Bruceville-Eddy, TX
Joshs IT Portfolio
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27
Document your day (the sequel).

For me these days, if something is worth doing, it is
worth documenting.
Documentation this one cannot be over emphasized. I can
My home test environment was a key learning tool for me
recall countless times going into an environment where there
as it allowed me to install, make changes, implement new
was no documentation and spending ungodly amounts of
technology, etc. without affecting real users. My wife and kids
time trying to figure something out. For me these days, if
may disagree now group policies locking down computers,
something is worth doing, it is worth documenting.
firewall preventing access to certain sites, etc.
Never stop learning EVER. It can be as simple as reading a
Set realistic goals short term and long term. Short term
technical book, installing Linux, install Active Directory at
take an IT certification every 6 months to stay current. Long
home or just learning any technology you are not familiar with.
term set a progressive career path like - Help Desk > Desktop Support > Network Administrator > Network Engineer >
Network Manager > Director of IT > VP of IT > CIO.
Read full quote
Bruce Gilbert (InkMaster)

Chief Technology Officer, Ft. Worth,Tx
Bruces IT Portfolio
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Hello, my name is...

Mingle. Networking is the best way to advance or change
your career.
Even in this web centric tablet wifi world of ours its personal relationships that make the real difference. Go
to professional gatherings, trade shows, even lunch with coworkers and friends, and make new or strengthen
friendships. A human will be much more likely to refer you to a job than a server.
Michael Fasman (michael fasman)

Digital Media Producer
San Francisco, CA

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Some micro-tips.
Improve your people skills! Even though most of our focus is
on implementing and maintaining technology systems, we
all still need to interface with users (people).
Go virtual -- even small networks are going with virtual
Get to know PowerShell v3 - for better or worse, more
servers. If you do not know VMware or Hyper-V you
and more Windows server management is done with
soon will not be able to work on any LAN!
cmdlets and scripting.
Tim Loga (Tim Loga)

IT Director, Mount Prospect, IL
Tims IT Portfolio
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Ring! Ring! Ring!

Best advice, which has helped me in every profession Ive
worked in: Answer the phone and return calls quickly.
Once people know that you do this, they become helpers and clients. They know if you dont answer the phone
you are either not there and you will call back at your first opportunity or you are neck deep in someone elses
problem and you will get neck deep in their problem as soon as you can. With a reputation for that, no one is
going to believe anyone who says you have been ignoring them.
Dan Hatt (danhatt)

Network/Systems Administrator, Los Angeles, CA
Dans IT Portfolio
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A.B.L: Always Be Learning.

Always Be Learning! - Seems straightforward but never rest
on your laurels, especially in IT.
Dont forget to treat your co-workers like your customers.
(And its good they dont, thats called job security!)
When it comes to technology, they dont always know
Always Be Patient! - Its often the hardest thing to have
what you know, or what you think they should know.
and the quickest thing to run out. Work at it and dont

let that happen.
Tim Brandt (DrakeCroft)

IT Manager, St. Paul, MN
Tims IT Portfolio
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Use your words.

Learn how to be a premier communicator it will come in
handy. People in IT have a reputation for not being the
best at communicating to non-technical people.
You will go far if you can speak to tech and non-tech people with ease. It is not always easy to do, however it is
worth trying and worth the practice. Take advice from people who have been in the industry for a long time as
they always have good tidbits to share!
Corrine R. Greenhalgh (Corrine572)

Enterprise Support Tech
Hadley, MA

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The times, they are a-changin...

The best thing you can do in IT is keep up on upcoming technology
and emerging threats. If you are not willing to keep up on newer
technology then you will get left behind quick.
Another is to be easily adaptable to change. If you are
I have been told by a lot of people that because I am
not willing to change at a moments notice then you
younger than a typical IT security guy that I cant pos-
are in the wrong field. As a security professional I have
sibly know how to react to a threat or give adequate
been put into multiple scenarios where I have had to
recommendations for risk mitigation. Dont buy into
change tactics at the drop of a hat.
others opinions of you. You are there to do a job and
If you cannot change and adapt then you will get

extremely stressed out and hate life. The last thing
I would say is dont let people tell you that you
they do not evaluate your performance your supervisors do. The results of your hard work will show and
will not go unappreciated.
cant do anything.
William McGuire (wmcguire)

IT Security Analyst, Trenton, OH
Williams IT Portfolio
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Wear the ware.

Learn VMware or Hyper-V. Learn how to say No to users without
sounding like you dont care about what they want (like, Cant
we switch from Windows to OS X?, or We should all get iPads!).
If you dont report to the correct boss, check for other signs you need a new employer. The HR manager was my
boss. She had no clue or care about IT and would volunteer the IT Department to help out other departments
with non-IT tasks. Fortunately, this all changed.
Brian Scheele (Brian Scheele)

Manager, Information Technology, Lancaster, PA
Brians IT Portfolio
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Youre my BFF.
I think the best advice I could give to any newcomers is be friendly.
Yes I know users can frustrate us all, but they are just people and yes sometimes picky people, but in the end
they are just looking for our expertise and we need to present it to them in a way they will understand. I really
try hard to make it my niche to be the friendly IT guy, as it gives me more perks than you think!
Justin Drakes (JDrakes)

Network/Systems Administrator
Meadville, PA

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So long, comfort zone!

The quote my previous boss drilled into my head. If youre not
uncomfortable youre not learning. Push yourself and spend time
to find a good process of documenting tasks to help you stay
organized. Set reminders in Outlook to follow up with vendors
and co-workers on projects you are waiting on. They will be
impressed with your fail-proof memory.
Seth Cooper (Static)
IT Manager, Kansas City, Kansas
Seths IT Portfolio
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Know your bottom line.

I always keep track of all of the ways that I have saved my
organization money. Whether it is by negotiating better pricing
on a product or reviewing existing contracts and services.
By far the most important thing you can do is To Be of Service to others in a professional and joyful way. Be
thankful for the awesome job that you get to do each day. I have been working in the IT field for over 14 years
and still feel grateful that I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up!
Dawn Wolf (Dawn7643)

IT Director, Sioux Falls, SD
Dawns IT Portfolio
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39
TIP
38
Love your field.

Pick an area of IT that you love doing at home... you will end up doing
this sometimes and it makes sense to not be bothered by it.
Read both of Tom Limoncellis books if you dont think you have time to read the big one then you need the
small one more than you might think. Both books are a must! Find a supervisor that you can learn leadership
skills as well at technical skills from it will help you grow like you cant imagine.
Shayne Kawalilak (SW-Desperado)

Network Systems Analyst, Edmonton, Canada
Shaynes IT Projects
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40
TIP
39
Learn to speak CEO/CFO.

OK, so you love learning new stuff and technology is your passion.
You can naturally assume that you will advance quickly in your
IT career, right? Well, the answer is not quite as simple as that.
You may get that Sys Admin job quickly, but in order
Your CEO/CFO doesnt care how you built your infrastruc-
to really advance your career, you will eventually
ture, they just care how much it cost and the benefits it
need to start working and explaining your projects
can bring to the organization. Being able to convey ideas
to non-IT folks.
in terms they can understand is key to promoting IT and

your own skillset in your organization.
Read full quote
Darren Schoen (Darren for VMWare)

Spiceworks Partner, Palo Alto, CA
Darrens IT Portfolio
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41
TIP
40
Follow your passion.

My advice is make sure this is your passion. You have to love
IT to stay in it. As soon as you start hating it youll start hating
the users who make you do it and thats a path you dont want
to go down.
Martin Pugh (Martin9700)
IT pro, Milford, MA
Martins IT Portfolio
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42
TIP
41
Know IT!
Keep learning... whether studying to finish a degree, acquire a
certificate, or self-taught... do not get stuck in one type of
technology or one way of doing things.
Also, be a yes man (or woman). My predecessor said no a lot. I will always give things a try. Sure, you
may not get something to work but the reward of getting all the other things to work that you may
have initially thought would not is an amazing feeling. Both of my tips keep you from feeling bored
and stuck in your current position.
Christine Wilson (cwils14)

Systems Administrator, Warrenton, VA
Christines IT Portfolio
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43
TIP
42
Quick Top 5.
1. Always make only one change at a time when troubleshooting.
2. Documentation, documentation, documentation, and
documentation.
3. Never be afraid to ask for help, check newsgroups, peers (Spiceworks!), a two-second question may save
you hours of work.
4. No is not an answer -- dont be afraid to try. If it fails or cant work, at least you tried and learned something.
5. If all else fails S.W.A.G. Strategic Wild Ass Guessing . Its bailed me out more than once.
Real Verrier (Cigar-Boy)

Network/Systems Administrator, Edmonton, Canada
Reals IT Portfolio
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44
TIP
43
Let em know you did IT.

My 2 cents after 36 years of IT/Tech/Programming:
Make sure you are able to let everyone know what you
did to fix and to avoid issues. The silent ones get ignored.
Dont be too brash and full of yourself, but by our very
Getting burned once with a great idea that is either
nature techies are quiet, get out there and crow when
flawed or simply not understood can set you back in
you do good!
your career, so make changes carefully and wisely.
Make sure when you make system changes that you
Get lots of input first, then feedback later to make sure
do them properly, and communicate with everyone
any changes you made were understood and imple-
in dumbspeak (few and simple words) that your end
mented and USED properly. Give them a hammer and
users can understand.
they will use it like a screwdriver if they dont understand what the tool does and how to use it properly.
Greg Joiner (Zaphod)

Network/Systems Administrator
Bushnell, FL

#SpicyCareerTips
45
TIP
44
Goal!
Set some goals and create a plan to achieve them.
Be realistic about them.
1. Is there a specific technology that you need/want
to learn? Have your goal establish a firm definition for
achievement. Get certified in XX by XX/XX/XX date or
Have XX technology implemented by XX/XX/XX date.
2. What incremental steps will you need to take to

make that happen? Do you need to take classes? Do
you need to find them first? List out all of those steps
Valerie Huffman (DarthVal)

Technology Manager, Hickory, NC
Valeries IT Portfolio
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46
TIP
45
Be a know-it-all.
Never stop learning. There are a lot of free resources and some
that are fairly inexpensive to be able to expand your knowledge
of what interests you or what you want to accomplish. There is
always going to be something new to learn.
Steven Lipp (SLipp82)

Helpdesk Administrator, Cranberry Township, PA
Stevens IT Portfolio
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47
TIP
46
Dream Big.
Follow your passion, dont be afraid to ask for help, and
dont give up on your dreams. As long as you keep pushing
forward to grow, you will always look back and be grateful
for where you are.
John Schuepbach (Shuey)
IT Manager, Baltimore, MD
Johns IT Portfolio
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48
TIP
47
Fancy meeting you here...

Join some of your local meetups and groups that are in the interests
that you hold. Im part of the Information Systems Security Association,
Infragard, my local VMUG (VMware users group), and more but you get
the idea. Grow your network of people because you will never know
when you might need their help.
Michael Cimino (MCimino)
Network/Systems Administrator, Delaware, OH
Michaels IT Portfolio
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49
TIP
48
Be human.
Work on people skills. All too often we are excellent with
machines but have a serious failure to connect with the
humans that use those machines we service. Poor social skills
can block any advancement, no matter how excellent your
technical skills are.
Amanda Hagen (Hageam)

Recent Computer Science graduate, Norwich, CT
Amandas IT Portfolio
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50
TIP
49
Keep up your mad skills.

The quote my previous boss drilled into my head. If youre
not uncomfortable youre not learning.
Keep on top of your current skill set update your
For contractors, network and build good relationships
qualifications and expand. If interested, look at cloud
with all employers you contract for and always give
technology. Learn some form of coding C# is cur-
110%. Loads of courses out there to refresh yourself.
rently highly in demand and will be for some time.
Enjoy what you do if you dont enjoy it, youre in

the wrong job!
Pasha Shah (pasha shah)

Help Desk Tech
London, UK

#SpicyCareerTips
51
TIP
50
Power to the shell.

Id have to say, the best tip I can give to any Windows server
administrator is: Learn PowerShell.
Over that last year I have been learning PowerShell
And lastly, create yourself a home virtual server.
the best I can (with the help of the PowerShell group
Something with either VMware ESXi (preferred) or
in Spiceworks, I love you guys) It is the easiest and
Microsoft Hyper-V. Both are really nice Hypervisors
most effective way to manage multiple servers. (I have
for hosting virtual machines. VMware is a bit more
104 windows servers that I manage, so PowerShell is
feature-rich and mature, but Hyper-V comes with
the ONLY way to go.)
high-availability features built in. ESXi would require
Another tip is to just keep reading, you will learn so
a license to enable these features.
much from just reading posts you find on Spiceworks,

or researching Google for a new project you would
like to complete. I cant stress this enough.
Matt Bergeron (Chamele0n)

IPTV Administrator, Langley, WA
Matts IT Portfolio
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ABOUT THE TIPS

So how exactly did we gather such valuable career advice from IT pros (and marketers) who know? We just started a thread
in the Spiceworks Community, and it took on a life of its own! Its crowdsourcing at its most powerful!
Whats the Spiceworks Community, you ask? Its where more than 4 million IT pros come to trade tech tips, show off their
awesome IT projects and share real-world advice (as well as their love for bacon and zombies!). Plus, experts from tech vendors
are there as well -- talkin shop and answering IT questions. Like to be part of the IT revolution?
Join us in the Spiceworks Community!
A VERY SPECIAL THANKS

Not to get too sappy, but everyone here at Spiceworks HQ
just wanted to extend our spiciest appreciation: THANK YOU!
To every SpiceHead (IT pro), marketer and Spiceworks employee who took the time to share the love with a little career
advice: YOU ROCK!.
Who knows? maybe your tidbit of wisdom could help

someone get a well-deserved raise... or even score a promotion. You did your part, and we salute you.
Thanks for keepin IT spicy!
The Spiceworks Team

Who the heck is Spiceworks?
#SpicyCareerTips
53
SPONSORED BY:
About VMware
VMware is the leader in virtualization and cloud
infrastructure solutions that enable businesses to thrive
in the Cloud Era. Customers rely on VMware to help
them transform the way they build, deliver and consume
Information Technology resources in a manner that is
PRODUCED BY:
.About Spiceworks
Spiceworks is the professional network for IT more than 5 million IT professionals use to connect with one another
and over 3,000 technology brands. The company simplifies how IT professionals discover, buy and manage more
than $525 billion in technology products and services each year. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks is
backed by Adams Street Partners, Austin Ventures, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Goldman Sachs, Shasta
Ventures and Tenaya Capital. For more information visit www.spiceworks.com.
evolutionary and based on their specific needs. With 2013
Follow Spiceworks on Twitter: twitter.com/spiceworks and connect with Spiceworks on Facebook: www.facebook.
revenues of $5.21 billion, VMware has more than 500,000
com/Spiceworks.
customers and 55,000 partners.

The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley with
offices throughout the world and can be found online at
www.vmware.com.
The contents in this publication are a result of primary research performed by Spiceworks. Unless otherwise noted, the entire contents
distributed as part of this report are copyrighted by Spiceworks. As such any information made available by any means in this report may
not be copied, reproduced, duplicated, published, displayed, transmitted, distributed, given, sold, traded, resold, marketed, offered for
sale, modified to create derivative works or otherwise exploited for valuable consideration without prior written consent by Spiceworks.
For more information, visit www.spiceworks.com.
This report contains information of fact relating to parties other than Spiceworks. Although the information have been obtained from, and
are based on sources that Spiceworks believes to be reliable, Spiceworks does not guarantee the accuracy, and any such information might
be incomplete or condensed. Any estimates included in this report constitute Spiceworks judgment as of the date of compilation, and are
subject to change without notice. This report is for information purposes only. All responsibility for any interpretations or actions based on
the information or commentary contained within this report lie solely with the recipient. All rights reserved. 2014.
#SpicyCareerTips
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Where IT goes to work.
Show off your best work.

Bring your IT projects to life with a free Spiceworks IT Portfolio
Get Started Now
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Where IT goes to work.

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ADVICE FROM

Featuring dozens of actual IT

Start your free IT portfolio to display your best career accomplishments.

Top Career Advice from IT Pros

These career-saving (and enhancing) tips are

Youre a pro, no doubt about it. But if theres one

brought to you by seasoned IT pros, savvy marketers...

and even a few Spiceworks employees who might

learning never stops. Just like those users who keep

know a thing or two about tech. You can also check

losing their passwords over and over again its going

out the amazing projects in their IT portfolios for more

to keep happening... forever.

expert insights and then create your own. Learn how

So in the spirit of packing your brain full of as

to stay relevant in a world thats changing faster than

from the mouths of real tech experts. Whether youre

Top Career Advice from IT Pros

At that point you have a track record of being able

projects. Once you demonstrate you can be a senior

to do the job and this will assuage any management

systems administrator, for example, you can make

your own case for promotion.

Scott Roberts (jhuscott)

Want to show off your IT prowess like Scott did?

Start your free IT portfolio to display your best career accomplishments.

Top Career Advice from IT Pros

Katie Drucker (Katie)

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Start your free IT portfolio to display your best career accomplishments.

Top Career Advice from IT Pros

Tales from the script...

Eli Etherton (Eli @ elitehcomputerguy.com)

Want to show off your IT prowess like Eli did?

Start your free IT portfolio to display your best career accomplishments.

Top Career Advice from IT Pros

Polish up your resume.

Expand this with an interactive portfolio online that con-

cisely shows off all of your different skills, and be sure to

about your solutions to different tough problems you

explain, in a nutshell, what sets it apart. Be aware that the

encounter at work. With social media such a big part of the

non-tech savvy (including HR people!) may not understand

world nowadays, employers are attracted to bringing on

what theyre looking at, at first glance. Be a go getter to-

board rock stars online celebrities who bring with them

day more than ever. The economy is tough nowadays and

a following, have the ability to create buzz, and are able to

employers are being hit hard, so you really need to show

summarize for their employers where the industry is head-

off how you can bring a positive ROI to your company.

ed and how to move forward. Read full quote

Dani Horowitz (Dani at DaniWeb.com)

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Start your free IT portfolio to display your best career accomplishments.

Top Career Advice from IT Pros

Know thy cloud.

Michael Pietroforte (Michael @ 4sysops.com)

Want to display your IT career know-how?

Start your free IT portfolio to display your best career accomplishments.

Top Career Advice from IT Pros

Nice guys always win.

Youll have a better relationship with users and theyll