Network Engineer or System Administrator

[Imdmn04]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA

Originally posted by: Imdmn04

Originally posted by: orakle
Network engineers aren't real engineers. They're like garbage men who call themselves sanitation engineers.. The truth is if you don't write a PEng exam and join the professional order in your state/province/country you have no right to call yourself an engineer (unless you're a sound engineer or a railway engineer).

Yeah, I like to see you pass a Cisco CCIE exam.

Any job that requires lots of logical deduction and thinking in technical terms can be called engineering.

Just because the engineering society haven't officially recognized the practice, does not mean it doesn't require an engineering process to do it.

Back in the 1930s, there were only 3 types of engineering: mechanical, electrical, and civil.

Now we have a dozen of engineering practices, it won't take long before others are recognized.

Sounds like you have an elitist problem.

ability to use somebody's product doesn't make you an engineer. Ability to make it.. that is another story.

Sorry, but so called network engineers are nothing more than skilled laborers such as electricians... I've never heard them calling themselves engineers.

You use other's product to design a network, just like you use CAD to design a car being a mechanical engineer.

I am sorry, but everybody uses everybody else's products to design their own product. This "traditional engineer" elitism is laughable. While the "traditional engineer" look down on network engineers as laborers, corporate looks down all technical personnel as "grunt work" men.

So throw your elitsm aside because all engineers "tradtional or not" are just perceived as worker bees in the eyes of management. Looking down upon one another is like having chickens looking down on turkeys. When in reality, we are all at the mercy of our owners.

Get the hell over it, nobody looks at "traditional engineers" as if they are somehow technical Gods other than those PEs themselves. Especially in the eyes of the company, you are just another worker bee, nothing more special than the "fake engineers" and nothing less.

 

[Platypus]

Ah, the elitism of a title.

OP, ignore this pointless interruption to your thread. In 'the real world' ie IT in large corporations your title will be Network Engineer, end of story. The problem is that titles have lost meaning; what one company calls system administrator or network engineer differs greatly in the tasks that you perform compared to another company.

Anyway to answer your question I went into a sys admin position because I just prefer the work more, it's very fulfilling for me to be in high stress and impact situations and come up with solutions on the fly and 'save the day.' I work some pretty insane hours but it's manageable and actually kind of fun. I have coverage shifts from 6pm till 8am sometimes that I can do at home.. other times it's during the day, basically during these you're to be available 24/7 in case of problems. The servers I have to maintain are mostly mission critical and would see nationwide impact if certain ones go down, etc. It's very fast paced at times but like I said it's manageable because you'll go a few weeks at a time of normal 9-5 inbetween. Not all sys admin positions are like that, it's very dependent on the company you work for. PM me if you have any other questions, good luck with your decision

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: MadOni0n
Sys Admin work is more unix based coding work correct? and networking is more hands on? I'm just starting off in college, so i don't have much experience yet.

It not about unix only...depends what platforms you run. You can be MS, Vax, RS4000, etc too. Depends the infrastructure.

I have found both jobs overlap and except for the largest companies are usually handled together.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: orakle

Originally posted by: MadOni0n

Originally posted by: orakle
Network engineers aren't real engineers. They're like garbage men who call themselves sanitation engineers.. The truth is if you don't write a PEng exam and join the professional order in your state/province/country you have no right to call yourself an engineer (unless you're a sound engineer).

Whats with all the hate?

I've got no problem with sysadmins. It just brings down the profession when everyone and his brother starts calling themselves engineers.

Hmm alot of network engineers do way more engineering than actual ones.

I think this may be a case that someone is ticked another profession makes a hell of a lot more than them.

I know many Net Engineers making 6 figures, I know of only some ME/EE/CE's approaching six figures. The Net Engineers I know also usually end up with another 30% in pay in the form of bonuses.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: TheSlamma

Originally posted by: MadOni0n
also how is the job market currently?

Junk

South Florida and many places are having a hard time finding QUALIFIED network engineers.

If you think you have what it takes apply with Coleman Technology. www.ctiusa.com

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA

Originally posted by: Imdmn04

Originally posted by: orakle
Network engineers aren't real engineers. They're like garbage men who call themselves sanitation engineers.. The truth is if you don't write a PEng exam and join the professional order in your state/province/country you have no right to call yourself an engineer (unless you're a sound engineer or a railway engineer).

Yeah, I like to see you pass a Cisco CCIE exam.

Any job that requires lots of logical deduction and thinking in technical terms can be called engineering.

Just because the engineering society haven't officially recognized the practice, does not mean it doesn't require an engineering process to do it.

Back in the 1930s, there were only 3 types of engineering: mechanical, electrical, and civil.

Now we have a dozen of engineering practices, it won't take long before others are recognized.

Sounds like you have an elitist problem.

ability to use somebody's product doesn't make you an engineer. Ability to make it.. that is another story.

Sorry, but so called network engineers are nothing more than skilled laborers such as electricians... I've never heard them calling themselves engineers.

What do civil engineers make?

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
What do civil engineers make?

Bridges and stuff, don't they?

 

[RichUK]

Take a business management degree and strive towards project/programme management, that?s where the money?s at.

Are you a sheep or a shepherd?

/thread

 

[jlbenedict]

With all the flaming and hate set aside: just learn it all.. its always a good thing to have a broad range of skills.
Nothing wrong with being labeled as: "Jack Of All Trades"

 

[MadOni0n]

lol might as well flow with it since this thread is way off.

Originally posted by: RichUK
Take a business management degree and strive towards project/programme management, that?s where the money?s at.

Are you a sheep or a shepherd?

/thread

why what do you do? what have you went into, advertising? marketing? sales?

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: MadOni0n
lol might as well flow with it since this thread is way off.

Originally posted by: RichUK
Take a business management degree and strive towards project/programme management, that?s where the money?s at.

Are you a sheep or a shepherd?

/thread

why what do you do? what have you went into, advertising? marketing? sales?

Project Management: I work on the defence accounts for the MoD, on the NHS contract, and various other contracts.

A specific degree in this field will help you understand the methodologies, processes and theories behind this type of work. It?s not until you start working as a junior PM and start practicing your theory that you develop your skills and become a good project manager. With all management roles, success is built on people management, and knowing how to get the most out of the people you work with.

Bearing in mind this line of work is not suited for everyone, as a LOT of responsibility comes with the job. As you can imagine a Project Manager is ultimately responsible throughout the entire life cycle of the project, so there?s no way you can palm off the work or responsibility to someone else if the going gets tough.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: alkemyst
What do civil engineers make?

Bridges and stuff, don't they?

one that was part of the engineering firm I worked for planned traffic management and stuff.

I think bridges may be planned by the civil engineer but created by the mechanical one.