sysadmin - 2nd or 3rd line?

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I'm struggling to find System administrator jobs. i've been doing it where i currently work for 3 years but want to move as I am relocating.

What i keep seeing are 2nd or 3rd line roles, either for IT services companies or larger inhouse IT departments.

Trouble is, the 2nd line roles pay less than I'm earning as a SysAdmin but the 3rd line descriptions sound too demanding.

I really dont know where i fit in. In my current role I am currently building a lot of new systems, e.g. SQL clusters with SAN Storage, new firewall installation/migration and a new VPN zone for remote workers. Does this make me 3rd line?

I guess I don't really understand the difference between sys admin and 3rd line "support" or service desk engineer roles - any advice??

 

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Those are just titles to be honest... I think what you're doing qualifies for a 3rd line support. I would apply for 3rd line jobs if I were you and during interviews you can ask what is to be expected of your role, etc...

 

Has anybody got any definition of 1st/2nd/3rd ?

 

Every company is different. What is 2nd line at one company might be 3rd line at another, so there's no clear-cut definitions. When in doubt, look at the job description.

 

what do you make of doing in-house IT versus IT Support Engineer for IT Services organisations? Is it possible for one to move from one to the other?

 

Yep, though the jobs are quite different. With an in-house job, you're supporting the same old network with the same old users each and every day, and you tend to have more of a say in how IT is handled in your company. But if the network doesn't change much, the job can become stale. With an IT service support job, you are exposed to a lot of different networks, which is a good thing. However, it can also be much more stressful, because as you're doing support, the customer's clock is ticking. Plus, you are often limited in what you are allowed to do - although you can give advice, you don't have much control over what gets implemented... you do only what the customer wants you to do.