SysAdmin Show

SysAdmin Show

By Dustin Reybrouck: IT System AdministratorBusinessTechnologyEducationHow ToCareers
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SysAdmin Show episodes

  • SAS 028 – In the Lab with pfSense and OpenVPN

    In this lab episode I run through the setup process for OpenVPN on pfSense.  If you’re new to pfSense check out episode 10.  This is a great opportunity to get hands on experience with networking, VLANs and working with certificates.  Education and book knowledge is important, but hand on experience is critical!

    You can also check on this episode on my YouTube channel.

    34 min
  • SAS 026 – Resumes and Interviews

    This episode is all about the resume writing and interviewing process.  You may not need this information now, but when you do following these guidelines will help you get the job you want with competitive compensation.

    Fitness Plug: Anyone interested in achieving some fitness goals should check out my wife’s Instagram.  She is a Beachbody coach as is great at helping people get on a fitness and nutrition plan that works for them.  https://www.instagram.com/hreybrouck

    • Resume
      • Having a quality resume will help you stand out in the pile of other equally qualified candidates
      • A cover letter takes some extra effort, but can show that you are a serious candidate and are being proactive
      • Research
        • Your resume should be specific for the position you want and the hiring company
        • Visit their website and social media accounts
        • Look at job postings for similar roles with other companies
        • Look at the experience people in that role have in Linked-In
        • What should resumes look like
        • What information should be included or avoided?
        • Have someone proofread it
        • Example job posting
        • Resume example
        • Cover Letter example
        • Don’t mention salary
        • Interviewing
          • Dress as best you are able.  Suit and tie preferably.  Even if the dress code is relaxed for the position, looking professional for the interview is important
          • Be ready to explain or expand on every aspect of your resume
          • Practice answering common interview questions
          • Have questions ready to ask them
            • This show genuine interest and preparation
            • 360 interview
            • Bring a notepad and pen to take notes
            • Never refer to notes during an interview
            • Make eye contact but occasionally look away too
            • It’s ok to be nervous, it’s expected and not usually held against you unless it’s extreme
              • If so then practice with a friend
              • Don’t bring up salary or compensation
                • If questioned on it say that you are open to any reasonable offers
                • You want them to give a number first
                • You can decline to disclose current or past compensation levels
                • Negotiation begins after you’ve been offered the job
                  • Salary
                  • Bonus
                  • PTO
                  • 401k
                  • Health Insurance
                  • Retirement
                  • Perks
                  • Research compensation for similar roles in your region
                    • Be prepared to backup what you’re asking for with market data
                    • Glass door
                    • Unless specifically outlined in the offer don’t expect large performance based increases after you “prove” yourself
                      • 37 min
                    • SAS 025 – In the Lab – Intro to PowerShell

                      In this lab episode I run through a recent PowerShell project.  This is a very basic example will give you an idea what can be done with PowerShell.  The YouTube video for this episode can be found at https://youtu.be/SXv-ZVV9ioc.

                       

                      As promised I have included the final scripts below.

                      ##########################demo.ps1#####################

                      #Define variables

                      $webdata = “”
                      $complete = “”

                      #scrape website content to variable

                      $webdata = Invoke-WebRequest “www.sysadminshow.com”

                      while ($complete -ne “1”)

                      {
                      if($webdata -like “*SysAdmin Show*”) # check for specific string
                      {
                      write-host “Found it!”
                      $complete = “1”
                      Start-Process calc.exe
                      }
                      else
                      {
                      write-host “Not Ready”
                      }

                      Start-Sleep -Seconds 1

                      }

                      ####################launch.bat#####################

                      powershell -WindowStyle Hidden “c:\scripts\demo.ps1”

                       

                      45 min
                    • SAS 024 – Security+

                      This episode is an overview of the Security+ course I recently took.

                      • The Security+ course is intended for those with 2 year of IT experience
                      • The course is broken down into 6 modules
                      • 21 Hours of training videos on LinkedIn Learning
                        • https://www.comptia.jp/pdf/Security%2B%20SY0-501%20Exam%20Objectives.pdf
                        • Threats attacks and vulnerabilities – 21%
                          • Types of attacks/threats
                          • Pen testing
                          • Technology and tools – 22%
                            • Setting up network equipment
                            •  Introduction to various types of networking technology
                            • Architecture and design – 15%
                              • Deploying secure solutions
                              • Identity and access management – 16%
                                • Introduction to various authentication and authorization methods
                                • Risk Management – 14%
                                  • How to balance risk vs cost
                                  • Cryptography and PKI – 12%
                                    • Cyphers, encryption and certificates
                                    • Exam SYO-501
                                      • 90 Questions or less
                                        • Multiple Choice
                                        • Performance Based
                                          • https://simulation.comptia.org/
                                          • 90 Minutes
                                          • Passing Score of 750 out of 900
                                          • Even if you don’t intend to get the certification the information in this course is a valuable asset to anyone working in IT.
                                            • 1 hr 39 min
                                          • SAS 023 – Motivation

                                            Today’s episode is all about getting motivated.  If you feel like your stuck spinning your wheels in your IT career this episode will help you get moving!

                                            • We are motivated for many different reasons
                                              • Basic needs
                                                • Food
                                                • Water
                                                • Shelter
                                                • Peer pressure
                                                  • They want
                                                  • Guilt/Fear/Obligation
                                                    • I should
                                                    • Reward
                                                      • I can
                                                      • Internal desire – the most rare
                                                        • I want
                                                        • Why does motivation matter?
                                                          • You will be most satisfied with a career founded on an internal desire
                                                          • Recognition, guild and money will only bring you so much satisfaction
                                                          • You will likely spend 30-40 years working, so you might as well enjoy it
                                                          • You will earn more if you enjoy do
                                                          • How to get motivated
                                                            • Motivation follows action
                                                              • Try something, even if you don’t want to
                                                              • Think about what you have liked in the past
                                                              • Make a plan
                                                              • Take steps toward your goal, anything to get you closer to it
                                                              • Focus on one primary goal for a specific period of time
                                                              • Create affirmation statements
                                                                • I am valuable
                                                                • Identify and remove self limiting beliefs
                                                                  • I don’t deserve to make over X
                                                                  • Work shouldn’t be fun

                                                                    • Final Thoughts

                                                                    •  Feeling that your work matters and that you are making a difference is considered the number one reason for job satisfaction
                                                                      • 42 min
                                                                    • SAS 022 – Arbitrary Update – Sci-fi, Security+, DevOps, Fitness, Life

                                                                      This is a new type of episode I’m trying out.  In there “Arbitrary Update” episodes I will be sharing anything and everything that is on my mind.  Some of it may be SysAdmin and Technology focused, but not all of it.  I do expect most of it will resonate with many of you.  I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this new format that will be mixed in with my topical and lab episodes.  You can send your questions or comments to [email protected].

                                                                      In today’s show I discuss:

                                                                      • Avengers Endgame
                                                                      • Influx – Daniel Suarez
                                                                      • Security+
                                                                      • DevOps
                                                                      • Fitness Journey
                                                                      • Life is hard, give yourself a break
                                                                        • 28 min
                                                                      • SAS 021 – Ticketing Systems

                                                                        In today’s show I discuss what ticketing systems are and some of their primary features.

                                                                        •  Overview
                                                                          • Ticketing systems allow us to collect, assign and report on specific tasks
                                                                          • I consider a basic ticketing  system a necessity for any IT team
                                                                          • Centralized Request Management
                                                                            • What happens if someone is  out sick or on vacation?
                                                                            • How do you check the status of an open request that you aren’t working on?
                                                                            • All requests should be centralized
                                                                            • Support Contact Methods
                                                                              • Email
                                                                              • Call
                                                                              • Website
                                                                              • Chat
                                                                              • Walk-ups
                                                                              • Team Workflow
                                                                                • Who reviews new requests  (triage)
                                                                                • Do you have specific people for specific applications, or support tiers based on complexity?
                                                                                • Do you need to work with other departments or vendors at times?
                                                                                • Automation
                                                                                  • Auto-Response for new requests to confirm receipt and set expectations
                                                                                  • Notifications
                                                                                    • Emails/Text messages sent to requester & agents as needed
                                                                                    • Escalation
                                                                                      • New request actions
                                                                                      • Request due date actions
                                                                                      • Reporting & Metrics
                                                                                        • Agent activity report
                                                                                        • Most troublesome systems
                                                                                        • Total support requests per week/month/year
                                                                                          • This can show the need for more staff
                                                                                          • Use Cases
                                                                                            • Internal IT team
                                                                                            • Customer Support Team
                                                                                            • Facilities Management Team
                                                                                            • Procurement/Purchasing Team

                                                                                              •  

                                                                                              • Final Thoughts
                                                                                                • Any system you can put in that reduces the opportunity for mistakes is recommended
                                                                                                • As with any technology or software it will only work as well as your processes.  It won’t replace the need for a well understood workflow.
                                                                                                • Can be on-premises or cloud based
                                                                                                • Free options are available including Spiceworks
                                                                                                • Next week – Asset Management
                                                                                                  • 37 min
                                                                                                • SAS 020 – In the Lab with Server 2019 Core

                                                                                                  In this episode I walk  through the process of installing Server 2019 Core.

                                                                                                  Hands on experience is critical for anyone looking to start or enhance their IT career.

                                                                                                  I am using my Windows 10 Pro computer with Hyper-V for this lab, so give this a try at  home and let  me know how it goes.  I plan to continue building out this Hyper-V lab in future episodes.

                                                                                                  As requested a YouTube screen capture of this episode is also available.  https://youtu.be/_ZYv6BHqvgE

                                                                                                  1 hr 17 min

                                                                                                About SysAdmin Show

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                                                                                                A podcast focused on the Information Technology workplace. We discuss career opportunities, education/training and the technologies used today.