You’re a network administrator. How do you know if you’re doing a good job?

1 Set clear goals

The first step to knowing if you are doing a good job is to have clear and realistic goals for your network administration tasks. These goals should align with your organization's objectives, priorities, and expectations. For example, you may have goals related to network uptime, bandwidth usage, backup frequency, security compliance, user satisfaction, or troubleshooting speed. You should also have a way to track and document your progress and achievements, such as using network monitoring tools, reports, logs, or feedback forms.

2 Seek feedback

Another way to assess your performance is to seek feedback from your stakeholders, such as your managers, colleagues, clients, or users. Feedback can help you understand how your network administration affects the productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction of others, as well as identify any issues, gaps, or opportunities for improvement. You can collect feedback through various methods, such as surveys, interviews, reviews, or meetings. You should also be open to constructive criticism and suggestions, and use them to improve your skills and processes.

3 Learn new skills

Network administration is a dynamic and evolving field that requires constant learning and adaptation. To keep up with the latest technologies, trends, and best practices, you should invest in your professional development and acquire new skills and knowledge. You can do this by taking courses, certifications, webinars, workshops, or online tutorials. You can also join professional networks, forums, or communities where you can exchange ideas, insights, and experiences with other network administrators.

4 Solve problems

One of the core competencies of a network administrator is problem-solving. You should be able to identify, analyze, and resolve network problems quickly and effectively, minimizing the impact on your organization's operations and reputation. You should also be able to prevent potential problems by implementing proactive measures, such as regular maintenance, updates, backups, audits, or tests. You should also document and communicate your problem-solving process and results, and learn from your mistakes and successes.

5 Innovate and improve

Finally, a good network administrator is not satisfied with the status quo, but always looks for ways to innovate and improve the network infrastructure and performance. You should be able to research, evaluate, and implement new solutions, tools, or techniques that can enhance the network functionality, security, or efficiency. You should also be able to optimize the network resources, costs, or processes by eliminating waste, redundancy, or inefficiency. You should also be able to demonstrate the value and benefits of your innovations and improvements to your organization.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?