Here's how you can break free from career stagnation as a System Administrator.

IT is constantly changing. It's what makes IT so interesting and rather cool. The best way to ensure you are not stagnating is to ensure you are upskilling and learning. Talk to your manager about training classes that may be offered in your company. When I worked at County Gov they sent us to training ever six months or so to keep up with the changing environment. This was important and extremely invaluable to ensuring we had the skills to support the environment. If that is not available, sign up for free courses like AWS Skills Center, Microsoft's Azure Training & Skills Programs, even Schneider Electric offers free classes for Datacenter Operations. Then dedicate a couple hours a week to learning new stuff.

I've harped on this one before, but it's always worth repeating. Building a network can be as crucial as upskilling to keep your career moving forward. Not a social butterfly? No problem. Dive into online forums and discussions, but remember, be an active and positive contributor. Prefer face-to-face? Join local associations or attend networking events. Is there a trade show your company can send you to? These can be great for networking (and new can koozies or keychains!), just work past the sales pitches to find fellow techies. The people you connect with, whether online or in person, can open doors to new knowledge for today or exciting new jobs for tomorrow.

IT Administration, or System's Engineering is a vast field. While no one can know everything in all areas, one can zero in on a specific area that excites you. There are so many fields from OS, Network, Cyber, Automation, Scripting and database to IT asset management, IT Project Management, that you are sure to find something you want to really zoom in on and dare I say become a SME (subject Matter Expert) on.

Mentoring is one of my favorite things to do. IT is expanding so rapidly that those of us who are "old school" admins have a wealth of knowledge and tricks to pass on. Where you may think something is quick and easy, others may be completely new to it. Mentoring others not only helps them, but helps you to build leadership and people skills. After all mentoring is a 'soft skills' booster. Getting to know others in the field can offer tremendous insights into how other's see IT. It's also fun!

Change is coming whether you like it or not, so why not embrace it head-on? While some might jump over to new companies, you can also shake things up right where you are today. Don't be afraid to seek out new projects, or even dive into roles you’ve never tackled before, and you’ll uncover parts of your company you never knew existed. Plus, you'll connect with folks who can help you grow both your skillset and your network. Keeping your career fresh is all about continual growth, so explore new opportunities whether it’s within your current gig or somewhere entirely new.