Working in the field.
WHAT ROLES EXIST
Facility technicians, handling power and cooling plant Data centre technicians, handling equipment and cabling Network engineers Systems engineers Operations and monitoring staff Security staff Management and planning roles
WHAT SKILLS ARE VALUED
Electrical and mechanical understanding, for facility roles Networking fundamentals Systems administration Careful, documented working Composure during incidents
THAT LAST ONE
Underrated, and decisive during failures.
WHAT MATTERS AS MUCH AS TECHNICAL SKILL
Following procedure Recording what was done Communicating clearly
WHY
Most serious incidents involve a procedural failure rather than a technical one.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS HELP
Vendor certifications in networking and systems Facility-specific certifications Electrical qualifications, for plant roles
WHAT TO LEARN FIRST
Networking fundamentals, and how power and cooling actually work.
WHY THOSE
They underpin everything else in the facility.
WHAT EXPERIENCE PROVIDES
Judgement about what matters, which cannot be taught quickly.
