Data Center Skills Upgrades – What You Need
Posted July 19th, 2013
Job roles in the data center are transforming quicker than in any other space in IT. Today’s data centers require workers who have a varied mix of IT, facilities storage optimization and (even) security management expertise.
Historically, data center employees focused on IT issues. But today, they do so much more, making experienced data center employees much harder to recruit. However, thanks to virtualization, the data center is now where everything comes all together – networking, facilities, business units, security and storage. The historically autonomous technology “silos” of server, storage and networking are breaking down. Employees now need to know how different parts come together and impact each other.
In addition, there are new concerns – regulatory mandates, energy constraints and real estate issues – that often impact data center workers. For example, with companies running out of space and encountering new issues about energy efficiency, data center workers need to reach outside their comfort zone, get away from the traditional segregation of duties and educate themselves on other areas.
The best thing you can do is to learn a little something from every area in which you have no experience and develop a knowledge base. For example, look to facilities to know how voltage variations and spikes in temperatures will affect devices.
In addition, there are certain soft skills that successful data center employees must have:
- Strong Sales Skills – Selling is now a skill that is needed everywhere. In the data center, change is constant and occurs quickly. Change management is partly sales. If you are the one who is responsible for selecting and/or implementing new data center-wide tools for a new virtual cloud infrastructure, you may need to “sell” other data center employees of the advantages and benefits of your selection.
- Become an Acronym expert – As you begin interacting with people from other parts of IT or employees in other departments, you will need to learn how they speak. Every department and division communicates differently – with different acronyms sprinkled throughout their conversations. For example, a facilities person may tell you that a UPS is having issues and you need to know that he is not talking about a delivery man in a big, brown truck but an “uninterruptable power supply”; you need to know that before any issues occur.
- Strong People Skills – Crossing technical specialties brings with it the need participate in more cross-functional teams. This increased need for teamwork brings not only the need to learn about the different technology silos of server, storage and networking but the need to refine your interpersonal skills. Teams must talk to one another in a productive manner. There are fewer and fewer jobs available that simply allow you to sit at a computer all day and never interact with anyone else. Therefore, your ability to successfully communicate with others will have a direct effect on your professional success.
If you are looking to hire a technology professional today, Bayside Solutions can provide the people you need. Give us a call today!
