Hello Chris Before my current function, I was working as a generalist. I did some desktop support, LAN/WAN admin and overall IT management. I wasn't first line support therefore much of what I did was in the area of problem resolution. The downside to desktop support is if the system is locked up there isn't much to do. I carried a USB stick with NV access and would load it up for a lot of the basic work on resolving problems. Take down and setup wasn't bad. From time to time I did have to ask the person to read out what was on their monitor. I didn't implement any remote access software. If a person was at another site, I would just get them to read the parts of the screen I needed and walk them through the steps to determine and fix the problem. Servers are a little easier. Novell has web based pages that allow you to do almost everything. Uninterrupted power Supplies have some features that you can access through the browser. And servers come with ILO ports as HP call them. This allows me to connect to a server via the browser and perform a health check, power it down, reboot it or power it up. Windows servers are easier for me to administer. But like a desktop there are points in setting up where someone needs to read the monitor. Routers and switches also allow access from your PC. And a lot of the network multi function printers too have a web interface that allows you to perform a lot of functions. All this takes an investment in time and often is clunky. The end result is we can do a heck of a lot. Vic Pereira Shared Services Canada/Integrated Network Services | Services partagés Canada/Services Intégrés de Réseau 400-400 St. Mary Avenue Winnipeg MB R3C 4K5 vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca 204-983-0653 Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada -----Original Message----- From: Blind-sysadmins [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of chris Sent: 5-Jun-14 7:21 AM To: blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] Career path, desktop, server? HI guys. I hope this is OK to ask here. I'm a would-be IT professional who's interests lie particularly in servers and networking. Currently volunteering, gaining experience with Linux, wireless networking, troubleshooting. I use VMs to teach myself some system admin using Linux and Windows Server 2012. In trying to gain employment in IT I've been applying for first line / help desk type jobs. Now obviously a lot of these are asking for hands on, break and rebuild skills, managing printers, etc. Basically stuff I'm not too good at, you only have so much hardware to practise on, and can't really see me doing as a major function of a role, as a blind person. I've been turned down for such roles in the past basically on H and S considerations. I know, there may be many of you with severe sight impairment who have done this sort of work, if so, feel free to tell me I'm wrong, how it went etc. But what I'm wondering is. Is it worth me struggling to study desktop support stuff, given the difficulties I see in gaining those hands on roles. Should I devote my efforts to servers, infrastructure, web application support stuff instead, which I find more interesting anyway? Is the only way in through the desktop support positions? For what it's worth I apply for junior Linux, networking positions and more phone based help desk roles where I see them of course. Regards Chris Turner _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins