I'm not sure it was on this list or the nfbcs list but I was just involved in a really long discussion of a closely related topic a few weeks ago. My opinion is that for a blind guy, saying you build your own PCs looks really good on a resume and that's what it's all about. In fact, I think blind nerds should play that kind of stuff up. I think that even if they don't voice it, an IT manager is sitting there thinking that you can't do this and you can't do that. And I think you have to actively couter those assumptions. Anyway, I wouldn't advise you to go for jobs in hardware maintenance. For one thing, that career path doesn't pay as well as sys admin jobs. And I think that with things like linux systems administration, database administration, web programming, and stuff like that, you are hardly at a disadvantage when compared to sighted people. The most popular tools for smtp (postfix), imap (dovecot), http (apache), dns (bind9), and dhcp (ims-dhcp) are all still configured 100% through text files and started/stopped at the command line. The one thing that has gone bogus is ldap administration (slapd). Slapd has some kind of interactive config program that I have never used. You can still use a text file but I guess that's depricated. I am hoping I get to retire before I have to switch. Anyway, it never hurts to have more qualifications. If you can tell an employer that you can build a PC, it can't hurt. And like I said, my opinion is that it really can help a blind person to get that manager to start thinking you are some kind of super blind nerd. On 06/05/14 07:20, chris wrote:

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

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-- --- John G. Heim, 608-263-4189, jheim@math.wisc.edu

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