"System administrators are doctors and police force at the same time."

The employees in IT departments usually work in the background. Unseen, they make sure that the company's processes work. We asked Andreas Meincke, system administrator at KTR, about his work. What is his job actually and what effect does his work have?

KTR Systems: Andreas, what exactly does a system administrator do?

Andreas Meincke: "A system administrator takes care of the company's IT infrastructure. He, or she, has to ensure that the IT systems are available and operate properly, such as the operating system, the Microsoft programs, the W-LAN connection, updates of hardware and software, and in general the digital networking of each individual employee. And with each new software and new devices such as smartphones and tablets, the range of tasks is becoming increasingly complex. So it never gets boring. “

KTR Systems: What do you enjoy most about your job?

Andreas Meincke: "The culture in our department is open, agile and dynamic and we make use of the individual skills of our colleagues. For us, communication is the most important thing. That's what makes it so exciting for me in the end, because I constantly have lots of new opportunities to develop and improve."

KTR Systems: Are there also difficult or demanding situations in your job?

Andreas Meincke: "The classic: the demanding processes run smoothly, while the simplest processes tend to stall. That's always a phenomenon for me."

 KTR Systems: Can you give us an example of a demanding process?

Andreas Meincke: "Oh yes! At the beginning of the Corona pandemic, we were faced with a major challenge overnight. But because we were well positioned, and also thanks to our future-oriented approach, we were able to send around 200 employees to the home office at short notice without any problems. We are a doctor and police force at the same time and are always on call, whether at night or at the weekend. Crises like this happen very rarely, but you should still be prepared for them as best as you can. And we were."

KTR Systems: Finally, a question with a wink: Are system administrators nerds?

Andreas Meincke: "By nerd you mean a light-shy creature that avoids sunlight and feels magically attracted to PC monitor light? Who has no real human contact and only meets like-minded people online? Wears glasses, is unbecomingly dressed and unathletic? No, that is an outdated cliché. Especially since there are many career changers in the industry who have done something completely different before."

Thank you very much for the interview, dear Andreas!