The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Associate Storage Administrator (L1)
1-2 yearsSkills to master
- Basic storage provisioning, backup monitoring, alert response, understanding of ticketing systems, clear documentation.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently completes assigned tasks accurately and on time.
- Can troubleshoot basic issues independently before escalating.
- Demonstrates a keen interest in learning more about storage technologies.
- 2
Server Administrator / Virtualisation Engineer
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Server OS management, virtual machine lifecycle, understanding of storage presentation to servers, basic networking.
You're ready to move on when
- Frequently deals with storage-related tasks as part of server management.
- Shows a desire to specialise in the underlying storage infrastructure.
- Has a solid grasp of how applications consume storage.
- 3
IT Support Engineer (L2/L3)
3-4 yearsSkills to master
- Advanced troubleshooting, customer service, incident management, exposure to various IT systems including storage.
You're ready to move on when
- Has a track record of resolving complex technical issues, including those with storage components.
- Understands the impact of IT issues on business operations.
- Has a foundational understanding of data centre infrastructure.