Brent Wilkinson doesn't mind computing mayhem, in fact he enjoys it. "I find walking into a computing disaster interesting, and it's best when it's someone else's disaster. There is a satisfaction in sorting it out. Normally you find the mess has been like that for some time and it may be easy to improve; and when you do change something, it is visible to the user." 

Brent's role as a systems administrator requires him to have a broad rather than narrow focus when looking at computer problems. It is that broad knowledge that helps him tackle problems and produce systems that cater specifically for the client at hand. "I am particularly keen on trouble-shooting and figuring out why things aren't working, rather than just focusing on one specific product or software application." 

While knowledge of the nuts and bolts, practical side of the IT industry is all part of the job, Brent also needs the personal touch. "I like the people contact and there is a customer side to me out there somewhere. Depending on the client, we could be looking at the whole system like a mail server where no one is getting their email right through to 'my monitor isn't working' or 'I need a programme to do this is there anything you can recommend?'" 

No matter how trivial the issue may seem, Brent understands the importance of the systems administrator to his clients. "You have to understand what you are doing to the customer's business. Everything you do will create a reaction from someone else's point of view." 

Brent has been working with computers for 17 years and seen many changes in technology. The hands-on nature of systems administration has helped him to keep learning. "Fixing things is great because while you are fixing one thing you are learning five other things about the product." 

While Brent completed computing qualifications, he says it is just not the same as practical work. "It's different from learning in a classroom where you learn how something is suppose to work - here you learn how it really works. The easiest way to keep up with the industry is to get involved. There are so many aspects and you are never going to know it all."