What's the difference between sysadmin and an IT Consultant? [closed]

Solution 1:

I would be inclined to give the role you describe the title "Network Administrator". It doesn't sound there is involvement with servers or core equipment, so I might prefix it with "Junior".

"Consultant" is a generic term and can apply to anything. Generally, it implies vendor rather than employee, temporary assignments rather than permanent duties, and the giving of advice or recommendations rather than execution.

I disagree with l0c0b0x that "IT consultant and SysAdmin go hand". Consultants might give advice on SysAdmin stuff, and SysAdmins might be called to give advice on their area of expertise, but the actual responsibilities only overlap slightly.

Solution 2:

That pretty much fits the description of a sysadmin's job.

Although I can't say I know exactly the job description that would fit an IT consultant, the consultants are usually hired from outside. They do not work on a payroll in a company. For example, a systems engineer which was hired to help install a new system (like SAP) would be my definition of IT consultant.

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Solution 3:

The actual workload and expertise would be similar, though based on my experience, I would expect an IT Consultant to be an independent contractor, work with high-level officers in the organization, and not have a manager. I'd consider a system administrator to be staff, have a manager, and rarely interact directly with high level management.