IT & Infrastructure

Systems & Network Admin interviews. 22 titles, each with its own model.

Each page shows the competency model, the questions that test it, what changes with seniority, and where candidates lose the interview.

Last reviewed

Every Systems & Network Admin title

22 titles
Systems AdministratorInstalls, configures and maintains servers, operating systems and core services, keeping the IT environment secure and available.Network EngineerDesigns, builds and troubleshoots routed and switched networks, firewalls, VPNs and wireless across sites and data centres.Infrastructure EngineerBuilds and maintains the servers, storage, networks and cloud services that underpin an organisation's IT.Network AdministratorConfigures and maintains an organisation's local and wide area networks, firewalls and connectivity.Senior Systems AdministratorOwns the design and stability of server and infrastructure platforms, leads upgrades and migrations, and mentors administrators.Systems EngineerDesigns, implements and supports server and infrastructure systems, handling upgrades, integration and performance.Senior Network EngineerLeads network design and complex changes, resolves the hardest network faults and sets standards for the network team.Linux Systems AdministratorManages Linux and Unix servers, scripting automation, patching and monitoring to keep systems secure and reliable.Network Support EngineerMonitors and supports network services, diagnosing connectivity issues and carrying out routine changes and maintenance.Telecoms EngineerDesigns, installs and maintains telecommunications systems including voice, fibre, wireless and transmission networks.IT Security SpecialistManages security tooling, patching, access and monitoring across the IT estate and helps the business stay compliant.Windows Systems AdministratorManages Windows Server environments, Active Directory, group policy and related Microsoft infrastructure.Microsoft 365 AdministratorAdministers Microsoft 365 services such as Exchange, SharePoint, Teams and Entra ID, managing users, licences and security.Cloud AdministratorManages cloud subscriptions, virtual machines, identities and monitoring on platforms such as Azure or AWS.Network Security EngineerSecures networks by designing and managing firewalls, VPNs, intrusion prevention and access controls.Infrastructure ArchitectDesigns the overall infrastructure landscape, from data centres and networks to cloud, setting standards for how it is built.Network ArchitectDesigns enterprise and service-provider network architectures, choosing topologies, technologies and security controls.NOC EngineerMonitors networks and systems around the clock from a network operations centre, responding to alerts and outages.Virtualisation EngineerDesigns and manages virtual server and desktop platforms such as VMware, Hyper-V and Citrix.SAP Basis AdministratorInstalls, configures, patches and tunes SAP systems and their underlying databases and servers.Storage and Backup EngineerManages enterprise storage, backup and disaster recovery systems so that data is protected and recoverable.VoIP EngineerImplements and supports voice over IP and unified communications platforms such as Teams Phone, Cisco or Asterisk.

What the report looks like for Systems & Network Admin

Sample report · the format, not a result
Infrastructure troubleshooting under pressure4/5
Server, virtualisation & identity administration3/5
Network design & operation2/5
Security hardening & patch management3/5
Backup, disaster recovery & capacity4/5
  • The situation in one sentence: where, what was short, and by how much.
  • The decision that was yours rather than the team’s, and what you chose not to do.
  • One number or one consequence that shows it worked.

Every competency is scored out of five with a line you actually said as evidence, and the weakest answers are rewritten as structure and specifics, never a script.

What Systems & Network Admin interviewers keep scoring

Infrastructure troubleshooting under pressure

Diagnoses outages and performance problems across servers, networks and services methodically, using the right tools and evidence, and restores service safely.

Server, virtualisation & identity administration

Builds and maintains Windows and Linux servers, virtualisation, storage and identity services (AD/Entra, DNS, DHCP) to a consistent, documented standard.

Network design & operation

Designs, configures and operates LAN, WAN, wireless, routing, switching and firewalls with attention to segmentation, redundancy and performance.

Security hardening & patch management

Keeps systems patched, hardened and least-privilege, manages certificates and access, and balances security against availability.

Backup, disaster recovery & capacity

Ensures data and services can be recovered within agreed RPO/RTO through tested backups and DR plans, and plans capacity before it runs out.

Change management & automation

Makes changes safely through planning, testing, rollback and communication, and automates repetitive work with scripts and configuration management.

Monitoring, documentation & handover

Keeps the environment observable and documented so problems are detected early and others can operate it.

Service mindset & ownership

Treats the business as the customer: communicates outages honestly, negotiates maintenance windows, and owns problems across vendors and teams until resolved.

Threat modelling & risk-based prioritisation

Identifies realistic threats to a system, assesses likelihood and impact, and prioritises controls by risk rather than by checklist or headline.

Secure design & code review

Finds and fixes vulnerabilities in architecture and code (authentication, authorisation, injection, secrets, crypto misuse) and helps developers avoid them.

Detection & incident response

Detects intrusions from logs and telemetry, contains and eradicates them methodically, preserves evidence, and communicates clearly during an incident.

Vulnerability & attack-surface management

Keeps the organisation's attack surface known and patched: asset inventory, scanning, prioritisation by exploitability, and driving remediation across teams.

Walk into the real one already warmed up.