Note: This is a work in progress
About The Author’s Employment History
Allow me a moment to explain how I started my career in the Information Technology field (and data centers) before I tell you how you can transition into the role.
I graduated college in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in English with the dreams of becoming an author. Between 2004 and 2007 I tried to get an agent interested in my books, but got rejections instead. During that time I worked various jobs to pay the bills. By late 2007 I was basically broke and gave up. I decided to change careers.
After researching what career I could do without going back to college I discovered IT. I already fixed computers for family, friends, and coworkers. It was a skill I learned during my college years. I could get into the field with the CompTIA A+ certification. I spent the rest of 2007 studying and passed both the exams in March 2008. By May 2008 I got my first entry-level IT job.
Soon my employment introduced me to data centers. I could look at the racks of servers, but I couldn’t touch them. I couldn’t even enter the room without an escort. Yet, I wanted to do that work so I improved my skills. It wasn’t until 2014 that I got my first job in a data center as a Data Center Technician.
Peak 10 (Flexential)
In 2014 I got my first data center technician job at Peak 10 (now Flexential) in Alpharetta, GA. I worked the third-shift performing duties like rack and stack, assist customers, monitored systems, running Ethernet and fiber optical cabling, and install Power Distribution Units (PDUs). It was a good introduction into a mid-size colocation data center, and the regular duties technicians faced.
Short-Term Contracting Stint
I worked a short-term stint (three months) repairing servers in a data center for a company.
In 2017 I got a job as a Site Operations Technician at Twitter to work at their Atlanta, GA data center. I was ecstatic to get this job because I enjoyed using Twitter, and wanted to work at a Silicon Valley company. At that point in my career it was the largest data center I worked at. I stayed at Twitter for over 3 years, leaving in December 2020 to start my own business.
In May 2023 I started at Google as a Data Center Technician 2. I was on a team traveling to different data center locations to deploy the Machine Learning machines and train other Data Center Technicians on how to deploy and repair those machines. In 2024 I switched over to the Network Projects team, and currently deploy the networking infrastructure in data center buildings so the machines can communicate with the outside world. I’m still employed with Google and I’m currently a Data Center Technician 3.
How To Become A Data Center Technician
This guide works for individuals already working in the IT industry, or those trying to transition into role. Although I can’t guarantee readers a job if they follow these steps, I can say this information gives readers a good chance of landing an interview for an entry-level role.
Learn Computer Hardware Installation & Troubleshooting
One of the many daily tasks of a Data Center Technician is to install computer hardware into servers, or upgrade that hardware. For example: It’s common to replace a defective hard drive. Or a technician may need to replace a hard drive with one with a larger capacity. Thus you need to know how to safely install and remove all types of hardware components.
To learn this skill I used to recommend individuals build a computer, but I can’t recommend that anymore due to the high prices of consumer hard drives and memory (RAM). However, if readers want to build their own computer to gain hands-on experience they can search places like Facebook Marketplace or Craiglist to find refurbished or used computers for cheap. Sometimes people do give away broken computers. That’s a fantastic way to build troubleshooting skills as one has to figure out why the computer doesn’t work.
Speaking of that that is another daily task of a Data Center Technician. Depending on job requirements they may have to troubleshoot server problems and determine if the part is faulty. Or a senior technician may do the initial troubleshooting and leave the rest up to a junior technician. Learning troubleshooting skills aren’t easy. YouTube videos cover various type of troubleshooting procedures in detail depending on the problem. Another way to learn is to read troubleshooting documentation from computer part manufacturers. I do consider hardware troubleshooting an art, and requires constant practice and time to become proficient.
Consider Certification
Another way on how to become a Data Center Technician is to consider getting an IT certification. I suggest the following two certifications:
Details About The CompTIA+ Certification
The A+ Certification is good for all types of entry-level IT jobs. To get the certification requires passing two exams. Each exam is currently $265 USD.
Study materials are an additional cost. CompTIA has their own “official” study material, but third-party providers also have books and videos individuals can purchase. However, there are plenty of videos on YouTube one can watch for free. I suggest those first before purchasing study material.
Details About The Google IT Support Certificate
The certificate’s main focus is to provide beginners a solid foundation in the following:
- Computer hardware knowledge
- Computer networking knowledge
- Troubleshooting skills
- Knowledge about operating systems
- Information about IT Security and System Administration
This foundation prepares certificate holders to apply for jobs like IT Support and System Administration.
The certificate uses videos hosted on Coursera, allowing students to learn at their own pace. Thus, students can learn the material no matter where they located as along as they have an Internet connection.
In addition, there are hands-on activities students needs to accomplish to not only proceed in the coursework, but to actually understand what they learned.
Finally, there are assessments students must pass to proceed through the course. There is a limited on the number of times a person can fail each assessment in a 24-hour period. Then students have to wait a period of time before trying again.
Like the A+ Certification, the Google IT Support Certificate is good for various types of entry-level IT jobs too. To get the certification requires finishing the entire course on Coursera. The self-paced course costs $49 a month.