r/sysadmin • u/CurrentFig3376 • 4h ago

General Discussion Interview Question: How often do you update/patch your system?

I was asked this question during an interview and I said "it depends on what exactly you're updating, but I update as often as it's needed."

I don't think this was the answer they were looking for, but how would you answer this question?

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u/Technical_Union_3249 2h ago

For normal patches (aka no hair on fire holes being fixed) the last Friday of the month. (This is the policy where I work). For hair on fire patches it can be within hours of it being released to us.

Personally my answer would be something like "the cadence and policy at places I've worked over the years has varied, I patch when the written SOP says I patch".

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u/Ssakaa 1h ago

Personally my answer would be something like "the cadence and policy at places I've worked over the years has varied, I patch when the written SOP says I patch".

That's a great start, but your answer here before that said a LOT more about your understanding and knowledge. IT requires thinking. "I just folow the list" doesn't demonstrate that well. It's necessary too in a lot of scenarios, but even showing understanding of why rigid adherence to the SOP is necessary would help.

They probably don't care what OP's policy specifically is in their current/previous role, they probably care what OP understands about it, i.e. if they know why the policy is what it is, and what weaknesses (because there are always tradeoffs) OP's aware of in it, and maybe even their ideal policy if it was all up to them, with a much more important "and why".

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u/Technical_Union_3249 1h ago

Following the SOP and not being a rogue lone wolf is also something they might be probing for.

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u/Ssakaa 58m ago

Potentially, and honestly, if demonstrating the capacity to think rules you out, they're saving you from going absofuckinglutely batshit insane in that role...

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u/Technical_Union_3249 49m ago

Yeah, people forget, they're not just interviewing you, you are also interviewing them.