Career · Building digital products
System administrator
Makes sure the computers, network and programs in an organisation keep working without failures.
Career overview
What a day looks like
A system administrator sets up computers and the network, connects new staff and helps people when something stops working. They watch the condition of the equipment and prepare in advance for breakdowns.
Try it yourself this week
30 minutes
Figure out how your favourite website works
- Open a website or app you use often.
- Draw a map of it on a sheet of paper: the home page, with arrows to the other sections.
- Write down five things you can tap or click on it and what happens after you do.
- Think it over and write down: what would you remove and what would you add if you were making this site yourself?
What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you like breaking complex things into parts and seeing how they connect.
30 minutes
Find 5 problems in your favourite app and describe them like a tester
- Choose an app or game you play or use.
- Explore it for 15 minutes and look for annoying things: confusing buttons, extra steps, strange wording.
- Write down five findings like this: what I did, what I expected, what actually happened.
- Mark which problem is the most annoying for users and explain why.
What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you notice small details and enjoy finding things other people missed.
What you can do next
Next 3 months
Find out how a home network works
With your parents, find out how the internet reaches your home and draw a diagram: router, devices, cables.
In six months
Help set something up
Help relatives or friends set up a device or fix a small computer problem, writing down your steps.
In a year
Talk to someone who does it
Through people you know, and together with your parents, ask a system administrator what happens in their day.
What it pays
No verified information is available in this section yet.
Where to study
No verified information is available in this section yet.
How to get into college
College gets you a profession faster than university. You can apply after grade 9 or after grade 11.
- Colleges accept students both after grade 9 and after grade 11. After grade 9 you study longer — about 3 years 10 months; after grade 11, about 2 years 10 months. The exact length depends on the college and the specialty.
Source: kchk.edu.kz (opens in a new tab) - About 80% of students admitted to colleges in the 2024/25 school year study on a state order, which means in state-funded places (in 2023/24 it was about 70%). But each college and each specialty has its own number of state-funded places.
Source: inbusiness.kz (opens in a new tab) - There are also paid colleges. For example, training as a nurse at ADILMED costs 450,000 ₸ per year. Check the price and conditions on the college's website.
Source: adilmed.kz (opens in a new tab)
UNT: which subjects to take for university
The UNT (Unified National Testing) is Kazakhstan's national university entrance test. You need it to get into university after grade 11.
- The UNT 2026 has three compulsory subjects: History of Kazakhstan, Reading Literacy and Mathematical Literacy. On top of these, you take two profile subjects, chosen to match your specialty.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - In total, the test has 120 questions (maximum 140 points) and you get 4 hours. The format is the same as in 2025.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - Profile subjects depend on the group of specialties. For example: information technology — Mathematics and Computer Science; nursing and veterinary medicine — Biology and Chemistry; electrical engineering — Mathematics and Physics; law — World History and Fundamentals of Law. The full list is published by the National Testing Center.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - For creative specialties (for example, media and design), you take History of Kazakhstan and Reading Literacy through the UNT, and two creative exams at the university itself.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - Some universities have their own admission rules. Nazarbayev University, for example, requires a UNT score of at least 85, a GPA of 4.0 and English at IELTS 6.0 level.
Source: nu.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)
Courses and opportunities
Opportunities near this field
- Programmeenbek.kz job portal (opens in a new tab)
Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК
Who it's for: anyone looking for a job or an internship.
When: all year round.
The government job vacancy portal. It has a section for students and young specialists called «Жастарға» (For young people).
Checked: September 2026
Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab) - Programmeup to age 35Youth internship programme (opens in a new tab)
Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК
Who it's for: college and university graduates (not for school students).
When: ongoing, up to 12 months.
A paid internship for graduates (under the terms on enbek.kz, at least 30 MCI (monthly calculation index) per month). The rules have changed before, so check them on the day you apply.
Checked: September 2026
Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab) - Programmeup to age 35First job programme (opens in a new tab)
Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК
Who it's for: young specialists (not for school students).
When: subsidy for up to 18 months.
The state helps pay a young specialist's salary for up to 18 months. Check the conditions on enbek.kz.
Checked: September 2026
Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab) - ProgrammefreeAtlas of New Professions (opens in a new tab)
Минтруда РК и Центр развития трудовых ресурсов
Who it's for: everyone.
When: reference guide, always available.
Atlas of New Professions: which jobs will appear, change or disappear in the next 5–10 years. Free to read.
Checked: September 2026
Source: atlasbt.enbek.kz (opens in a new tab) - Youth centrefreeShymkentages 16–35UNICEF Youth Hub in Shymkent (opens in a new tab)
ЮНИСЕФ Казахстан
Who it's for: school students aged 16+, college and university students, and young specialists.
When: all year round, opened on 20 November 2025.
A youth hub at the pedagogical university in Shymkent: skills development, social projects, volunteering.
Checked: September 2026
Source: unicef.org (opens in a new tab) - Youth centrefreeAstanaages 12–18TUMO Astana (opens in a new tab)
TUMO
Who it's for: teenagers aged 12–18.
When: all year round, opened in February 2026.
A free centre for teenagers with 11 fields, from coding and robotics to film, graphic design and 3D.
Checked: September 2026
Source: astana.tumo.kz (opens in a new tab) - Volunteeringfreeages 16–35UNICEF youth volunteering programme (opens in a new tab)
ЮНИСЕФ Казахстан
Who it's for: ages 16 to 35.
When: recruitment in waves: summer and autumn.
UNICEF youth volunteering: about 20 hours a month. You need to speak Kazakh or Russian.
Checked: September 2026
Source: unicef.org (opens in a new tab)
Can you work before you turn 18?
Under Kazakhstan's Labour Code, teenagers can work, but with limits.
- Usually you can work from age 16. From 15 — if you are getting basic or general secondary education. From 14 — only in your free time outside school and only light work. If you are under 16, you need a signature from a parent or legal guardian.
Source: kodeksy-kz.com (opens in a new tab) - From 14 to 16 you can work no more than 24 hours a week; from 16 to 18, no more than 36 hours a week.
Source: kodeksy-kz.com (opens in a new tab) - Under-18s must not be given heavy or hazardous work, jobs with full financial liability, night work, overtime or business trips.
Source: mybuh.kz (opens in a new tab)
History of the career
No verified information is available in this section yet.
Well-known people in this field
No verified information is available in this section yet.