How to Become a Network Engineer
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There are so many paths a technology career can take – and many of them intertwine. Use your time at the help desk to observe, ask questions and learn what it is that you’re passionate about.
- Different companies use different types of hardware and software, so specializing in a specific type of networking practice can be beneficial.
- If you are an expert in this area, you often have to plan, monitor, and implement computer networks.
- According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for network engineers is $90,926 in the United States.
- The bachelor’s degree can be in mathematics, computer science, or information technology.
- Having this stackable cert shows potential employers you have the skills required to analyze business operations, manage the flow of a workplace and identify customer needs.
They utilize information technology and are knowledgeable in extranets, intranets, and both local area networks and wide area networks . A network engineer sets up, develops, and maintains how to become a help desk engineer the computer networks within an organization. If you are good at troubleshooting and have a strong background in computer systems, you might consider working as a network engineer.
Using RESTCONF for Network Automation
Even though it’s being replaced by SD-WAN, working with an MPLS-exclusive network is still an essential skill. The internet was built on DNS, as are most of today’s enterprise networks, so you need to know how to troubleshoot it. You should know popular scripting languages for enterprise-grade networks like Ruby, Python, and Perl. Automation-friendly languages are helpful too, like Java, Ansible, and Terraform, since many network functions are becoming automated. Knowledge of how to integrate WAN, LAN, SD-WAN, SD-branch, and other networks and architectures is a must. Optimization—working with external service and support vendors to ensure optimal network operation. Find out how different WGU is about personalizing and supporting your education.
Time spent in school may be expanded with extra coursework, but having a niche in this industry can make a difference. Starting with an entry-level position at a smaller company can help with obtaining necessary experience and skills.
Kansas State University
The fact that freelance network engineer jobs are projected to keep increasing at a steady pace is not the best thing about the vocation. In itself, it merely translates into you not having difficulties finding an open position; it doesn’t necessarily guarantee the best of salaries. What does, however, is the opportunity to go fully freelance. Having a certification is great but honestly this piece of paper doesn’t say anything about you as a person or your experience.
- If you want to learn one skill at a time, an online course can help.
- They are offered online, in-person, and in hybrid versions of the two.
- Technical support specialists and network engineers both work with computers and network systems in various ways.
- Not all of these roles require a master’s degree, including senior-level roles.
They also should have vendor and product knowledge and understand both older networking infrastructures as well as modern infrastructures. Depending on the size of the organization, there may be one or many network engineers in the company, and in some instances, a chief technology officer leads the team.