| The availability of jobs for network engineers and | | | | * protecting and extending equipment life |
| systems administrators is expected to grow by more | | | | * educating end users |
| than 27% per year from 2004 to 2014, according to | | | | The Skills of a Network Engineer |
| data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A | | | | Network engineers must possess technical |
| network engineer may also be referred to as a | | | | backgrounds; a systematic understanding of computer |
| network administrator, systems administrator, network | | | | hardware, applications, and operating systems; and |
| analyst, network designer, network architect, WAN | | | | technical knowledge of networking hardware and |
| administrator, LAN administrator, IT systems | | | | software. A networking engineer generally must |
| administrator, network operations analyst, or network | | | | possess: |
| technician. The principal job of a network engineer is to | | | | * an understanding of networking principles and |
| run and oversee computer communication systems | | | | influencing factors |
| and data transfer within an organization or between | | | | * thorough knowledge of routing protocols and |
| companies. Computer networks are used by | | | | switching technologies |
| companies to collect and process data, access the | | | | * an understanding of network security systems, |
| Internet and web-based utilities, and share files and | | | | strategies, and procedures (repetition) |
| resources. The network engineer serves as both a | | | | * specific knowledge of WAN/LAN infrastructure |
| road engineer and a police officer directing traffic on | | | | * a mastery of scripting languages |
| the information superhighway. | | | | * expertise regarding server products and technologies |
| The Duties of a Network Engineer Network | | | | * familiarity with industry protocols |
| engineering jobs involve the designing and maintenance | | | | * experience with IP addressing, including subnetting |
| of both hardware and software components of | | | | * experience with troubleshooting router, switch, and |
| computer networks. Network engineers are specialists | | | | fault-tolerant or redundant environments |
| in constructing and maintaining local area networks | | | | * hardware maintenance skills |
| (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs). All of the | | | | * strong communication skills |
| elements within an organization's IT system, including | | | | * motivation |
| individual desktop PCs, file servers, mail servers, | | | | * decision-making ability |
| backup servers, application servers, custom-designed | | | | Working Hours and Environment |
| workstations, and more, come within the purview of | | | | It is standard for network engineers to work around 40 |
| the network engineer's job. | | | | hours per week. However, time spent installing new |
| Here are some of the tasks network engineers | | | | systems or conducting maintenance often extends |
| commonly perform: | | | | beyond normal working hours. Network engineering |
| * selection of hardware and software solutions for | | | | jobs are usually in metro environments. |
| organizational needs | | | | How Does One Become a Network Engineer? |
| * implementation of hardware and software solutions | | | | Network engineers typically have IT backgrounds as |
| and utilities | | | | well as bachelor's degrees or higher-level educational |
| * testing and resolution of system issues, including | | | | qualifications. Certifications from institutes and |
| compatibility issues | | | | organizations like Microsoft and Cisco also carry |
| * analysis of organizational needs | | | | weight with employers. Engineers with different |
| * building IT networks to support organizational needs | | | | IT-related backgrounds or specializations in network |
| * troubleshooting and ensuring smooth network | | | | design, operations, and related fields can become |
| operations | | | | network engineers. Many universities and colleges |
| * upgrading equipment and systems | | | | offer degrees in network engineering. There are also |
| * maintaining network and data security | | | | network management and network engineering |
| * establishing user accounts and passwords | | | | programs at various higher education institutions. |
| * providing compatibility training | | | | Working network engineers often upgrade themselves |
| * documentation of problems and solutions | | | | by acquiring specialty certifications from industry |
| * analysis and design of networks | | | | organizations like Microsoft. |
| * researching objectives of new or current networks | | | | Prospects for Network Engineers |
| * apprising existing networks and IT solutions | | | | As mentioned earlier, job prospects for network |
| * designing networks to maximize productivity | | | | engineers are expected to grow at a rate greater |
| * monitoring networks to find and establish regular | | | | than 27% per year. The average salary of a network |
| behavioral patterns | | | | engineer ranges from $50,000 to $70,000 per year. |