CultusThis is a question that nowadays is asked by most of the students willing to work for the IT industry. It is very important for them to know that a network engineer combines expertise in two areas: information technology and telecommunications. He is responsible to identify and solve the problems faced by the users in the system, and also looks after installation and network security. To be a network engineer and get good remuneration packages, you need to gain expertise in the field, which can be achieved only by education!
Education or training requirements to become a network engineer
For these positions, young graduates are recruited who hold a degree from engineering degree or have diploma or certification in specialized courses. The certifications provide expertise aimed at certain specific technologies. For this reason, you can go for obtaining certification – whether vendor-specific certification such as Microsoft or Cisco, or neutral, as CompTIA. However, I would say that certification is more relevant to this particular field. The candidates with a CNNA certification are also considered over other candidates owing to specialization offered.
There are a number of schools, which have developed training courses for helping the network engineers to learn the intricacies of the computer networks and systems. Along with engineering schools, universities also train future network engineers. After the first year of graduate studies, the willing students can take up vocational courses at the university vocational institutes.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): This program is Hosted by the Security Certification Consortium Information Systems, or ISC. This certification is standard, i.e. not based on any specific manufacturer. It focuses primarily, as the name says, on Information Security. It covers fields such as access control, cryptography, operational security, architecture and design. Besides being the number 1 in when it comes to demand, it is also quite difficult to obtain.
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE): This certification focuses on the design and implementation of infrastructure company proprietary Microsoft. You need to pass seven exams to obtain it. This is one of the most impact certifications in the job search by a professional. It is highly sought by employers.
Project Management Professional (PMP): If you want to validate your skills in project management, this certification offered by the Project Management Institute, or PMI, is the most preferred for this sector. You will be required to show an experience of 3-5 years of before you seek the permission to take the exam.
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNA) courses: The most demanded certification of Cisco is CCNA. This certification is the gateway to the world of networking, Cisco is equipment oriented. The students enrolled to Cisco Certification courses learn to handle the main components, as well as different functionalities of Cisco routers and switches. Every year the demand for professionals with this certification is constantly growing. The jobs that are created for these types of professionals are greater than the supply, which means that the CCNA professionals are well paid.
Companies also recruit postgraduates in networks specialization and telecommunications.
Job description
The network engineer identifies and anticipates the needs of enterprise computing and for that, he has to work with the network operators, who offer information about slow performance and malfunctions in the computer networks.
One must have a deep understanding of various existing materials available in the market and the latest technologies, must have a curious mind and should have a great capacity for adaptation. In companies with less number of employees, such network engineers have dual functions. The schedule and work timing of the network engineers depend largely upon office hours, and he may have to work at nights, or on weekends.
Developments
Networks are often integrated with strategic projects and the work environments are also increasingly open, so network engineers can look for their field of action to expand and gain expertise in the related field.
Author’s Bio: Rashmi Karan is a web enthusiast and a professional content writer who keeps an eagle eye on the trends of the education sector, various networking courses, Java courses, SAP courses and many more. She writes on the latest happenings in the education industry and offers useful advices.