Network Engineers work to maintain the proper functioning of an organization’s network by providing technical support and advice while troubleshooting issues.
This includes setting up and repairing systems, creating user accounts, and monitoring networks for any changes. Network Engineers are also responsible for securing an organization's network against cyber-attacks or malware.
The demand for network engineers has grown by 50% over the last five years.
And, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Standards, the base salary has been growing by an average of 5% per annum for the years 2020-30.
And with this definitive guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about the requirements, responsibilities, and skills of a network engineer that should be in the network engineer job description.
Table of Content:
- What does a network engineer do?
- What is a network engineer job description?
- What is a network security engineer job description?
- What is the network engineer job description cisco?
- How to highlight network engineer job description skills on network engineer resume?
What Does a Network Engineer Do?
Network engineers install and maintain the computer networks that an organization uses daily. They do this by designing, installing, configuring, troubleshooting, and monitoring the network hardware and software.
Network engineers also have to maintain physical hardware, such as routers and switches that connect computers over long distances via telephone lines or radio waves (Wi-Fi).
The job requires substantial knowledge of networking concepts, such as IP addressing and routing protocols with a deep understanding of how they work in practice.
They also can configure these devices to provide connectivity between different locations or companies.
In addition to technical skills, network engineers must have good communication skills to communicate effectively with users and management teams.
This will help ensure that issues are resolved quickly and efficiently so that businesses can continue as usual without interruption from technical problems caused by faulty equipment or poor connectivity between devices on the network.
Also Read: How to write the netowork engineer resume in 2022?
What Is a Network Engineer Job Description?
Here is a basic network engineer job description template for you:
We are seeking a motivated, detail-oriented individual to join our team as a network engineer.
The network engineer will be responsible for maintaining and administering our company's computer networks.
Your primary duties will include setting up and maintaining the network hardware, software, and other systems. Apart from that, you will also take part in disaster management drills and perform recovery operations to minimize data loss from occurring.
We are looking for a candidate with a strong understanding of network infrastructure, hardware, and cybersecurity. You’ll need to be able to operate & troubleshoot different networking devices, such as routers, switches, controllers, WAPs, firewalls, and other devices.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Network Engineer:
- Administer computer environment for setting up computer networks such as routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, VPN, QoS, etc.
- Perform regular maintenance works such as software updates, service pack installation, patches, hotfixes, and security configurations
- Monitor network performance, and look for cyber attacks and malware attacks
- Perform disaster recovery drills to restore data
- Tend to employee complaints and troubleshoot hardware, software, and other issues.
- Monitor network performance to ensure optimum performance
- Test and implement security tools, and procedures by complying with company policies
- Negotiate with vendors and IT hardware providers to purchase high-end network equipment
Network Engineer Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in information technology or related field
- 2+ years of experience with network infrastructure and hardware
- Ability to design network infrastructure to improve efficiency and reduce cost
- Ability to work with network devices, including firewalls, switches, routers, controllers, etc.
- Capability to work in a team environment within or outside of the IT and out of the organization
What Is a Network Security Engineer Job Description?
Here is a basic network security engineer job description template for you:
A network security engineer is responsible for configuring, positioning, and administering different network security software and hardware to prevent cyber attacks over the network.
Given below are some of the responsibilities of a network security engineer:
- Monitor network traffic, LAN, WLAN, and other network servers to detect malicious activity
- Discover, analyze, and implement new security technologies for enhancing network security
- Install virus detection systems to improve system security
- Periodically conduct network scanning to identify and avert potential threats
- Prepare network security reports periodically for submitting to stakeholders
- Create and maintain an SOP for the network security protocol
- Maintain web and email security programs and protocols regularly.
- Investigate security breaches and deploy data recovery operations to ensure minimal data loss
- Recommend software, legal, and company policy modifications to ensure maximum network security.
Network Security Engineer Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in information technology or related field
- 2+ years of experience as a security engineer
- CISSP, GISP, or CISM Certification is mandatory
- Updated knowledge about modern network vulnerabilities and network security solutions
- Outstanding communication skills and organizational skills
- Experience in different operating systems including Windows, Linux, Mac, etc.
What Is the Network Engineer Job Description Cisco?
Here is a complete job description for Cisco Network Engineer:
We are looking for a Cisco network engineer who can install and troubleshoot the Cisco network for our clients. Apart from that, you need to maintain the cisco network infrastructure and provide training to end-user about the Cisco networks.
Here are some responsibilities of a Cisco network engineer:
- Analyze existing network software and infrastructure and modify it to ensure proper integration with Cisco network infrastructure
- Designing scalable Cisco network infrastructure according to client specifications
- Testing Cisco network systems and troubleshooting for improving performance and reliability
- Install network upgrades, security patches, and repairing/replacing network hardware as needed
- Train the clients on installing Cisco network hardware and performing basic troubleshooting
Cisco Network Engineer Qualification Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, and related field
- CCIE or CCE certification
- 5+ years of experience as a network engineer
- Advanced knowledge about Cisco network infrastructure
- Ability to design and implement complex cisco networking systems to improve network reliability
- Experience with training a large group of people
How to Highlight Network Engineer Job Description Skills on Network Engineer Resume?
It is great if you have all the skills required to become a network engineer.
But having skills is not enough. You need to showcase your skills to the recruiter effectively to get the interview at your dream organization.
A resume can help you with that. However, if you send a generic resume to different companies, the chances of getting a reply back from the recruiter are extremely low.
Instead, you should customize your resume based on each network engineer job description. This way, your chances of getting a call-back from a recruiter improve exponentially.
Let’s see which network engineer resume sections you can optimize based on the job description:
Resume Summary
Read the job description carefully and identify the key skills required for the job. Try to add one or two of the skills mentioned in the job description in your network engineer resume summary section.
Don’t add the key skills randomly. Use STAR format to craft the sentences of the resume summary, so the recruiters have some context of the application of your key skills.
Example:
Also Read: How to write a resume summary in 2022?
Resume Key Skills Section
Adding keywords in the key skills section is pretty straightforward. Just identify the skills from the job description and add these into the “key skills” section of the resume.
Make sure to add it if you have the experience.
If you don’t have skills, and still you add them to the resume, it may get you to the interview. But the recruiter will instantly identify your lie.
Example:
Also Read: How to write the key skills section of a resume in 2022?
Professional Experience Section
The professional experience section is the most effective place to showcase your key skills.
- Add the key skills in one-liner bullet points explaining your responsibilities
- Craft the bullet points using STAR format to maximize the impact on the recruiters
- Add numbers and statistics whenever possible to back up your skills and achievements
- Bold the key skills and statistics to highlight those to the recruiters
Example:
Also Read: How to write the work experience section of a resume in 2022?
Key Takeaways:
Here are some key takeaways from the blog:
- If you want to get your dream network engineering job, you need to customize your resume based on the network engineer job description.
- Add the relevant skills mentioned in the job description and include those in the summary, key skills, and professional experience section of your resume
- Make sure to add the skills you have. Lying on your resume will get you disqualified during the interview
If you are looking to create a network engineer resume, go to Hiration Online Resume Builder and choose from 20+ professional resume designs to create one for yourself.
Feel free to email us at support@hiration.com for any other queries.