2. Early Childhood Education? And also, gain year’s worth of experience before you can enter into the field, and progress can be fairly quick. If you are able to make a move to somewhere new, do it! Anyone who already has an IT certification knows these certification tests are not easy if taken correctly (means NOT cheating!). Although he’s worked as a network security engineer, MacLeod not too long ago moved on to become a project manager at WildPackets, which develops hardware and software solutions that drive network performance. One day an network engineer with 10 years of experience told if I know my stuff and have long practice hours in GNS3 and understand the concepts inside out; it’s basically almost the same in the real world. In today’s market competition is fierce. Pursue a bachelor’s degree related to computer science/engineering . And talking about certifications, nowadays Cisco is not the only option anymore: Juniper Networks is gaining traction in the market and as a consequence Juniper experts are in high demand. Network engineers may be tasked with maintaining servers. Getting your degree takes much more study and dedication and should be completed. Discover the steps and the career path to progress in your career as a Network Engineer I The statistics for passing the CCIE is only 3%. please let me know sir. A network engineer’s role includes: Get in touch. You can find a decent router from under a hundred bucks that will get you everything you need. Network engineers are not merely the IT technicians responsible for troubleshooting, but in fact, design and secure the entire network for organizations. Determine if this field is suited to your interests and traits. This option seems to be overlooked and is last on the list of where to find quality training, but really this should be one of the first on many peoples list. departments were flooded with "paper MCSE's". Passing Cisco Exams with Pass4Sure or TestKing? Take some free training from companies like Cisco and get a certification such as the Network+ from CompTIA, which covers almost everything you need in this step. Job titles like Systems Engineer and Network Engineer began popping up shortly after network and computer equipment vendors came out with similar certification names. To become a network engineer, you need to pursue very specific training and education so you’re equipped to work with the complex systems and software used in today’s computer networks. Where you work will depend on the particular career path that you choose to pursue. The only prerequisite for taking the CCIE lab is to pass the CCIE qualification exam (also known as the CCIE written). Compare this to the MCAT or the BAR and CCIE is THE hardest exam to pass in the world! Microsoft quickly copied Novell by creating the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). For audio and video courses, a great resource is the evergreen Youtube which offers free content. The job title Network Engineer or certification Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) does not necessarily mean that you are a "REAL" engineer. So you want to become a network engineer? You can start it by preparing a list of Networking Companies and visit their official websites to view their eligibility criteria and other requirements. Other network types Cisco certified engineers is capable of operating include WLAN, GANs, SAN, PAN, DAN, and VoIP. How to Become a Network Engineer? The first will be a written exam that you will need to pass to advance onto the next stage of the exam. To get this "certification" you simply had to pass 5 tests created for Novell server systems. Our recommendation is of course to FINISH YOUR DEGREE! In addition, it opens the door to the IT world and maybe you can find yourself learning further technologies such as Linux to be an Ops Engineer or coding to be a Developer. Don't worry about what the job title is. You never know who can help you. The biggest problem is that working in the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines is often misunderstood. Router emulators are very common on the CCNA and are very realistic. No. Depending on the role, some organizations … How to Become a Network Engineer Get Your Bachelor’s Degree. A network engineer is somebody who is responsible within a company for all the equipment that makes up the network. It installs very easy but it is not cheap! This took off in popularity and soon I.T. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 22.0% of network engineers have master's degrees. A genuine interest in computers and the ability to take things apart and back together again is a good starting point for a career in networking. He says that he got the feeling, while working as a trainer and as a tech support person, that customers did not actually understand how the products worked. From all of the questions we receive, many of of you are in college (or are close to getting your college degree) and are curious if you should finish your degree or just skip ahead and take the CCNA. Hi Joe This is not true. You have chosen an amazing career in network engineering. 7 FAQ on How to Become a Network Engineer 8 Summary The first and most direct way to easily get a job working as a network engineer is to do some self-study and get a vendor certification like a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). So far i passed the ICND1, ICN2 = CCNA, I also passed CCNP Switch exam. The least expensive way, if you have access to an IOS image is to install a Router Simulator and practice working with real routers in a virtual environment right on your desktop. Your email address will not be published. Doing so will allow you to make a good living and work with some awesome technology. Being a network engineer, it is also essential to be familiarized with specific network types such as LANs, MANs, and WANs. Launch your career in network engineering in just 24 weeks. The US military offers some great programs that will get your hands on some of the latest technology and networks that you can find in the civilian world. Will the CCNA get you a job? Becoming a freelance network technician is, perhaps, a slightly easier task than becoming a network engineer. Of course those jobs, locations, and duties do exist,  however, life in the military is far different and the educational benefits are tremendous! 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