I’m often asked the question “How do I become a Network Engineer?”. My answers are essentially similar and I’m basing everything you are about to read out of personal experiences. I personally think that the Network Engineering field is one of the most exciting, fun, joyful, electrifying field there is; You will probably tell me that it’s my personal opinion. Correct ! But the love of the field is extremely important in becoming a good Network Engineer. It actually should precede any attempt in becoming a Network Engineer. Here is why…

The Question

Before you ask the question “How do I get into Networking”, ask yourself the reasons why you’d like to do it first. I believe that is the 1st question one should have a clear cut answer prior to engaging into the field. The reason for it is as followed:

You have to love the field in order to excel exponentially and the reason is simple. You will be studying highly complex technologies and you will be asked to deploy solutions based on your skill set and aptitude. If you do not love it, you won’t spend countless hours attempting to grasp the fundamentals of the field which would then inevitably affect your performance. Hence your career.

Once you know for a fact that you really like Network Engineering, I personally think that’s the stepping stone to a bright future.

The Next Step

If you are a rookie in the field, start by getting your Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). There are many books or youtube channels readily available you can leverage in order to study the basics and fundamentals at this level. The exam will test your knowledge in terms of computer network theories in general such as the OSI model, TCP/IP and it will also test your practical knowledge of actually configuring the tasks at hand. As a Network Analyst, you should definitely be comfortable with your skill level prior to taking the exam.
Install packet tracer which is basically an innovative network configuration simulation tool which would allow you to have hands on practice to a certain degree once you finish studying a chapter. Download practice labs online and go at it.

The Step After Next

Once, you get your CCNA and are working in the field, your next step can be either the CCNP or the CCNA Security.
Some folks prefers to go straight to CCNP (R&S) but for me, I think every Engineer should be Security oriented. It would be ideal to go for the CCNA (Sec) prior to the CCNP (R&S). Plus, studying for the CCNA (Sec) will definitely help you understand packet flows in terms of inbound or outbound directions, ACLs, NAT rules and so on… which would ultimately be part of your daily routine once you become a Network Engineer or a Sr. Network Engineer.
However, the choice is essentially yours. You could always come back to it but I say build the foundation now.
From this point forward until you get your CCNP (R&S) and after that… It will all be about PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE and PRACTICE again.
You will make mistakes, so make them in your lab environment and not in a production environment. The more you practice, the easier it will become. You will get to a point where everything will become 2nd nature. Remember, there are talented Engineers out there and everyone in IT knows each other. YOUR REPUTATION IS EVERYTHING ! Take care of your reputation dearly by making sure you know your stuff and you provide irrefutable solutions.
Make sure you know your troubleshooting tools in and out as every protocol is different and if you do not know it, you won’t be able to spot any issues in a timely manner. If you get an issue where your BGP routes are not being advertised to your iBGP or even eBGP peers for instance, you should be able to know right away the requirements for a BGP prefix to be locally originated and accepted at the remote end.

The Last Step

This is where you’ve already got your CCNP and you also have tons of experience under your belt. Again, tons of experience does not necessarily means tons of years. Remember, you only get out what you put in. If someone works 40hrs per week and you put in 80hrs per week, you just will have twice as much experience as him. But of course, you will need to work in a production environment managing a full scale network to really become an expert.
You go for the CCIE. Ahh ! This is one the toughest exam worlwide. Today , CCIE certification holders represent less than 3% of all certified Cisco professionals and less than 1% of the networking professionals worldwide. The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification is accepted worldwide as the most prestigious networking certification in the industry. Network Engineers holding an active Cisco CCIE certification are recognized for their expert network engineering skills and mastery of Cisco products and solutions. The CCIE community has established a reputation of leading the networking industry in deep technical networking knowledge and are deployed into the most technically challenging network assignments.
To prepare for this exam, you will need to really make some drastic changes in your lifestyle and focus on becoming a CCIE holder. Based on your experience and your skill level, the preparation can take you a few months up to years. Whatever it takes, I’m telling you to go for it. Even if you do not pass the exam, preparing for it already put you at a higher level.
There are tons of variables that come into play when taking that exam which I’d be willing to share my experience with you once you are ready to take it but it is definitely worth it.

My Advice

Don’t allow yourself to be a Paper Cert kinda guy. Meaning when you hold a certification, make sure you can back it up. If you are an expert, then you should come across as an expert in the eyes of your peers. If you don’t come across that way, then there is an issue you’d need to identify and correct asap. Study and practice till it is 2nd nature to you. Help others to reach your level, you will be helping yourself too.
Remember it is never easy before it is hard. Face your boogeyman 😉

Talk to you soon 😉