A day in the life of a network engineer

I'm currently in school learning CCNA, then on to CCNP. One thing I didn't do was see what kind of daily work I might do as a network engineer when I finally do get that job. An example of a typical day would be ideal. Duties, how much work vs. down time, etc. As I was doing router practice in class yesterday, I realized that it wasn't the most exciting work in the world. It made me wonder what the daily duties would be in the real world. Thanks for anyone who can help. It may determine whether I've chosen the right field for me.

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borumas

I'm not an engineer but a network technician who sometimes does have "engineer" like duties in my daily job. My work day can consists of anything from installing a whole network of switches/layer 3 switches, servers, and UPS devices to doing inventory of equipment at our job sites. Mostly I wind up fixing small problems like switches or media converters going out or replacing bad batteries in UPS devices and lately I have been configuring and installing allot of wireless access points. I don't hate my job but I don't love it either, I do however like it enough so that I have no dreary thoughts about work while I'm at home or on the way in to do my job. I must say that my favorite kind of work is complete network installs where I have to run all cabling from the patch panel to the switches, install and configure all the switches, install the servers and UPS devices- it's rewarding to see the end result and feel proud of a good install. Hope that helps and hopefully a few others will share their experiences also.

michael_knight

I did desktop work for about 7 years everything from traveling to working in house, and I can tell you that after a while that gets boring as well. The next step for me was to become a network engineer (I'm currently a Jr Network engineer where i work) To me it's a whole lot better. I don't have to work with stupid end users but I still get my hands dirty. I have more responsiblities because I don't worry about whether a machine or two is down I worry if 20-100 machines go down at the same time. As you move up Network engineers plan out the toplology of the network, and they are the people that CIO's and CEO's finally go to when they aquire other companies and want to join them to the same network. IMO networking is the best field in IT. I hope I don't offend anyone but to me you can't have a life as a programmer. All the programmers I ever met were weird. I still want to go out and have fun and enjoy life, but when they're done looking at a screen all day to me most of them go right home and do the same thing. Server engineers are fine as well but like desktop engineers I get tired of a whole bunch of people telling me what to do and having to lift a whole lot of crap. Now I must say I believe I paid my dues and I can tell you many horror stories about coming up in this industry. I believe you have to start from the bottom in this industry to make it to the top (but if you can go straight to the top then go for it!) I personally like being a network engineer and hopefully I can change my Jr to a Sr so I can "REALLY" break some things!

NightShade1

Great topic
i would like to know more come on guys share your experiences....
Im studying like nuts to become one of the best networks engenier i really like this field, i would like to know what is waiting for me when i get a good job of it

Tricon7

NightShade1 wrote:

Great topic
i would like to know more come on guys share your experiences....
Im studying like nuts to become one of the best networks engenier i really like this field, i would like to know what is waiting for me when i get a good job of it

Yeah, this is where I'm coming from. I *think* I'd like working as a network engineer, but I don't really know. Do I want to study for two years and get a job that I might wind up hating, or do I take a different job *now* (albeit that pays less) doing what I know I'd like? I know it's a bummer in that I'm going over foreign concepts and learning esoteric information, but I'm hoping that once I finally learn what I need and it becomes familiar to me, it'll be less stressful; there's something to be said for familiarity. Right now I feel a bit overwhelmed with all this heavily-technical jargon. I hope it doesn't discourage me. Time will tell.

djmd

I am an RF support specialist type person - I travel weekly to our customer sites and work with their "network engineers" pretty much exclusively. What I can tell you guys that are curious is that it's pretty much impossible to generalize what a "network engineer" job is going to be like. You're gonna get a different answer from everyone. Every company is different. It depends on the organization of the company's technology departments, how much work is done in house vs. 3rd party, how many people in those depts. are assholes, etc etc etc. If you really like the technology, my advice would be to try to get in a big company. The "engineers" at the big companies... your Fortune 500 types... seem to be the happiest and the most stable. I'm not saying that's easy.

sprkymrk

michael_knight wrote:

All the programmers I ever met were weird. I still want to go out and have fun and enjoy life, but when they're done looking at a screen all day to me most of them go right home and do the same thing.

Two comments:

1. I hope JDMurray doesn't read this.

2. Our VP bought all our programmers their own laptops. When I asked him why, he told me not to tell anyone, but by buying them laptops he could pay them for 8 hours of work a day but knows he'll end up getting at least 12 hours of work out of them.

djmd wrote:

What I can tell you guys that are curious is that it's pretty much impossible to generalize what a "network engineer" job is going to be like. You're gonna get a different answer from everyone.

Very true. Even at my place of employment, where I am the Sr LAN Admin, and my boss is about 50% hands-on LAN Admin, and the other network guy is also a LAN Admin, our typical days are very different from each other. We all share the workload, but only about 30% is shared equally by all (unlocking accounts, managing user/group accounts, server maintenance, restoring backups, etc.). The rest is specific to our area of responsibility. For instance, I am responsible for security (firewall, IDS, Server/Desktop configurations, patching, auditing logs, VPN, AV, monitoring SANS and other security sites, etc.), Group Policy, Imaging, and a few other misc things. The other LAN guy is responsible for the Exchange and Blackberry stuff, SQL servers, Printers, Cisco devices, and our cabling infrastructure. The boss does a little of everything when he can.

Tricon7

djmd wrote:

I am an RF support specialist type person - I travel weekly to our customer sites and work with their "network engineers" pretty much exclusively. What I can tell you guys that are curious is that it's pretty much impossible to generalize what a "network engineer" job is going to be like. You're gonna get a different answer from everyone. Every company is different. It depends on the organization of the company's technology departments, how much work is done in house vs. 3rd party, how many people in those depts. are assholes, etc etc etc. If you really like the technology, my advice would be to try to get in a big company. The "engineers" at the big companies... your Fortune 500 types... seem to be the happiest and the most stable. I'm not saying that's easy.

Uh-huh. Well, I tell ya - unless I get downtime at the job I hope to get to relax periodically and make at least 50k/yr, I'm not interested in networking. I expect to be handsomely repaid for my learning, as I should be.

outstream

djmd wrote:

What I can tell you guys that are curious is that it's pretty much impossible to generalize what a "network engineer" job is going to be like. You're gonna get a different answer from everyone. Every company is different.

totally agreed

addiktion

sprkymrk wrote:

Very true. Even at my place of employment, where I am the Sr LAN Admin, and my boss is about 50% hands-on LAN Admin, and the other network guy is also a LAN Admin, our typical days are very different from each other. We all share the workload, but only about 30% is shared equally by all (unlocking accounts, managing user/group accounts, server maintenance, restoring backups, etc.). The rest is specific to our area of responsibility. For instance, I am responsible for security (firewall, IDS, Server/Desktop configurations, patching, auditing logs, VPN, AV, monitoring SANS and other security sites, etc.), Group Policy, Imaging, and a few other misc things. The other LAN guy is responsible for the Exchange and Blackberry stuff, SQL servers, Printers, Cisco devices, and our cabling infrastructure. The boss does a little of everything when he can.

Which guy gets paid the best?

I'm driving myself towards security because well I like that aspect of things. I don't mind either 3 of these roles you guys do though. I would have to say the 3rd dude is doing more physical work then anything with cabling etc.

bmauro

Tricon7 - I hate to break it to you but if this is true:

"I'm not interested in networking"

Then you are in the wrong field my friend. You have to put your time and dues in before you can start raking in the cash, and if you're in it for the money......

well....good luck

Tricon7

bmauro wrote:

Tricon7 - I hate to break it to you but if this is true:

"I'm not interested in networking"

Then you are in the wrong field my friend. You have to put your time and dues in before you can start raking in the cash, and if you're in it for the money......

well....good luck

Though I may have been jesting in my earlier post, I think I'm accurate in saying that most people who pursue Cicso certs are indeed doing it primarily for the greater income it will/might bring. Sure, some may adore the profession in and of itself; but IMHO few are in it purely for the love of the work, with the income being of secondary importance.

bmauro

Well consider me one of those who love the work. If I wanted to make money I would have have gone into software design or project management. I picked networking because I enjoy it, and if you love your job you'll never "work" a single day in your life.

mikej412

Tricon7 wrote:

I think I'm accurate in saying that most people who pursue Cicso certs are indeed doing it primarily for the greater income is will/might bring.

That would explain the dropout rate in the CCNA Cisco Network Academy Courses (or the difference between the number of people who start the program and the number that finish).

Tricon7

mikej412 wrote:

Tricon7 wrote:

I think I'm accurate in saying that most people who pursue Cicso certs are indeed doing it primarily for the greater income is will/might bring.

That would explain the dropout rate in the CCNA Cisco Network Academy Courses (or the difference between the number of people who start the program and the number that finish).

Heh! Yeah - I've already seen some drop out after Cisco I. But with myself, I like the work enough to continue it, though I admit that I'm not exactly married to networking like some are. But with a wife and two small children and no other viable employement alternative to make ends meet for the future, the anticipated income boost is enough to keep me motivated and moving and willing to study hard, despite the fact that I'm not willing to die for networking. Income is relative, and my income now is low enought that my wife has to work PT, so even a low-paying networking job would be a move up for me. It's all relative.

garv221

sprkymrk wrote:

2. Our VP bought all our programmers their own laptops. When I asked him why, he told me not to tell anyone, but by buying them laptops he could pay them for 8 hours of work a day but knows he'll end up getting at least 12 hours of work out of them.

Yeah, that is the oldest trick in the book!

malcybood

sprkymrk wrote:

michael_knight wrote:

All the programmers I ever met were weird. I still want to go out and have fun and enjoy life, but when they're done looking at a screen all day to me most of them go right home and do the same thing.

Two comments:

1. I hope JDMurray doesn't read this.

I gotta say on this that I believe the stereotype "All programmers are nerds/geeks" is very much a thing of the past. As little as 7 - 8 years ago when I was at high school "computing" in general was thought of as a geeky subject and I know people that didn't choose it at school purely for this reason!

Nowadays when you tell someone in conversation you're an IT professional, no matter what your specialism, wether it be programming, web design, networking, DS or whatever it is thought of in general as "cool" and I often get "how did you get into that? I'd like to do that kind of job"......I'm not lying honest!

I think that more people get into the field nowadays initially thinking they're going to make big bucks then actually realize they like it and it pays well and that IT aint so geeky after all!

bperiod

michael_knight wrote:

I did desktop work for about 7 years everything from traveling to working in house, and I can tell you that after a while that gets boring as well. The next step for me was to become a network engineer (I'm currently a Jr Network engineer where i work) To me it's a whole lot better. I don't have to work with stupid end users but I still get my hands dirty. I have more responsiblities because I don't worry about whether a machine or two is down I worry if 20-100 machines go down at the same time. As you move up Network engineers plan out the toplology of the network, and they are the people that CIO's and CEO's finally go to when they aquire other companies and want to join them to the same network. IMO networking is the best field in IT. I hope I don't offend anyone but to me you can't have a life as a programmer. All the programmers I ever met were weird. I still want to go out and have fun and enjoy life, but when they're done looking at a screen all day to me most of them go right home and do the same thing. Server engineers are fine as well but like desktop engineers I get tired of a whole bunch of people telling me what to do and having to lift a whole lot of crap. Now I must say I believe I paid my dues and I can tell you many horror stories about coming up in this industry. I believe you have to start from the bottom in this industry to make it to the top (but if you can go straight to the top then go for it!) I personally like being a network engineer and hopefully I can change my Jr to a Sr so I can "REALLY" break some things!

Hey Michael, my career basically mirrors yours. I am currently STILL in Desktop Support (Senior Desktop Systems Specialist, sounds good huh? LOL) However, I just passed my CCNA and am attempting to move over to the Networking group. Can you give me some advice in how to make that move, or what you did to get the Jr. Network Admin slot? VERY tired of desktop work. Thanks, really appreciate any guidance.