When you think of beginning your career in IT, confusion originates. The more you search on Google, the more options you see. But what to choose? To resolve this confusion, I am here with a blog on a primary concern, Top Job Roles in IT Networking 2023, so that you can make a wise decision for your career.
About Me.
I, Atul Sharma, am a Network Engineer and the founder of Network Kings. I have 11+ years of experience in the IT industry working with big sharks like Aricent, TCS, Apple, and Juniper. I began my IT journey through a YouTube channel in 2013 and focussed only on my vision to produce Engineers worldwide. I have been training for eight years. Therefore, all the details are about my experience and journey in IT networking.
What kind of job roles can you get in the IT networking domain?
Undoubtedly, there are a lot of job roles and job designations in the IT industry and choosing the right one for yourself depends upon your skills. To begin your journey in the IT Networking industry, the top job roles in IT are-
- Network Engineer
- Network Security Engineer
- Technical Support Engineer
- Network Specialist
- Network Technician
- Network Administrator
- Network Engineer
- VOIP Engineer
- Data Center Engineer
- Telecom Engineer
NOTE: Technical Support Engineers are also a part of IT networking.
The job roles I mentioned above vary based on your skills and interest. The job profiles continue to change with experience. For instance- A fresher becoming a Network Engineer can become a Network Specialist or Network Administrator with experience. Later, the same can become a Network Solution Architect.
What is Networking?
Networking means computers, devices, and other equipment to share resources and information through diverse technologies and protocols, including wired and wireless connections. It includes local networks (such as those found in a home or office) and wide-area networks (such as the internet).
Networking enables devices to communicate with each other and share resources and is a fundamental aspect of modern computing and communication systems.
Networking is a giant field since companies look for engineers for the configuration of the following-
What IT Networking job skills are the most beneficial of all?
There are 50,000+ job roles in IT Networking that can help you excel in the industry. But, in my opinion, one must have skills more than a degree to begin the IT journey in the industry. The following skills are mandatory to step into IT:
- Protocols like TCP/IP, UDP, SIP, RTP/SRTP, and webRTC
- Understanding of switching, OSI model, MAC Addressing, subnetting, TCP, DNS, ping/traceroute, DHCP, telnet & routing
- Understanding of QoS settings, NAT, Firewalls, T-1 ISDN, Linux, and SBC
What are the different departments in IT Networking?
The three primary departments in IT Networking are-
- Software Development Vertical
- System & Infrastructure Department
- Network & Security Department
Software Development Vertical
The software development vertical comprises software-related skills and job profiles to excel in IT.
System & Infrastructure Department
The job profiles in the system and infrastructure department are as follows:
- Big Data Engineer
- Cloud Architect
- Data Analyst
- Database Admin
- Site Reliability Engineer
- System Administrator
- DevOps Engineer
What skills to learn to get into the system and infrastructure department?
Linux Foundation: LFCS, KCNA, CKAD, CKA
Vmware: VCTA, VCP, VCAP
Red Hat: RHCSA, RHCE, RHCA
Azure: Administrator Associate
AWS Solutions: Architect
Oracle: Certified Administrator
While building the infrastructure inside the system servers, you do not need to configure routers, switches & firewalls.
Network & Security Department
Network and security have become an IT combo these days. The job profiles in the network and security department are as follows:
- Cloud Engineer
- NOC Expert/Engineer
- Cybersecurity Analyst
- DevsecOps Admin
- Network Administrator
- NOC Support
- Security Engineer
- Tester
What is NOC?
NOC, or Network Operation Center, manage a company’s network.
For instance, Airtel has employed engineers to manage the company networks by monitoring everything on multiple big screens.
NOTE: As a beginner, you won’t get to monitor networks – this area is for advanced learners.
Similarly, SOC, or Security Operation Center, monitors the company network to scan attacks. Numerous SOC tools and softwares are in the market, like QRadar (software by IBM), that can help you become a SOC Engineer. For instance, Bank Servers use the SOC technique comprising physical security and software vulnerability in cybersecurity.
What skills should one learn to enter in network and security department?
- Security Tools, MDR and EDR tools, DLP tools, Phishing Investigation tools etc.
- Soar Platforms and Siem tools (for SOC & NOC jobs) – learn CEH, CCNA, & CISSP
A Roadmap To Begin Career in IT.
The primary question one needs to ask self- “How will you begin your career?” Most people begin their IT journey either with the CCNA course or other advanced networking courses but are clueless about their destination, or at times get misguided by some so-called mentors. But, I recommend you a pathway to excel in your IT journey.
Therefore, begin with the Network Fundamental course to practice the basic skills required in IT. Then, opt for the CCNA course (the beginner-level networking certification by Cisco). Later, you can go for CCNP (the professional-level networking course by Cisco). One can get a high-paying job with CCNA and CCNP.
After CCNP, you can go for Palo Alto Firewall (a device deployed to configure the security of a network), known as an advanced-level Firewall course that can also land you plenty of job opportunities in IT.
NOTE: With CCNA & CCNP courses, you can learn to configure Cisco routers & switches, but in big companies, you need to configure firewalls & wireless networks to safeguard the data and information from attacks. A Network Engineer must know how to configure routers, switches, firewalls & wireless networks. Therefore, only a candidate having these skills can become an efficient Network Engineer.
Once the Palo Alto Firewall course gets complete, you can move ahead with advanced-level programs like SD-WAN and F5 LTM Load Balancer. And then comes the cloud courses like AWS or Azure, to become a Cloud Network Engineer (which are in high demand) or a Cloud Security Engineer.
NOTE: Freshers can not become Cloud Network Engineers directly since the job is for experienced candidates.
If you wish to work in your dream companies like Amazon or Google, you must know some programming. Therefore, Python for Network Engineers course is the best for you since it adds an extra skill to your resume.
NOTE: One can become a Cloud Network Engineer without learning to program, but for working in big IT firms, programming skill is mandatory.
Therefore, all these steps can land you your dream job.
Having cloud, is this the end of Network Engineers?
Rumours are there that since the cloud has become a massive hit, Networking jobs are no longer in demand. Numerous YouTubers have been uploading videos claiming- “There is no demand for Network Engineers,” and “This is the end of Network Engineers.” Let me tell you, these videos get created by people who have never worked as Network Engineer and have zero knowledge of networking.
If there is no future for Network Engineers, how will the internet run in a company? How to use wifi? How will you protect your company using firewalls? Will all the laptops and devices shift to the cloud?
The answer is NO. The future of Network Engineers is still bright since company servers shifted to the cloud can also get protected by them.
At least for the next 20 to 30 years, the demand for networking, cloud computing, and cybersecurity will not end. Therefore, follow the path and become an efficient engineer in IT to earn your dream salary at your dream position in your dream company.
NOTE: You can also refer to my video on the same topic.
