What You Should Have on Your Network Engineer Resume in 2023

Network engineers are key professionals in today's technology-driven world. In this role, you have the unique opportunity to help create, deploy, and maintain the vast networks that connect businesses, organizations, and individuals. You may find yourself working independently one moment and collaboratively with peers the next. Overall, this career offers high job satisfaction and an environment for continuous learning and growth opportunities.

The field of network engineering is competitive and rapidly growing. As businesses around the world continue to expand their operations, skilled engineers are needed. It can be difficult for new network engineers to break into the profession without the right qualifications or experience, but a rise in demand for these services means that those willing to work hard and build a strong résumé are likely to succeed. Read on to learn the best practices to create a dynamic professional résumé to land the network engineering job you desire.

Network engineering is an excellent career choice for individuals with an aptitude in computer programming and engineering. The role of a network engineer revolves around designing and providing support for networks such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), Wi-Fi networks, and internet-connected devices. With such expertise, their responsibilities include installing, optimizing, managing, troubleshooting, and maintaining networking hardware, software, security systems, and computers to ensure that organizations have up-to-date digital infrastructure to serve business objectives.

Working as a network engineer offers many benefits, including:

1. Job security: In this career, you probably won’t have to worry about not finding, or keeping, a job. As our world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, the need for qualified network engineers will only increase. This means that you are likely to have your pick of jobs for many years to come.
2. Good salary: Network engineers are in high demand and currently earn an average of $80,600 annually in the U.S. Additionally, many employers offer generous benefits packages and bonuses, which can further increase your earnings potential.
3. Career advancement: There are many opportunities for advancement within the field. You may be able to move into management positions or take on more responsibility within your company.
4. Job satisfaction: Network engineers report high satisfaction. When you help to keep people connected and ensure that networks are running smoothly, you can take pride in knowing that you’re playing an important role in keeping people and businesses connected.
5. Challenging work: If you enjoy working with complex systems and the challenge of problem-solving, then becoming a network engineer is an excellent choice for you. You’ll never find yourself bored or uninterested in your work as there is always something new to learn or some new problem to solve.

A strong résumé is essential if you want to stand out in the crowded job market. As a network engineer, your résumé must highlight your ability to troubleshoot and resolve technical problems quickly and efficiently. An effective way to do this is to describe tasks you've handled in other jobs—network installations and maintenance, troubleshooting, software patching, and so on—with relevant technical details to demonstrate your skill set. As you describe your past experiences, integrate network engineering keywords in complete sentences, rather than listing them in a “skills” section. 

Focus on tangible results such as improved uptime or resolved performance issues. Emphasize important soft skills like verbal and written communication, problem-solving, and an analytical mindset. Furthermore, include technical certifications demonstrating proficiency in understanding the latest network technologies and relevant experience in IT infrastructure services such as VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, or Linux. This highlights an understanding of how multiple systems interact with each other across a virtual environment, which is a valuable skill for any network engineer. 

When writing your network engineer résumé, it’s important to avoid creating a generic résumé that simply lists the required skills and credentials. Instead, targeting the specific job would be more beneficial by highlighting the relevant achievements and certifications that make you stand out from other candidates. Additionally, try not to include your graduation year, a references section, and irrelevant information such as non-IT jobs or experience from more than 10 years ago. If you have several different areas of expertise related to network engineering that may not apply to the position you are targeting, it’s best to focus on what could add value for the employer. Lastly, proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, as they will not make a positive impression on the hiring manager.

Of all the details mentioned on your résumé, a bachelor's degree best indicates to potential employers that you have the foundational knowledge and experience to identify problems with networks, design solutions, and troubleshoot current issues. WGU's bachelor's in network engineering and security is designed with input from industry leaders to develop highly trained professionals who are ready to enter the workplace armed with technical expertise, a specialized skill set, and real-world experience. Network engineering students are offered two tracks to best support their career goals: specializing in Cisco technologies and earning Cisco certifications or generalizing and earning additional CompTIA certifications. Plus, certification costs are included with tuition, and WGU's competency-based education model offers the support and flexibility you need to earn your online degree at your own pace.