A Network Engineer designs, builds and maintains the networks every organisation depends on — from the office LAN to the links that reach the cloud.
Role overview
Network Engineers configure switches, routers and firewalls, design addressing and segmentation, and troubleshoot connectivity at every layer. It's a technical, in-demand role with a clear certification ladder.
A typical day
A network engineer's day mixes planned work — configuring a new VLAN, updating firewall rules, documenting a topology — with reactive troubleshooting when a link degrades or a site drops. You live in switch and router CLIs, monitoring dashboards and change tickets, and you think in terms of the OSI layers when something breaks.
Typical responsibilities
- Design and configure LANs, WANs, VLANs and routing.
- Manage switches, routers, firewalls and wireless infrastructure.
- Monitor performance and troubleshoot faults up the OSI layers.
- Document topologies and maintain network security.
Core skills required
- OSI & TCP/IP
- IP addressing & subnetting
- Switching, VLANs & routing
- Firewalls & VPNs
- Structured troubleshooting
What employers look for
Employers look for solid fundamentals (addressing, subnetting, routing, switching), hands-on configuration experience, and the discipline to document and follow change control. Vendor certifications — especially Cisco CCNA — signal readiness, and the ability to reason calmly through a live outage is highly valued.
Recommended learning paths (vendor-neutral)
Recommended certifications
- CompTIA Network+ — on the Academy roadmap
- Cisco CCNA — on the Academy roadmap
Practical labs
Guided hands-on labs for this role are on the Academy roadmap. In the meantime, build a home lab or use free tier cloud resources to practise the skills above.
Technical interview preparation
- Walk me through what happens when you type a URL and press enter.
- How do devices in different VLANs communicate?
- What is the difference between static and dynamic routing?
Behavioural interview preparation
- Describe a major network outage you helped resolve.
- Tell me about explaining a networking issue to non-technical stakeholders.
Career progression
Network Engineer → Senior Network Engineer → Network Architect, with the Cisco ladder (CCNA → CCNP → CCIE) driving both capability and salary. Cloud networking (Azure/AWS) is a strong adjacent path.
Typical UK salary
Typically £30,000–£45,000 in the UK, rising to £50,000–£70,000+ for senior engineers and architects with CCNP/CCIE.
Explore other roles
This is one of the roles in the Career Roles hub. You might also look at Help Desk Engineer, SOC Analyst.
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