Zachary Clausen Network Engineer/Architect

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Job Description:

Computer network architects, also referred to as network engineer, help build all sorts of

communication networks, such as LANs (Local Area Network), WANs (Wide Area Network),

and intranets. They vary from small networks that can support a small business or an intricate

network that is used to support multiple customers for one business or multiple businesses.

Network architects are meant to have a keen understanding of an organizations business plans so

that they can adjust the network to help in a achieving the goals of the organization. They often

work with the CTO of a business to determine where a business will need new networks to

operate efficiently, and spend a lot of time planning them. Computer network architects typically

create plans for a network including the security of one, and present them to management to

explain why they are in the best interests of the organization so they pursue them. They also

work with the hardware and software of a business to upgrade, maintain, and repair to support

them. Time is spent also researching the newest technologies to see if it is something that would

support their organization. Their work environment is typically in an office, but they are also

occasionally in server rooms where they can have access to the physical hardware that makes up

an organizations network.

Career Path:

The career path to become a computer network architect typically follows getting a

bachelors degree in computer science, IT, engineering, or similar filed. They are typically hired

from being an administrator of network and computer systems, database administrator, or

computer system analyst. What is also needed are some industry certifications to prove skills and

knowledge pertaining to the job as well as a minimum of 5 years experience to prove

competency.
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General Education Experience:

To become a computer network architect the minimum would be a bachelors degree in

computer science, information systems, engineering, or another similar field. It is best if classes

taken are hands on to give future architects the needed experience with the physical stuff so they

can become familiar with it. There is also some business that prefers that applicants have a

Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in information systems, which requires 2 years of

education, to be considered. Generally employers require that applicants have 5-10 years of

experience working in the IT field as administrators or analysts. Certifications are great ways of

verifying the skills of applicants and some certifications are required to prove that the applicant

has experience in the field they are applying for.

Average Salary:

The average salary per state depends on the need for a network engineer in that area. For

example Utah employees about 1020 computer network architects on average while California

employees about 16,250. The reason for that is due to the need of that job and in turn affects the

pay on average someone would make. For Utah the average wage of a network engineer is

$101,040 and California is $125,340. The 2016 average pay for someone in this profession in the

US is $101,210 per year with the hourly rate being $48.66. A minimum someone would be paid

for starting out would be around $70,240, but has a positive outlook in the future with pay rising

steadily.

Career Outlook:

The expected growth of the career is believed to increase between 2014 and 2024 9%

which is faster than the average of other careers. The demand for these jobs will only increase

with the advancing technology and the need for someone to be able to understand and build a
Zachary Clausen Network Engineer/Architect
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network for an organization to use. With the use of cloud servers though it is predicted that in the

future there will be businesses who provide the network for businesses to use cloud servers and

in turn the network engineer will be less needed as not each individual business will have need of

one, but the one provided by who they use the cloud server from. It is also possible for an

engineer to work on more than one network at a time so it is possible for two businesses to hire

the same engineer at the same time to plan and build the network. It is still positive however as

when new companies are created and will most likely have need of a network, then engineers

will always be needed or of use.

Professionals Bio:

Someone who has worked in the field and has a lot of experience doing this type of work

would be Brad Hedlund. He is an IT professional with 17 years of experience in Enterprise IT

pre-sales engineering, architecture, support, and is currently a Technical Account Manager for

Amazon Web Services. He has experience with various technologies including Network

Virtualization, Network Security, Data Center Infrastructure, and Private/Public Cloud. He went

to NEI College of Technology which is in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the school specializes in

electronics and IT. He has a twitter page and blog, but when hes not on them he is a speaker at

conferences. Some of which are VMworld 2014, Interop 2012, and Cisco Live 2011.

Pros & Cons:

Some pros that people with these jobs have stated are that they are pleased with the

environment that they get to work in as it provides an area where they can learn and grow. There

are also those who love the travel that sometimes comes with the job as well as the flexible

schedule that some of the positions have.

Zachary Clausen Network Engineer/Architect
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Some cons that these people have stated are that the amount that they are paid per the

work they had to complete is unbalanced and sometimes they feel overworked for the amount

they get. There are also times where a delay will cost them work and cause unneeded downtime

between assignments, as well as organization issues.

My fit in this career:

I believe this to possibly be a future occupation for me as I have been studying the

hardware and software of computers and electronics since high school. I have completed various

courses and certifications that relate to this career such as MTAs in server administration

fundamentals, security fundamentals, and networking fundamentals. I have also completed a

certification for network cable installation with the course provided by the Commscope

Corporation. I am studying to get a bachelors in Computer Science which would fulfill a basic

requirement of the career, and afterwards I would need to learn and get the experience needed

possibly as an administrator of some sort in the IT field to possibly get this job in the future. In

the end I believe that this is a career that I would be well suited for as I have been studying for a

career like this and have already been well along the road for a possible career in this industry.
Zachary Clausen Network Engineer/Architect
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Sources

Hedlund, B. (n.d.). Brad Hedlund. Retrieved July 17, 2017, from

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradhedlund/

Network Engineer Job Description - How to Become a Network Engineer. (n.d.). Retrieved

July 17, 2017, from http://www.snagajob.com/job-descriptions/network-engineer/

P. (2017). Network Engineer Salary. Retrieved July 17, 2017, from

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Network_Engineer/Salary

Tan, W. B. (n.d.). Computer Network Architects: Know It All In 1 Minute. Retrieved July

17, 2017, from http://www.owlguru.com/career/computer-network-architects/

U. (2015, December 17). Summary. Retrieved July 17, 2017, from

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-network-

architects.htm#tab-1

Vartabedian, J. (2015, January 22). Enterprise Networking Planet's Top 10 Networking

Experts You Need to Follow. Retrieved July 17, 2017, from

http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/news/enterprise-networking-planets-

top-10-networking-experts-you-need-to-follow.html