Recently, I have received a lot of questions from students. Can I change my career to a network engineer with zero knowledge and no experience? What are the development prospects? How much can the salary be?
There should be many friends who have this question, so today I will try my best to give you a detailed answer, hoping it will be helpful.
The content may be quite long, so you can like it, save it, and read it slowly.
Can I change my career to a network engineer if I have zero foundation and no experience?
If you want to quickly learn and get started in the network engineering industry, the fastest and most efficient way is to obtain industry-related certificates. Just like other industries, there are certifications for network workers.
In the network engineer industry, there are currently two most valuable and industry-recognized certifications: Cisco and Huawei.
Let’s briefly talk about the difference between the two:
From a gold content perspective. The gold content of the two is actually almost the same. HCIE is the highest level certificate certified by Huawei, and CCIE is the highest level certificate certified by Cisco. Both have a high status in the network engineering industry.
Cisco certification is an internationally authoritative certification. Engineers who pass this certification can get the opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills more quickly and move to a higher platform to gain a broader perspective. Friends who want to develop abroad or prefer foreign companies can consider Cisco.
Although Cisco certification has been launched for a long time and is highly recognized at home and abroad, due to the epidemic, the Prism scandal and other factors, Cisco's situation in China is getting worse and worse.
Although Huawei certification was launched later than Cisco, its academic and market share have increased rapidly, and it has been widely recognized in China. Many domestic operators and enterprises use Huawei equipment.
Moreover, the Cisco exam is conducted entirely in English, which may not be very friendly to domestic candidates. The Huawei exam is in Chinese. If your English proficiency is limited and you are not planning to develop abroad, you can choose to go to Huawei for certification.
So what level is appropriate to take?
HCIA: It is no longer of great value, and it is not recommended to spend money to take the exam. There is only one exam content, all multiple choice questions, and there is a simulation question bank, which can be easily obtained by novices. It will take a month at most to get it.
HCIP: If you are developing in some small and medium-sized enterprises in the second and third tiers, then HCIP is completely sufficient. The exam is also based on choice, which is similar to IA. The exam content has been changed from one to three, and there is also a simulation question bank.
HCIE: If you are not entering a large enterprise, you generally do not need an advanced certification certificate. Of course, its technology is deeper. The exam is different from IP in that it has an experimental part.
What are the development prospects of network engineers?
The development direction of network engineers can be said to be very diversified and you can choose freely.
data communication
: As the most basic direction of network engineers, it has the characteristics of easy entry and wide employment opportunities. At the same time, whether it is network security or cloud computing, it requires basic data communication and the salary is relatively considerable. It is the best choice for those who are new to the industry.
cyber security
: Network engineers are the most popular positions and also have the highest salary caps. In the era of information technology, network security can be regarded as the foundation of a country. The talent gap is very large. The country also provides strong support. The only disadvantage is that there is no foundation at all. I think It may be very difficult to master it through self-study. If you are interested, you can come in and learn together.
Cloud Computing: Advanced Technology, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud
A large number of talents are needed, but academic qualifications are required. If you do not have a bachelor's degree or above, it is recommended not to consider it.
There are also some other development directions, which I will not elaborate on one by one. They are relatively unpopular and are not recommended.
Each direction has different job development
What is the salary of a network engineer?
Many people think that the salary of network engineers is very low. In fact, network engineering is a very normal profession. The salary ranges from high to low. The low salary is indeed only three to four thousand, but the high salary is also twenty to thirty thousand.
If you are only at the entry level and engaged in the lowest level of network work, such as weak current, security, monitoring, wiring, etc., then the salary will definitely be low. In fact, this kind of work is not considered a serious network engineer, it is just a contact with the network.
Really well-paid high-end network workers have project experience, personal connections, complete theoretical knowledge, and at least an IP certificate. If IE is better, this can be slowly learned and improved in actual work.
Summarize:
If you want to develop in the network engineering industry, you must take a long-term view. If you only see some low-end network workers, then it is recommended not to consider it. Only by improving your own skills can you develop more smoothly in this industry.
If you have zero foundation and want to enter the industry, it is recommended to go to Datacom first
Development direction, and then switch to network security. You must continue to learn and improve at work, and expand your network. Network workers become more and more popular as they get older. I have prepared some learning materials for network workers from scratch to actual project practice. Please follow me, private I can get it with the word "study".