3 Ways To Transform Yourself As Entry Level Network Engineer

Entry Level Network engineering has changed dramatically in the last 20 years as a job function. In the past, network engineers were responsible for keeping the network up and running, but today's work is much more complex. Digital transformation, automation, orchestration, and infrastructure changes have opened up new possibilities and expanded role bandwidth. In this new digital age, optimizing business results has become a priority for the entire industry.

With the advent of intention-based networks, the role of entry level network engineer will change even more. Additionally, the half-life of newly acquired skills is now approximately 2.5 years, making it necessary to keep pace with this rapid and accelerated rate of innovation. What is the best way to acquire the right skills and ensure future success? Last week we met with industry leaders at the Software Defined Business Conference and Expo to discuss this. Here are three ways to reinvent yourself as a network engineer:

Learn From The Team

It takes a long time to become an expert at something: Malcolm Gladwell generally defines experience as 10,000 hours of experience. How can you overcome this incredibly long development time for your experience? Talk to the people you've been with, learn from their mistakes and difficulties, and continually refer to them as resources.

Your team is one of your most valuable resources. Listen to them, talk and learn together. You don't just get knowledge from others. Share yours with others. Clearly set aside time to share ideas and collaborate. In addition to seeking new insights from your team, look at different areas of the organization and larger businesses. Contribute to a culture of exchange, learning and education to promote our growth and development and reinvent ourselves as network engineers.

Justify Learning And Celebrate Success

Team swapping helps accelerate learning and development. Training and certification embody this growth. Eight out of ten managers agree that people certified by Cisco are more knowledgeable and valuable to the organization. According to the Cisco Certifications Value Study, they can take more responsibility, be more respected, and promoted by their colleagues. What are you looking for? Do you want to reinvent yourself? Start training to get certified. It's the best way to flex your career muscles and show that you can really take on a bigger role or shift to a new position. Once you've been certified and have successfully achieved your next career goal, we celebrate your success, but I don't think it's the end of your reinvention.

Embark On A Journey Of Continuous Learning

Instead of learning what happened at some point, you will learn about the journey that is in progress. To become a continuous learner requires a change of mindset from a fixed mindset to a growing mindset. This is mentioned in Carol Dweck's popular book. Having a growth mindset means opening yourself up to new possibilities, new tactics, new technologies, and ultimately becoming more flexible. Using both team learning and more formal training, becoming a flexible and continuous learner with a growing mindset creates new career opportunities and ultimately prepares for long-term success.