Network/systems designer and engineer

The work is influenced by the size and type of the employing organisation. In a large investment bank for example, a network engineer may have specific responsibility for one area of the system. In a small company, the engineer may be troubleshooter for almost any IT-related problem that arises.

There are different types of network, such as:

• Local area networks (LANs), linking a limited area such as a home, office or small group of buildings
• Metropolitan area networks (MANs), linking a large area such as a campus or city
• Wide area networks (WANs), which link nationally or internationally
• Global area networks (GANs), combining all of the above with satellite mobile- communication technologies

The type of network will affect the engineer's responsibilities.

Typical work activities usually include:

• Installing, supporting and maintaining new server hardware and software infrastructure
• Setting up user accounts, permissions and passwords, managing email, anti-spam and virus protection
• Monitoring network usage, ensuring the most cost-effective and efficient use of servers
• Suggesting and providing ITsolutions to business and management problems
• Ensuring that all it equipment complies with industry standards
• Analysing and resolving faults, ranging from a major system crash to a forgotten password
• Undertaking routine preventative measures and implementing, maintaining and monitoring network security, particularly if the network connects to the internet
• Providing training and technical support for users with varying levels of it knowledge and competence
• Supervising other staff, such as help-desk technicians
• Working closely with other departments/organisations and collaborating with other it staff
• Planning and implementing future it developments and undertaking project work;
• Managing the website and keeping internal networks running

A first degree or doctoral qualification in one of the following subjects is likely to increase your chances

• Computer science
• Electrical/electronic engineering
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Software engineering

Candidates will need to show evidence of the following

• An up-to-date knowledge and understanding of your employer's business and industry needs as well as the technical demands
• Recognition of the importance of customer focus and/or of serving the needs of the end user
• Excellent communication skills (particularly the ability to communicate with staff who are not technically trained)
• The ability to take on a variety of tasks and pay attention to detail
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Team-working skills and the ability to feel comfortable working with different work teams, clients and groups of staff across an organisation
• Organisational skills and the ability to prioritise your workload

Tough competition for network engineer spots means employers have their pick of candidates. Entry requirements often include certifications and perhaps several years' experience working on a help desk or as a system administrator.

• Range of typical starting salaries is £20,000 - £25,000 (salary data collected February 2010).
• Range of typical salaries at a senior level or with experience (e.g. after 10-15 years in the role) is £30,000 - £55,000 (salary data collected February 2010).
• Salary depends on the size and type of organisation you work for, and the size and scope of its computer and network installations. Other factors that contribute to salary include the value of the IT infrastructure, so network engineers in the City of London, for example, can be paid considerably more.

Sector information

Doctoral graduates from 2006-9 working in this occupation were known to be employed in the following profiled sectors six months after graduation:

• Advertising, public relations and marketing
• Engineering, manufacturing, technology and construction
• Financial services
• Higher education
• Information technology and computing
• UK defence and the armed forces

Disciplinary background

The most common disciplinary backgrounds for doctoral graduates (2006-2009) entering network / systems design and engineering were:

• Chemistry
• Computer science and IT
  
• Electrical and electronic engineering
• Information systems
• Mathematics
• Physics

Nicole Harris

Technical Specialist in data warehousing and data management, IBM

"You might have a supermarket who's got lots of data on sales and they might want to do analytics on that to help them decide what promotions, what offers they want to put on, how they want to arrange the layout of their store, so it can help with those kind of decisions."

Other relevant career profiles:

Arnaud Miege

• BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT)
• Computing Careers
• CWJobs
• Institution of Analysts and Programmers (IAP)
• Intellect
• IT Jobs Watch
• Just IT
• Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)
• Cisco
• e-skills UK - The Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology