Network engineers are essential for an organization’s basic functioning. Successful network engineers need a wide variety of skills, and they must be detail-oriented: small network situations can quickly escalate into huge problems, and simply checking the wrong box on a dashboard can impact uptime. Given all that, what does an ideal network engineer resume template include?

As with other technology jobs, it’s important that network engineers use their resumes to detail their accomplishments, past work experience, and any certifications they’ve earned. Beyond that, they need to tailor their network engineer resume to their specialization and focus (i.e., enterprise networking). 

Network Engineer Resume Template

Interested in a network engineer resume template? Check this out; once you've reviewed it, we'll delve into what a typical resume needs to successfully make it through the hiring process.  

Focus on Your Tech Knowledge

Jakub Kubryński, CEO and co-founder of DevSkiller, said you should use your network engineer resume to highlight all skillsets that display your knowledge in the realm of IT infrastructure and architecture. 

The exact requirements may differ from one role to another, but in most cases, you will be expected to show you’re able to manage and troubleshoot LAN, WLAN, and WAN, and possess a technical understanding of private, hybrid, and public cloud technology; this could range from platforms such as Microsoft Office 365 and Azure to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Amazon Web Services (AWS). He said it’s also good to list any knowledge and experience in Python, Bash or PowerShell.

Network engineers are also expected to know how to use automation tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, Chef and SaltStack, and be able to recommend and implement vulnerability management software tools and firewalls.

“You might also consider acquiring and adding Cisco Certifications (CCNA, CCNP) to your resume, as many employers might expect you to have them,” he said.

Establish Your Brand as a Network Engineer 

Karel Lukas, managing partner with The Trevi Group, said there are a couple of ways to categorize yourself in your network engineer resume: One is by the type of networking technology, and another is by the environment you work in.

“Someone could be a classic enterprise-level network engineer, used to corporate IT and who knows some security, some wireless—someone who can get their arms around all of that, a little bit of a jack of all trade or networking,” he said.

Other categories are those who specialize in wireless networking, security, or governance and compliance. “Engineers who focus heavily on wireless technologies are the ones who do site surveys and use heatmap tools like Ekahau or AirMagnet and other tools,” Lukas said.

Another category to consider: collaboration-oriented network engineering pros. “These are the people who are who have come from the world of voice over IP and telephony and have gotten into a lot of the voice and data tools we're using today—video conferencing and collaboration tools and WebEx and Microsoft Teams,” he said. 

Whatever your choice, make sure that your resume reflects that specialization via keywords and descriptions of past projects. In addition, it’s important to emphasize your contributions: Kubryński said one practical tip is to add phrasing such as “I initiated” or “I delivered” to your achievements in past roles: “They will show that you’re not afraid to act and you focus on tangible results of your actions.”

Ownership is a personal quality understood as taking the initiative to act and accountability for the result of your actions. “As you can imagine, it is very much sought-for by most employers nowadays,” Kubryński added. “However, it isn’t inextricably linked to projects and you might think of other ownership manifests itself, especially if you’re still a junior with no experience in leading end-to-end projects.”

Determine the Best Structure 

There are two ways to highlight successful projects in a network engineer resume: The first approach is to create a separate section where you list the projects you participated in. Another is to include your projects in the “professional experience” section, pinning each one to a particular previous job position and workplace. Either way is fine, and depends largely on your personal preferences. 

Don’t forget your soft skills, particularly those that allow you to “think outside the box” (i.e., creativity). “In your daily job as a network engineer, you will probably face quite a lot of complex tasks touching upon a variety of systems and programming languages,” Kubryński said. “As you can imagine, tackling them effectively may require a certain level of creative problem-solving skills. This is certainly a type of tech job where you won’t get bored.”

With any resume, it’s also helpful to include any KPIs that help you stand out. “The specifics make the reader feel like this person knows their stuff, and I'm seeing some hard data—it's not just a claim,” Lukas said. “Anytime you can offer specific numbers, it shifts the statement.”

Adding Certifications and Leadership Skills 

Certifications also help network engineers stand out and highlight their expertise. “A lot of great people don't have certifications because they didn't need to, and that's fine,” Lukas said. “But if they've got certifications, you certainly want to certainly promote those and have those in the resume as well, but only promote the ones that are active.”

Finally, Lukas added it’s a good idea to find ways to weave in your personal values and strengths in leadership or communication. “Maybe you were tasked to lead a team, and that means that you are recognized as someone who can handle that responsibility,” he said. “If you were asked to be a technical team lead, it’s good to mention that you were a mentor to others or junior people. Those are things every employer would appreciate.”