The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Network Engineer (L2)
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Independently troubleshooting routine network issues, owning small network projects (e.g., deploying a new switch stack), contributing to automation scripts, and taking ownership of specific network devices or services.
You're ready to move on when
- You're the go-to person for specific network domains (e.g., wireless, firewalls).
- You've successfully delivered 3-5 small to medium-sized network projects without significant supervision.
- You're actively mentoring junior engineers informally and helping them unblock technical challenges.
- You've contributed significantly to incident post-mortems and proposed actionable preventative measures.
- 2
Consultant from a Network Integrator
3-5 years as a consultantSkills to master
- Exposure to a wide variety of network technologies and customer environments, strong project delivery skills, ability to design solutions for diverse business needs, and excellent client-facing communication.
You're ready to move on when
- You've led the technical delivery of multiple network projects for different clients.
- You're comfortable presenting complex technical solutions to non-technical stakeholders.
- You've managed the full lifecycle of network deployments, from pre-sales design to post-implementation support.
- You're looking for a more stable, in-house role where you can deeply own a single network.
- 3
Senior Infrastructure Engineer (with network specialisation)
4-6 years in infrastructureSkills to master
- While broader, you'd need to have a strong specialisation in networking, demonstrating deep expertise in routing, switching, and security, even if you also touched servers or storage. Strong scripting and automation skills are a must.
You're ready to move on when
- Your primary focus has increasingly shifted towards network-related tasks and projects.
- You're comfortable with advanced network troubleshooting and design.
- You've automated network tasks using scripting languages (Python, Ansible).
- You're seeking to specialise purely in networking and deepen your expertise in this domain.