There’s no set educational path to becoming a network engineer, but most employers look to hire applicants with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information science or management information systems (MIS).

Certifications:
There are hundreds of different kinds of certifications offered to network engineers. These are of two basic varieties: vendor-specific and vendor-neutral.

A vendor-specific certification program teaches you what you need to know to work mainly with one kind of network technology sold by a single vendor (Novell is a common example). A vendor-neutral certification program teaches you more general network engineering skills that may be applicable across a variety of vendors’ products.

NOC Engineer Certifications generally enhance job seekers’ abilities to get a job and earn more money.

Entering the Field:
Most employers want to see at least an associate degree and preferably a bachelor’s degree. They will favor candidates with certification. You can get a job in this field with a non-technical degree, particularly if you have coursework in computer science and/or some experience with technology.

Career Changers:
Because the field is so rapidly growing, employers often welcome career changers. Technology is closely connected to the functioning of business, and so network engineers can come from elsewhere in the business or industry to become computer specialists. In this case, certification is particularly useful for establishing credibility.