A Network Engineer is a computer professional who builds and maintains the networks that computers use to communicate. These networks may be small business networks or huge global networks. Clearly, that is a highly technical job that demands a professional with a huge degree of detail orientation. The stereotype would have us perceive them as a group of brilliant book worms with poor social skills.
That unflattering view is not necessarily true. Information technology has its fair share of very social people. Although, it would be true to say that most career paths in computer science emphasize technical skills like network design or programming. The profession rewards the development of those elements. They do not have the same practiced and polished sales skills as someone in marketing or advertising.
Although, occasionally, there are people who have a natural aptitude for both the mechanical and the social. Those people can find a couple unique opportunities in information technology. There is a great demand for people who can bridge the gap between the engineers and non-technical business people. IT sales and project management are two solid examples.
When companies hire computer networking firms to work on their computers, it is usually a project manager who leads the effort on behalf of the firm. A project manager has the responsibility of planning and executing projects. That requires heavy client interaction to achieve an exact understanding of their needs. Often times, the clients may not understand what is involved from a technical aspect to meet those needs, and it will be the responsibility of the project manager to educate them.
Once the project requirements are established, it is the job of the project manager to design a plan for implementation including details like manpower, cost, timelines and scope of work. Then, they are responsible for coordinating all the components of that plan until completion while constantly communicating with the client and managing their expectations.
The key point of contact between the client company and the network support firm is the project manager. Their ability to utilize resources to efficiently complete the project, while simultaneously building rapport with the client company’s decision makers will heavily influence the client’s opinion of the IT firm. As a result, the project manager can be quintessential in building a relationship that will lead to highly profitable future business.
The value of a project manager in the marketplace is demonstrated by the fact that among the top IT Certifications, the one that provides the most additional income is the Project Management Professional Certification, or PMP. The average PMP Salary is roughly $90,000 per year, compared to other purely technical certifications. For example, the median CCNA Salary is just about $60,000 annually.
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