r/NetworkingJobs • u/Nebugotta • 2d ago
10 yrs as ISP Network Engineer, moving to Enterprise, looking for suggestions
As my title says, I spent the last 10 years as an Implementation and Operations Network Engineer for a service provider. Our main focus was configuring/deploying routers (Cisco, Juniper, and Nokia) and switches to the hubs to replace EOL gear, maintaining said devices and updating them when new standards are pushed out, and as the final break/fix team when escalated to us. Updating and break/fix could include replacing the routing engines, linecards, psu's, fans, etc, as well as any customers having issues. Our team dealt with fiber business customers, so other business's and enterprise's, no residential.
The company recently decided to do away with regional teams and to centralize them in one location. Our team was one of the first to be offered relocation help or a severance package. I took the severance package route as family matters didn't allow for relocation (several hundred miles away).
Being with the company for 10 years, looking at job postings now, a lot has changed since 10 years ago. All of the job postings I look at now for Network Engineer positions ask for some or all of the below which I am lacking any hands on experience: security appliance/firewalls, wireless deployments, data center/cloud networking, and AI/automation/programming usage.
I have a BS in Information Technology Management from 2016. Got my CCNA in 2016 and CCNP in 2019. Got my Juniper JNCIA and Nokia NRS 1 in 2020. The CCNP/CCNA did expire earlier this year as I was planning on going down the Juniper track before I found out we were being let go. Spent 6 weeks studying the current CCNA and passed that end of Sept. I also took a 6 month Python certificate curriculum from eCornell beginning of this year and completed that.
I applied to roughly 20 positions so far and got an interview for only one and it was through a staffing firm. The rest have pretty much been either no response or the typical "we have more suitable candidates that we are moving on with." Again, I have no hands on work experience with security app/firewall's, wireless, DC/cloud networking, or automation. Want to ask me about BGP, mpls, is-is, ospf, any metro-ethernet services, troubleshooting, etc, I got that.
What should I focus on or work on that will improve my chances of getting an interview and landing a position? Wireless I feel would be pretty easy to learn on the actual job. I did take the python course, but that was not aimed at networking, just python in general, so I have some knowledge in that aspect. I'm thinking security/firewalls or cloud networking, but which and should I focus on a specific cert or material? Just looking for what would best help me improve my chances of getting my next position. I am in the central states and would of just broken into 100k mark this year.
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u/azz_kikkr 2d ago
you need to think of an enterprise app, the tiers involved, the supporting cast - and then how the enterprise network connects all the components to each other, and then to users both internal and external.
Biggest gaps in order - Application networking (firewall, Load Balancing, DNS!!), Automation, DC/Cloud networking. but these gaps can be addressed easily.
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u/Nebugotta 1d ago
That is kind of what I was thinking the order would be too. As far as firewall appliances go, I see both Palo Alto and Fortinet mentioned the most. Both have certification tracks and both appear to have their own online courses to achieve those cert's. Should I be going after one of those and if so, which one? Or is there some other training that would be better suited to learn about the firewall side?
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u/azz_kikkr 1d ago
You don't need certifications for those tracks. At my last MSP job we had Linux based firewalls mixed in with juniper and even F5 load balancer used as waf. So there's no one way to learn it, but the easiest would be deploying the whole stack yourself. And then seeing the routing, rules, policies etc in action - north south , east west!
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u/IAnetworking 1d ago
Get ready for answering to everyone that works in the company. Hay IT guy where is the start Key. stick with the ISP side. less BS.
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u/Nebugotta 1d ago
Would have liked to stay on the ISP side, but nothing local left anymore in that category. A few MSP's around which I think would be a good place to get in and get the hands on experience of what I currently lack, but haven't seen any openings at them.
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u/PrizeCommercial4574 1d ago
This would be my take and has worked for most people over a time, just don't be all over. A 10 year experience and a JNCIA, CCNA and a CCNP (although expired) are a solid proof of your background. I would suggest you work on what you already have moving up, the python you learnt should be a great starting point, a great/experienced engineer thinks beyond execution - turn your python knowledge into python for network automation, look at the cli commands you used to issue to the routers, what they did and how you can turn that to network automation. Lastly, you might want to look at how you've packaged your resume. Please check Bridgewhy on YouTube to get you started with automation. All the best!
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u/azz_kikkr 1d ago
Also have you looked at cloud providers, neo cloud providers and more such folks deploying Nvidia centric networking.
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u/New_Ratio_5479 19h ago
My senior network engineer moved from an ISP to an enterprise environment, and he hates it. Office politics will determine VLAN assignments, and some places love copper so much that they’ll never let you run fiber. Stay away from enterprise networking and get into HPC or something GPU-related. There’s a lot of money to be made in those fields, especially for senior engineers like you. All the best!
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u/GhostOfDialUp 2h ago
enterprise can be dumb, but telling an ISP/MPLS person to jump straight into HPC or GPU stuff feels like a pretty hard pivot. firewalls or cloud networking probably gets interviews faster than betting on GPU shops caring about routing chops.
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u/elsenorevil 2d ago
Grab a Security+ and try DoD contracting. Look at Peraton, CACI, GDIT, Northrop Grumman, etc.