subject: Career As A Network Programmer [print this page] According to many, the job of a computer networking is considered as the hottest and the best job available today. Network programmers, sometimes also called network engineers, are the people behind the technical stuff of a company. Just imagine how complex is the job of a network programmer in this ever-changing world, where networking deals from the hacker sensibilities of some of the players to the incoming credit card payments of thousands of people worldwide.
Network programmers do not need to know all minute details of a traditional programmer, but are also responsible for the planning, designing, and implementation of the server.
Education
Like every other programming job, network programming does require a degree. Computer science is the most straightforward department wherein one can study for networking programming. It certainly does not mean that you can not become a good programmer without a degree but a computer science course will teach you much more about it, hence make you expert in this area. At each university or institution, these courses might go by different titles, where you need to find a comparable class by reading the "What to learn" part and matching it with the syllabus of your course. However, the offered courses include;
1. Data Structures and Algorithms
2. Computational Complexity
3. Information Theory
4. Networking
5. Relational Databases
6. Distributed Computing
7. Security
Job Titles
In a networking job, several types of positions exist. Each position has to offer different range of salary and long-term potential, based on the possession of a clear understanding of the job by one.
The basic titles given to the different designation of people in computer networking and networking-related positions include;
Network Administrator
Network administrator's work is to configure and manage LANs, and WANs sometimes.
Network (Systems) Engineer
The profile of a Network Engineer somewhat does not differ from the title of a Network Administrator. A company may use one title while other uses the other to refer to the same position. However, some companies use these two titles differently where administrators focus on the day-to-day management of networks, while network engineers emphasize more on system upgrades, evaluating vendor products, security testing, and so on.
Network (Service) Technician
The technicians' work include focusing more on the setup, troubleshooting, and repairment of specific hardware and software products. Their job involves traveling to remote customer sites to perform field' upgrades and support.
Network Programmer/Analyst
Their job is to write software programs or scripts for network analysis like diagnostics or monitoring utilities. They are also responsible to evaluate third-party products and integrate new software technologies into the existing network environment.
Network/Information Systems Manager
They supervise the work of administrators, engineers, technicians, and/or programmers. Network / Information Systems Managers also focus on long-range planning and strategy concerns.
The network engineers should possess below mentioned skills, apart from having knowhow of technical background, which are;
* an understanding of networking principles
* an understanding of network security systems
* in-depth knowledge of WAN/LAN infrastructure
* expertise of server products and technologies
* experience with IP addressing
* experience with troubleshooting router, switch and fault-tolerant
* strong communication skills, motivation and decision-making ability
Network programmers are paid highly. Their demand in the industry is more than ever. If you want to be a network programmer, continue gaining more and more information regarding career in networking so that you can pick up some valuable tips to build a career in this technical field.
