Looking for insight into Network engineering as a job.

[FalseFlashPositive]

Hello guys!

I just discovered this site as I was looking up network engineering on google. This week my command (I am in the Navy) sent me to a week long System Engineering course for a computer system that our whole fleet uses. The course instructor was awesome and it started at the basics of networking (LAN,WAN,ROUTER/SWITCHES,TCP/IP...etc). Then it quickly got into how all of the software and hardware got integrated. All of this stuff was super interesting. I am already a troubleshooter for electronic systems on board (mostly radios, but I am called to do a lot more than that).

I find my day to day Navy life boring and want to get out. This course really just whet my appetite for wanting to learn more, and I have started to think about college. I was hoping to gain your perspectives and maybe experiences of your day to day lives in the field. I still can't decide on my degree plan. But find Networking to be a really cool concept.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

As a prior mil, one thing I can suggest to you to do *right the f now*, and that is get buddy buddy with whoever does your IT crap currently and find a way to play on whatever spare equipment they have (they have it, I promise). The hands-on experience you can get from $300k worth of 'backup' 'spare' 'outdated' Cisco stuff laying around pays dividends.

Beyond that, IT stuff (and networking specifically) is very logic-oriented, if you enjoyed what you saw in a random_bootcamp_class, you'll prolly enjoy doing more of it. It can also make you craploads on the outside, especially with mil experience, especially if you have a clearance, especially if you get certs, and especially if you're willing to deploy (all of those can get you into silly , north of $300k territory).