Network Engineer resume example
By Bhagirath Sheela, founder of JobCatch ·
Network engineers keep offices, data centres and cloud networks connected and secure. Recruiters look for the vendors and certifications you hold (Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet), the size of networks you have run, and projects such as upgrades, migrations and SD-WAN rollouts.
What recruiters look for
- Routing and switching, with the protocols named (BGP, OSPF, VLANs)
- Vendors and certifications: CCNA, CCNP, JNCIA, Fortinet NSE
- Network size: sites, devices, users, bandwidth
- Firewalls, VPNs, wireless and monitoring
Section order
With experience
- Summary
- Skills
- Certifications
- Experience
- Education
As a fresher
- Summary
- Certifications
- Skills
- Education
- Projects or lab work
- Internships
Summary examples
Fresher
Network engineer with a diploma in electronics, CCNA certification and a six-month internship supporting the LAN and Wi-Fi of a 300-person office.
Experienced
Network engineer with six years running the network for a retail chain of 180 stores and two data centres. Led an SD-WAN rollout that cut link costs by 28%.
Skills, spelled the way postings spell them
An applicant tracking system matches the words in the job posting, and it does not reliably treat two spellings as one skill. The left column is the form most postings use; the right, other spellings people type. Use the posting's own spelling for each application, and list only what you can discuss in an interview.
| Skill | Also written as |
|---|---|
| Linux | Unix, Ubuntu, RHEL |
| Shell scripting | Bash, Shell, Bash scripting |
| Python | Python 3 |
| Documentation | Technical writing, Record keeping |
| Vendor management | — |
Also worth listing if you have them: Routing and switching (BGP, OSPF), Cisco IOS, Firewalls (Fortinet, Palo Alto), VPN and SD-WAN, TCP/IP, Network monitoring.
Bullet examples
Each bullet says what you did and what changed because of it. Change the numbers to your own; a recruiter will ask about every one.
- Run the network for 180 stores, two data centres and 2,500 users with 99.9% availability.
- Led the SD-WAN rollout across 180 sites, cutting monthly link costs by 28%.
- Migrated data-centre firewalls to Fortinet with no unplanned downtime.
- Automated configuration backups for 600 devices with Python.
- Managed four connectivity vendors against their service-level agreements.
For freshers: projects and internships
- Internship: supported the LAN and Wi-Fi of a 300-person office and resolved 150 tickets.
- Built a lab of routers and switches in a simulator to practise OSPF, VLANs and ACLs.
- Passed the Cisco CCNA exam.
Mistakes to avoid
- Not naming vendors and protocols. Networking postings filter on them.
- Leaving out scale: sites, devices, users. It tells the reader what you can handle.
- No automation. Even a few Python scripts set you apart as networks move to code.
What an ATS reads from this sample
An applicant tracking system turns the PDF into plain text before anyone reads it. This is that text for the sample above, extracted by the same code as "What the ATS reads" in the app. Everything is in reading order, under the right heading, with the name and email intact — which is what a single-column template is for.
Ravi Kumar Network Engineer [email protected] | +91 98765 43210 | Hyderabad, Telangana | linkedin.com/in/ravikumar Summary Network engineer with six years running the network for a retail chain of 180 stores and two data centres. Led an SD-WAN rollout that cut link costs by 28%. Technical skills Linux · Shell scripting · Python · Documentation · Vendor management · Routing and switching (BGP, OSPF) · Cisco IOS · Firewalls (Fortinet, Palo Alto) · VPN and SD-WAN · TCP/IP · Network monitoring Projects Config backups Python job that backs up 600 device configurations every night. Experience Senior Network Engineer, Megamart Retail Feb 2021 – Present Hyderabad Run the network for 180 stores, two data centres and 2,500 users with 99.9% availability. Led the SD-WAN rollout across 180 sites, cutting monthly link costs by 28%. Migrated data-centre firewalls to Fortinet with no unplanned downtime. Network Engineer, Netsquare Solutions Jul 2018 – Jan 2021 Hyderabad Automated configuration backups for 600 devices with Python. Managed four connectivity vendors against their service-level agreements. Education B.Tech, Electronics and Communication 2014 – 2018 Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad · 72% Certifications Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP Enterprise), 2022 Languages English, Hindi
Interview questions to prepare
The app's interview prep for this sample and a plain Network Engineer posting. It works from the resume and the posting only, and tells you how to prepare, never what to say.
Questions every interview has
- Tell me about yourself. Two minutes: what you do now (Senior Network Engineer at Megamart Retail), one result you are proud of, and why this role is next.
- Why do you want this job? Read their website and one recent piece of news before the call. Name something specific.
- Why are you leaving your current job? Say what you are moving towards. Do not criticise your employer.
- What is your notice period, and what salary are you expecting? Decide your number before the interview, so you are not deciding it on the call.
About the skills the job asks for
- Tell me about a time you used Python. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Shell scripting. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Linux. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Vendor management. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Documentation. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
About what the resume claims
- You wrote: "Run the network for 180 stores, two data centres and 2,500 users with 99.9% availability." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
- You wrote: "Led the SD-WAN rollout across 180 sites, cutting monthly link costs by 28%." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
- You wrote: "Migrated data-centre firewalls to Fortinet with no unplanned downtime." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
Questions to ask them
- What would a good first three months in this role look like?
- Who would I work with most closely?
- What are the next steps, and when should I expect to hear back?
Templates that suit this role
All of these are single-column and read cleanly by an applicant tracking system. Classic is free, with no watermark.
Questions
Is CCNA still worth it?
Yes. It is the certification most Indian networking postings ask for at entry level, and CCNP for experienced roles.
Should a network engineer learn cloud networking?
Yes. More networks now extend into AWS and Azure, and cloud networking skills are increasingly asked for alongside Cisco or Fortinet.
Next: the Network Engineer cover letter the app drafts from this resume, and how to show Linux, Python, Documentation on a resume.
More cloud & security resume examples: DevOps Engineer · Cloud Engineer · Cybersecurity Analyst · System Administrator