The career path to becoming a network architect

The career path to becoming a network architect typically involves progressive growth in knowledge, skills, and experience in the field of networking. The journey itself may need several years to ascertain. A typical path may take between 7 to 10 years.

Note

My journey started with taking an MSCE in 1999 while working for a telephone company as an outside plant engineer. It took me 8 years of working in different areas of IT (such as a LAN admin, IT instructor, and part-time network engineer) to become a network architect.

While individual paths may vary, a generalized career progression that can lead to a network architect role is shown in the following diagram:

Figure 3.1 – Network architect career roadmap

This roadmap shows the suggested role, formal education, skills, and certifications that must be taken over 10 years to become a network architect. The roadmap encompasses such items as...