Running Head: CAREER RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO PROJECT Murtha 1

Career Research Development Portfolio Project

Donald Murtha III

Bryant & Stratton College

ENGL 202

Mr. Riederer

June 11th 2019

CAREER RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO PROJECT Murtha 2

Career Research Development Portfolio Project

The two career paths I have chosen are Network Technician and Network Engineer. The

career of a Network Technician is an entry level position and the career of a Network Engineer is

generally a more mid-level position. I chose these two careers for a few reasons, one being the

contrasting job duties of both positions and the second is the ability for career and personal

growth within both positions. There is a wide range of positions that I could have chosen for my

research proposal such as Network Analyst, Information Systems Administrator, Programmer,

and Database Administrator along with others but these two positions appeal to me more than

any others once again due mostly to their contrasting duties. The roles of the Network Engineer

and the Technician are growing within both the private and public sectors. The advancement of

technology, while improving the quality of life for many has opened the door to new threats.

Many of these threats not only make our lives more uncomfortable and inconvenient but also

threaten our lives physically, emotionally and financially.

Network Technicians play a critical role in the technology field. Dependent on the

network environment, size and type, technicians need to perform tasks such as install, change

and repair services on a wide variety of devices and applications within the network, such as

installing hardware and cabling, troubleshooting system failures, testing and configuring

hardware and software, knowing how and when to escalate problems that arise to the appropriate

person or department, and organizing maintenance schedules and data backup. As a Network

Engineer, to summarize just a small but critical part of the duties in this role, I include the

following “Data is a valuable asset and it's of irreplaceable work. Some network problems can

cause the data that's stored on the server to be corrupted or even lost permanently. It is up to the

Network Administrator to avert disaster by regularly backing up all data.” (The Fundamentals of
CAREER RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO PROJECT Murtha 3

Navigating Computer Networks, Meyer, 2009) The additional requirements of the Engineer are

monitoring network performance, maintaining network security and integrity, documenting all

complaints, concerns, and actions taken by network staff, maintain maintenance records and

updates, and troubleshooting escalated tickets that fall within the realm of the Network Engineer.

What is said in the writings about earnings for the Network Engineer “the median annual

earnings of network administrators are currently about $65,000.” (Institute for Career Research,

2009) It is said that this is due to the fact that this is a rapidly growing and in-demand career.

Unlike many other careers, the income of the Network Engineer is not greatly affected by years

of experience. Median earnings are predicted to rise to $70,000 within 5 years. Job growth of the

Network Engineer is projected to grow by 6% from 2016 to 2026, the average for all

occupations. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019) The median earnings of Network

Technicians are currently $53,470 and expected to grow to $62,770 within 5 years. Job growth is

expected to increase by 11% from 2016-2026, this is faster than average for other occupations.

(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)

The education requirements of both positions of Network Engineer and Network

Technician vary in some ways but are similar in others. For example a Network Engineer

requires, for most employers, a bachelor’s degree that relates to computer or information

technology. Acceptable degrees of study include: Computer Network Administration, Computer

Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Systems Design (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019)

In contrast, Network Technicians require computer knowledge but do not necessarily require a

postsecondary degree. Only more technical positions are required to have a degree with

acceptable degrees in: Computer Science, Engineering or Information Technology. (U.S. Bureau

of Labor Statistics, 2018)

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The jobs of both the Network Engineer and the Network Technician have both been of

interest to me from the start of my education in Network Technology. Both career choices are

heavily involved in the day to day operations of a computer network or Local Area Network

(LAN). However, each job is different in its depth and complexity in both the areas of hardware

and software or network setting. For example, with respect to what we are doing in this course, I

have read an article that addresses online learning in the cloud-based world we live in, "demand

for online-based learning is rapidly growing in an increasingly technological, forward-thinking

device-based world, we must adapt and change with it.” (Implementing Cloud-Based Virtual

Computer Network Labs for Online Education: Experiences from a Phased Approach, 2016) The

job of the Network Engineer would be more directly suited for this type of project, such as

building an online classroom setting.

For a more direct relation to the job of the Network Technician, I refer you to this quote,

“Unpredictable things can happen when you overload a single computer, but you generally have

complete control over all of the resources involved.” (Too Big to Fail, 2015) While the job of a

Network Technician is largely hands-on, in the field type work, they must also look at the big

picture. However, they must always keep their eye on the project at hand, such as working with a

single PC. There are many comparisons to look at within each career path, Network Technicians

work in the field with individual computers but also, while not in the same, direct way, they also

work with the network at large, working with cabling the network together. Network Engineers

work with the big picture of the network but also work with the individual tasks, such as

addressing more complex however specific problems with individual devices.

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I have been persuaded to join the ranks of the Network Technician when I graduate for

several, obvious and strong reasons. The pay associated with the technician job is well within a

livable range and is on track to have healthy growth in the coming years. This job involves what

I am most interested in, hardware components and installation of the network. This is field work

and fieldwork can be some of the most rewarding work there is even when other job

opportunities offer larger salaries. One must weigh the benefits of their work and satisfaction of

their job against the possibility of a larger pay scale in another career. Ultimately, I believe I will

have made a sound choice in pursuing what I am interested in, talented in and happy with.
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References

Careers in Computer Network Administration. (2009). [Chicago, Ill.]: Institute for Career

Research. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.bryantstratton.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=tr

ue&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid,url&db=nlebk&AN=276803&site=eds-live

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018). Computer Support Specialists: Occupational Outlook

Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-

technology/computer-support-specialists.htm

Gercek, G., Saleem, N., & Steel, D. J. (2016). Implementing Cloud-Based Virtual

Computer Network Labs for Online Education: Experiences from a Phased

Approach. International Journal of Online Engineering, 12(3), 70–76.

https://doi.org.libproxy.bryantstratton.edu/10.3991/ijoe.v12i03.5564

Meyer, J. (2019). The Fundamentals of Navigating Computer Networks. Computers in

Libraries, 39(2), 14–17. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.bryantstratton.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=tr

ue&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid,url&db=ccm&AN=135486415&site=eds-live

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2019). Network and Computer Systems Administrators:

Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-

information-technology/network-and-computer-systems-administrators.htm

Neville-Neil, G. V. (2015). Too Big to Fail. Communications of the ACM, 58(2), 37–39.

https://doi.org.libproxy.bryantstratton.edu/10.1145/2700378