What skills should I put on a network engineer resume?

Key skills for a network engineer resume include TCP/IP, BGP/OSPF, VLANs, Cisco (IOS/NX-OS), Juniper, Palo Alto Firewalls, Wireshark, SolarWinds/PRTG, Network Security, Troubleshooting, Documentation, Vendor Management, and more. Prioritize skills mentioned in the job description and demonstrate them through quantified bullet points rather than just listing them.

How many skills should I list on my network engineer resume?

List 8 to 15 skills on your resume. Focus on the most relevant ones for each job application. Include a mix of technical/hard skills and transferable soft skills. Quality and relevance matter more than quantity.

Should I include soft skills on a network engineer resume?

Yes, but demonstrate them through achievements rather than listing them. Instead of writing 'strong communicator,' show it: 'Presented technical findings to 200-person all-hands meetings.' ATS systems also scan for soft skill keywords.

17+ Best Skills for a Network Engineer Resume

Network engineer resumes should highlight routing and switching expertise, network design capabilities, and security implementation. Cisco and Juniper certifications are highly valued and should be listed prominently.

Networking Protocols & Technologies

TCP/IP BGP/OSPF VLANs VPN DNS/DHCP

TCP/IP in action

“Designed TCP/IP network architecture supporting 5,000 users across 12 office locations with 99.9% uptime”

Hardware & Platforms

Cisco (IOS/NX-OS) Juniper Palo Alto Firewalls Wireless (Meraki/Aruba)

Cisco (IOS/NX-OS) in action

“Configured and maintained 150+ Cisco switches and routers across a multi-site enterprise network”

Monitoring & Security

Wireshark SolarWinds/PRTG Network Security Firewall Management

Soft Skills

Troubleshooting Documentation Vendor Management Project Planning

Skill Priority Guide

Not all skills carry equal weight. Prioritize the ones most commonly requested in network engineer job descriptions.

Skill	Priority
TCP/IP	Must Have
BGP/OSPF	Must Have
VLANs	Must Have
VPN	Must Have
DNS/DHCP	Must Have
Cisco (IOS/NX-OS)	Must Have
Wireshark	Must Have
Network Security	Must Have
Juniper	Nice to Have
Palo Alto Firewalls	Nice to Have
Wireless (Meraki/Aruba)	Nice to Have
SolarWinds/PRTG	Nice to Have
Vendor Management	Nice to Have
Project Planning	Nice to Have

Tip 1

List certifications (CCNA, CCNP, JNCIA) prominently. They are often minimum requirements for network roles.

Tip 2

Quantify network scale: number of devices managed, users supported, bandwidth capacity, and uptime SLAs met.

Keep Reading

→ Network Engineer Resume Example → How to Write Your Skills Section → 200+ Resume Action Verbs That Get Results → The Complete ATS-Friendly Resume Guide

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