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Computer Network Architects

Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks. Perform network modeling, analysis, and planning, including analysis of capacity needs for network infrastructures. May also design network and computer security measures. May research and recommend network and data communications hardware and software.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Coordinate network or design activities with designers of associated networks.
    • Visit vendors, attend conferences or training sessions, or study technical journals to keep up with changes in technology.
    • Communicate with customers, sales staff, or marketing staff to determine customer needs.
    • Communicate with vendors to gather information about products, alert them to future needs, resolve problems, or address system maintenance issues.
    • Coordinate installation of new equipment.
    • Estimate time and materials needed to complete projects.
    • Coordinate network operations, maintenance, repairs, or upgrades.
    • Adjust network sizes to meet volume or capacity demands.
    • Develop procedures to track, project, or report network availability, reliability, capacity, or utilization.
    • Research and test new or modified hardware or software products to determine performance and interoperability.
    • Maintain networks by performing activities such as file addition, deletion, or backup.
    • Research and test new or modified hardware or software products to determine performance and interoperability.
    • Develop or recommend network security measures, such as firewalls, network security audits, or automated security probes.
    • Develop conceptual, logical, or physical network designs.
    • Develop disaster recovery plans.
    • Develop procedures to track, project, or report network availability, reliability, capacity, or utilization.
    • Supervise engineers or other staff in the design or implementation of network solutions.
    • Monitor and analyze network performance and reports on data input or output to detect problems, identify inefficient use of computer resources, or perform capacity planning.
    • Participate in network technology upgrade or expansion projects, including installation of hardware and software and integration testing.
    • Use network computer-aided design (CAD) software packages to optimize network designs.
    • Design, organize, and deliver product awareness, skills transfer, or product education sessions for staff or suppliers.
    • Monitor and analyze network performance and reports on data input or output to detect problems, identify inefficient use of computer resources, or perform capacity planning.
    • Design, build, or operate equipment configuration prototypes, including network hardware, software, servers, or server operation systems.
    • Determine specific network hardware or software requirements, such as platforms, interfaces, bandwidths, or routine schemas.
    • Participate in network technology upgrade or expansion projects, including installation of hardware and software and integration testing.
    • Develop or maintain project reporting systems.
    • Develop and write procedures for installation, use, or troubleshooting of communications hardware or software.
    • Prepare design presentations and proposals for staff or customers.
    • Develop network-related documentation.
    • Prepare or monitor project schedules, budgets, or cost control systems.
    • Communicate with system users to ensure accounts are set up properly or to diagnose and solve operational problems.
    • Develop or recommend network security measures, such as firewalls, network security audits, or automated security probes.
    • Design, build, or operate equipment configuration prototypes, including network hardware, software, servers, or server operation systems.
    • Develop or maintain project reporting systems.
    • Communicate with vendors to gather information about products, alert them to future needs, resolve problems, or address system maintenance issues.
    • Develop plans or budgets for network equipment replacement.
    • Explain design specifications to integration or test engineers.
    • Prepare or monitor project schedules, budgets, or cost control systems.
    • Develop and implement solutions for network problems.
    • Evaluate network designs to determine whether customer requirements are met efficiently and effectively.
    • Maintain or coordinate the maintenance of network peripherals, such as printers.
    • Participate in network technology upgrade or expansion projects, including installation of hardware and software and integration testing.
    • Prepare detailed network specifications, including diagrams, charts, equipment configurations, or recommended technologies.

    Skills

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    N/A
    Workplace Documents
    N/A
    Graphic Literacy
    N/A

    Abilities

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    Knowledge

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 122690/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 58.98/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 80
    • Yearly Projected Openings 10

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Dependability
    • Initiative
    • Integrity
    • Persistence

    Tools

    • Access servers
    • Broadband aggregators
    • Computer servers
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital telephones
    • Digital testers
    • Firewall network security equipment
    • Frequency analyzers
    • Hard disk arrays
    • High end computer servers
    • Integrated services digital network ISDN testers
    • Interferometers
    • Mainframe computers
    • Multimeters
    • Network analyzers
    • Network cable management panel assembly
    • Network channel or data service units
    • Network management or monitoring device
    • Network routers
    • Network service concentrators or hubs
    • Network switches
    • Network traffic controller
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
    • Power meters
    • Protocol analyzers
    • Radio frequency data communication equipment
    • Reflectometers
    • Server load balancer
    • Storage area network SAN switch
    • Tablet computers
    • Videoconferencing systems
    • Voice data video cable tester
    • WLAN wireless access network equipment and components

    Technology

    • Access software
    • Administration software
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Application server software
    • Authentication server software
    • Backup or archival software
    • Bridge software
    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Cloud-based management software
    • Cloud-based protection or security software
    • Clustering software
    • Communications server software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Computer based training software
    • Configuration management software
    • Content workflow software
    • Data base management system software
    • Data base reporting software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop communications software
    • Development environment software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise application integration software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Enterprise system management software
    • Expert system software
    • File versioning software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Geographic information system
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Helpdesk or call center software
    • Human resources software
    • Industrial control software
    • Instant messaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Internet directory services software
    • Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software
    • LAN software
    • Metadata management software
    • Network monitoring software
    • Network operating system enhancement software
    • Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software
    • Network security or virtual private network VPN management software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Object oriented data base management software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Optical network management software
    • Pattern design software
    • Portal server software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Program testing software
    • Project management software
    • Requirements analysis and system architecture software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Storage networking software
    • Switch or router software
    • Time accounting software
    • Transaction security and virus protection software
    • Transaction server software
    • Video conferencing software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • WAN switching software and firmware
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.

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