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The networking industry stands at a crossroads where traditional command-line mastery meets modern automation requirements. Few professionals embody this intersection better than Muna Chimso, a Network Automation Engineer at Google who joins us to share his remarkable journey and insights.

Muna's story begins in Nigeria, where fixing his mother's phone sparked an early interest in technology. After moving to the United States in 2018 to study Computer Networking and IT, he made a critical observation that would shape his career path: while he loved networking fundamentals, the job market increasingly demanded coding skills even for networking positions. Rather than choosing between his passion for networking and the industry's direction toward software, Muna embraced both, building a rare and valuable skill set that combines deep networking knowledge with programming expertise.

What makes Muna's perspective particularly valuable is his unique vantage point as a young professional who entered the field with fresh eyes. He shares how Google's Network Residency Program brings new graduates into the networking world, addressing the challenge of attracting young talent to a field often overshadowed by pure software engineering roles. We explore the evolving relationship between network engineers and developers, with fascinating insights into how companies are bridging this gap, from pairing traditional engineers with developers to incentivizing networking professionals to learn coding through bonuses and recognition programs.

The conversation takes a thought-provoking turn when Muna suggests that the future of network engineering isn't about memorizing commands but understanding complex systems at scale. "You won't need to type a BGP command anymore," he notes, highlighting how the value of network professionals is shifting from configuration expertise to systems thinking and problem-solving abilities. While automation and AI handle increasingly complex tasks, the human element remains irreplaceable for understanding business problems and designing appropriate solutions.

Whether you're a seasoned network veteran considering how to evolve your skills, a student wondering which path to pursue, or a technology leader building teams for the future, this episode offers invaluable insights into the convergence of networking and software development. Subscribe now and join our community at linktree.com/artofneteng to continue the conversation!

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Consulting Engineers (CEs) at networking vendors blend deep technical expertise with customer-facing skills to bridge the gap between account managers and specialized solution design. They operate as specialists who support Sales Engineers when customer requirements demand deeper technical knowledge.

• CEs often join from traditional network engineering backgrounds or increasingly through vendor graduate programs
• The role provides higher impact by influencing entire industries rather than just one company
• CE positions typically offer better compensation than operational networking roles
• Computer science education rarely covers networking fundamentals, creating an industry knowledge gap
• The autonomy of the CE role allows for continuous learning and specialization while maintaining customer contact
• Working at a vendor provides exposure to bleeding-edge technology and broader industry perspectives
• Soft skills are equally important as technical skills for success in consulting engineering

If you're interested in transitioning to a Consulting Engineer role, develop your soft skills and build relationships in the networking community, as these connections are invaluable. Reach Colin Doyle and Jared Cordova on LinkedIn to learn more about consulting engineering opportunities.

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The divide between network engineers and developers has long been a source of frustration, misunderstanding, and blame in the tech world. When applications fail, the classic refrain "it's the network" often echoes through organizations, leaving network engineers scrambling to prove their innocence while developers remain convinced of their code's perfection.

In this enlightening conversation, former Cisco developer advocate Erika Dietrick joins hosts Andy Lapteff and Jeff Clark to unpack the root causes of this technological rift. Erika offers a rare dual perspective, having worked both as a software engineer and in Cisco's Technical Assistance Center (TAC). She explains how educational paths create fundamentally different mindsets: "Developers learn to code, period. We do not learn how our computer works. We do not learn how the network works."

Andy shares his personal struggles with learning automation, admitting to starting and quitting "every Python class on planet Earth." This prompts Erika's most valuable insight – that learning to "think like a developer" matters more than syntax or commands. The conversation explores how network engineers often find themselves drowning in daily operational tasks while being expected to add coding skills "for no more money," creating resistance to automation despite its potential benefits.

The discussion takes unexpected turns through topics like cultural differences between teams, the challenges of breaking technical silos, and how AI might actually help bridge these gaps without replacing human expertise. Erika outlines her upcoming free course designed specifically for network engineers learning to code with AI – addressing the exact educational gap that has frustrated network professionals for years.

Whether you identify more with Andy's automation struggles or Jeff's enthusiasm for Python scripting, this episode offers practical perspectives on healing the developer-networker divide.

Subscribe to Erika's Youtube channel here: here:https://www.youtube.com/@erika_thedev

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