Network Engineers Are Facing An Identity Crisis
Tech Field Day, Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
Network engineers are the firefighters and knowledge bases of enterprise IT, however the role of a network engineer is rapidly evolving. With the rise of automation, orchestration, and AI, the familiar image of an engineer hunched over a command-line interface (CLI) is giving way, leading many to question the future of their profession.
In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Ryan Harris, Chris Grundemann, and Nathan Nielsen as they discuss how the perception of their role has shifted, the continuous need for learning and adaptation, and whether the CLI is truly dead. The conversation explores the challenges and opportunities presented by these technological advancements, highlighting how network engineers are embracing new tools like chatbots and GUIs for enhanced visualization.