In the latest episode of The Art of Network Engineering, we pulled back the curtain on a role that many in the industry admire—but few truly understand: the Consulting Engineer (CE). Joined by Nokia’s Principal Consulting Engineer Colin Doyle and CE Jared Cordova, we explored the nuances of this unique position that blends deep technical expertise with real-world customer impact.
What Is a Consulting Engineer?
Think of a Consulting Engineer as a bridge—between sales and delivery, between technical depth and business context, and between what a product can do and what the customer needs it to do. While Sales Engineers (SEs) are broad in their knowledge, covering full portfolios and use cases, CEs go deep. Their superpower? Specialization.
As Jared put it:
“When an SE asks deeper questions like ‘how do I talk to the customer about segment routing vs RSVP-TE?” That’s when we typically get pulled into the customer conversations.”
CEs aren’t just there to pitch gear. They help design real-world solutions, provide implementation guidance, and often become the trusted voice between the customer and the product teams.
Evolution of a Technical Career
Both Colin and Jared touched on how the CE role often represents a turning point in a technical career. It’s not entry-level, and it’s not traditional IT operations. Instead, it’s for professionals who have already established a solid foundation and are ready to level up into strategic, high-impact work.
As a CE, you influence architectures at scale, guide product evolution, and help shape customer strategy. It’s a role for people who want their technical skills to matter—on a bigger stage.
Diverse Paths to the Same Destination
One of the most refreshing insights from this episode was the diversity of backgrounds in the CE world. Jared entered the field not through the traditional networking ladder but via Nokia’s NIFTY program—a post-college rotational experience for aspiring technical talent.
His background in computer science had little networking exposure, a reality he pointed out with some concern:
“In my CS degree, we learned a ton about Python, web development, AI/ML… but almost nothing about networking.”
This disconnect between computer science curricula and the realities of networking is a gap the industry must address—and programs like NIFTY are helping bridge it.
The Best of Both Worlds
For many, the CE role is the ideal career sweet spot: it offers technical complexity, autonomy, continuous learning, and constant human interaction. You’re not stuck behind a desk all day, nor are you stuck in back-to-back Zoom calls pitching slide decks. You’re solving real problems, building relationships, and shaping the future of technology deployments.
Why It Matters
The CE role is more than a job—it’s a strategic function that sits at the heart of product adoption, customer success, and innovation feedback loops. If you’re a network engineer thinking about what’s next, or a CS student wondering how to break into infrastructure, this episode is a must-listen.
It’s a reminder that career growth isn’t always linear, and that some of the most rewarding roles are the ones that let you be both the expert and the trusted advisor.
Listen to the full episode: The Consulting Engineer Role – AONE Podcast
Discover more from The Art of Network Engineering
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
