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I am a software engineer that works for a networking company. My day to day job is writing software, but over time I've picked up a good amount of networking.

On the top of my resume I have a few short bullets that summarize my experience and these are directly related to what is said below in the Professional Experience section. I will show my networking experience in this section but I'd also like to say something about it in the bullets. My only concern is coming across as knowing more than I actually do about networking. I most likely wouldn't, for example, get hired as a pure network engineer unless it was an entry level position. But I still believe that this experience is valuable for getting hired as a software engineer.

At the top of my resume I'd like to have something like this:

  • Specialist in designing software to ...
  • Driven to learn new computing technologies, ...
  • [Networking experience that's not the most impressive by itself but nonetheless valuable for a software engineer]
  • Firm understanding of mathematical concepts including ...
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4 Answers 4

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The phrases "Knowledge of" or "Familiar with" or "Some experience with" or "Junior level skill with" to be more specific on secondary skills is usually the accepted approach

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    I'd probably avoid "junior level skill with". There's too much attention and hidden meaning in the phrase "junior level" that can scare hiring managers who are simply looking for keywords in a resume.
    – Ellesedil
    Oct 18, 2016 at 18:35
  • @Ellesedil Please elucidate. What are these hidden meanings.
    – Old_Lamplighter
    Oct 18, 2016 at 18:40
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    Words like "junior" and "senior" are loaded terms because they correlate directly with experience and job titles. If I'm looking for a senior position, I won't use "junior" at all unless it was a job title in my employment history. I want to avoid, as much as possible, having the hiring manager associate my name with "junior level" because if that's what sticks out in their mind when they read my resume, they'll pass over it. The other phrases you list are just fine and they accurately describe things. But "junior" is a keyword that hiring managers might pay more (too much) attention to.
    – Ellesedil
    Oct 18, 2016 at 18:45
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Write what you can substantiate. "Spent countless hours being interested in networking" doesn't cut it. Have you

  • worked on a substantial networking project?
  • worked on some networking side project?
  • worked through some coursework, exam, or certification?

If so, put it. Per @Killisi's answer you may also do such a project or exam to have something substantive. If not, it's probably wasted space.

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  • Great point. I have built software that required some knowledge of networking to complete. If I didn't have this knowledge I wouldn't have been able to complete the task and someone else would have had to at least do parts of it for me. This, in fact, is exactly what I'd like to convey. It will be outlined in more detail in the experience section but I'm looking for a good way to say that in a bullet point.
    – Sean Lynch
    Oct 18, 2016 at 23:05
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A lot of CV's I have seen have vague nonsense about knowledge.

If you have decentish networking skills, buy the book and sit the exam, a formal entry level qualification such as an MCP or A+ is a lot more convincing. One problem with saying you have knowledge of networking is if a real network engineer is part of the interview process.

Because to him/her this translates to:-

I know enough about networking to create a heck of a complicated mess.

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  • Good point. My co-workers who are actual network engineers prefer I stay away from anything in production. They say I have enough network knowledge to be dangerous. In this case however I am not going to get a cert right now, I think it's more valuable than not to have networking experience on my resume, and I'm not going to be hired as a network engineer. I'm leaning toward using "knowledge of" because I think it sounds neutral enough.
    – Sean Lynch
    Oct 18, 2016 at 20:27
  • It's probably ok and it is normal enough as Richard says in his answer (which I upvoted). Mine applies only if you have someone with a network engineering background in the interview process. Just trying to give another perspective.
    – Kilisi ♦
    Oct 18, 2016 at 20:33
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As the other also have written, owning even a substantial experience in computer networks still doesn't cover a specific area in the field. It's the best to go for an exam if you wish to have this skill as core skill, but it will require effort to complete.

If you stay on the course of software engineering, networks will count sometimes a plus, sometimes nothing. I would not go for it myself, but that is my specific stand.

When I was doing user help tasks also next to lifecycle based PC hardware replacements, I added to this line in my cv like "related troubleshooting, user trainings, deskside support". I guess in your case "related network issue troubleshooting" good to go, or highlight the depth of the network knowledge you collected in a similar way.

The point is to assemble some expression that you have in common understanding with the recruiter/interviewer.

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