Tools, Frameworks & Implementation Proficiency Topics
Practical proficiency with industry-standard tools and frameworks including project management (Jira, Azure DevOps), productivity tools (Excel, spreadsheet analysis), development tools and environments, and framework setup. Focuses on hands-on tool expertise, configuration, best practices, and optimization rather than conceptual knowledge. Complements technical categories by addressing implementation tooling.
Lab Environment Navigation
Covers working with network lab environments and simulation or emulation tools and physical equipment. Candidates should be comfortable launching and configuring virtual topologies, connecting and powering devices, using graphical and command line interfaces to enter commands, interpreting device output and logs, saving and restoring configurations, and resetting or reprovisioning devices or virtual images. Includes knowledge of virtual networking concepts in labs such as virtual switches, interface mapping, topology design, resource allocation, images and snapshots, and differences between simulation and hardware testing. Interviewers may probe familiarity with common lab platforms and best practices for reproducible testing, troubleshooting in isolated environments, and documenting lab setups and results.
Technology Evaluation and Selection
Focuses on evaluating technology options and selecting appropriate platforms or vendors. Key skills include defining business and technical requirements, creating evaluation criteria and decision matrices, running proof of concept trials, assessing total cost of ownership and vendor lock in, validating integration feasibility and operational impact, ensuring security and compliance, planning staged rollouts and migrations, and documenting governance for adoption. Interviewers may probe examples of build versus buy decisions and how pilots were used to de risk technology choices.
Command Line Proficiency and Troubleshooting
Comfortable using shell commands for system troubleshooting and administration. Key tools: ps (process information), top and htop (real-time monitoring), grep, sed, awk (text processing), curl (HTTP requests), netstat and ss (network statistics), du and df (disk usage), kill and killall (process termination), tar and gzip (compression). Know how to redirect I/O, pipe commands together, and create simple scripts. Understand how to use man pages.