In this episode, we break down why traditional job applications are failing and how networking communities like USNUA are becoming the fastest path to career growth in IT.

You’ll learn:

• Why applying online isn’t working
• How real opportunities come from real conversations
• Why community matters more than certifications

You don’t get hired through applications. You get hired through people.

If you want to grow your career, this is the shift you need to make.

Send us Fan Mail

This episode has been sponsored by Meter.

Go to meter.com/aone to book a demo now!

Support the show

Find everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng

For years, network engineers were told the same thing:

“Learn Python… or fall behind.”

But what if that’s no longer true?

In this episode, we walk through a real Hello World for AI in networking: connecting an AI agent to NetBox using Model Context Protocol (MCP) and querying network data in natural language.

No scripts.
No Python expertise.
Just results.

This is a live, unfiltered build, from cloning a repo to debugging JSON to finally asking:

“How many sites do I have in New York?”

…and getting an answer instantly.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why Python is no longer the entry point to network automation
• What MCP is and how it connects AI to your network
• How to query NetBox using natural language
• How AI handles tasks that used to require scripts
• Where human-in-the-loop still matters

Why This Matters:

Most network engineers haven’t started automation, not because they don’t want to, but because the barrier felt too high.

AI just lowered it.

This episode shows you exactly where to start.

Send us Fan Mail

This episode has been sponsored by Meter.

Go to meter.com/aone to book a demo now!

Support the show

Find everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng

What does a network engineer actually make in 2025–2026? How do you ask for a raise without making it weird? And what's the single biggest thing holding your career back? We recorded this one live.

This episode comes straight from the US Networking User Association PA Network User Group 2026 Spring Career Day — a standing-room-only event organized by USNUA in the Philadelphia area. Five talks. Five perspectives. All of it relevant to where you are right now in your career.

Drew Conroy Murray from Packet Pushers kicks things off with highlights from their global salary survey — 418 respondents across 33 countries, with some genuinely surprising numbers around certifications, tools, and geographic salary gaps. Pat follows with a straightforward breakdown of how to build your case, time your ask, and walk out of a raise conversation with something — even if the answer is no.

David takes it from there with a hard truth most engineers don't want to hear: being good at your job is the floor, not the ceiling. Visibility, advocacy, and knowing who has influence over your next move matters more than you think. Danny brings the career path conversation — why management isn't the only way up, why passion matters more than a title, and why finding your people changes everything.

Andy closes with a personal story about unemployment, cognitive bias, and what it actually took to unlearn a decade of being anti-automation. Fair warning: it gets real.

This is the kind of conversation that usually stays in the room. We're glad we got to record it.

Topics covered: salary benchmarks, asking for a raise, promotion strategy, career pathing, network automation, cognitive bias, personal brand, soft skills

Send us Fan Mail

This episode has been sponsored by Meter.

Go to meter.com/aone to book a demo now!

Support the show

Find everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng