System engineers generally hold a college degree, have relevant experience, and often possess certifications as well.

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  Education: Bachelor's degree in a technical field (Computer science or computer engineering). A Master's degree may be required for senior positions. 


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  Technical Knowledge: Knowledge and experience tuning application stacks (e.g. JBoss, Ruby, Apache, Tomcat, NGINX), using cloud services (e.g. AWS), working with virtualization (e.g. Virtual Box, VMware) and network configuration (e.g. TCP/IP).


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  Certifications: Although certification isn't always required, it can help a candidate stand out from the crowd. Some standard certifications employers may seek or require are:
  
  
  • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
  
  
  • Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
  
  
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  
  
  • CompTIA A+
  
  
  • Network+
  
  
  • Certified Systems Engineering Professional
  
  
  • Oracle Java certifications
  
  
  • Red Hat certifications
  
  
  • A legacy certification from Citrix
  
  
  
  


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  Experience: Job postings often specify that applicants must possess specific areas of expertise and have several years of experience. Employers prefer candidates who have a good understanding of systems engineering methodologies and practices. A solid understanding of project life cycle management is also highly desired.