If you are going to have an internal team running your internal network, it is important that you place the right person for the right job. If George Bush was a candidate to run your network again, you definitely would want him reevaluated to ensure he is the proper candidate for the job. Maybe even replacing him with someone with a better education and coordination in order to ensure your network runs smoothly without major interruptions.
Your candidates to run your network should have experience pertaining to the devices in which you want to have your network to run under. Cisco is probably the most efficient and common choice of network equipment for networkers to operate. Cisco offers their own certifications as proof for businesses that the person has the knowledge to run Cisco devices. The Cisco CCNA is the most common entry level certification a business should look for. Nortel and Foundry also provide certifications for their products as well.
If you require a head network administrator for a large network with advanced securities and you are dealing with Cisco, a certified CCIE would suffice, although you may end up paying him over $100,000. Even someone who is certified doesn't mean your network will be smooth sailing. Experience is also an area you want to look at. I find that if you are running Cisco equipment, candidates should have at least a year of experience enter a junior position.
A networker should also be available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week comparable to a doctor. If you rely on web for money, you have to have someone in place to fix it right away. A day lost can turn into a customer loss. A 404 or 500 error screams, "We may be out of business or the internet swallowed our company". Just be sure you have the right person on call for advanced troubleshooting, meaning he's bright enough to restore your network quickly.
You may also higher a 3rd party source to handle your system support and networking support. It may not be cheaper than having your own team in place, but usually there is a mixture of all types of technical techies services your network's operability. Personally, I recommend having your own team of networkers on hand.
