Careers in Telecommunications

If you are interested in careers in telecommunications, are fascinated by the world of telecom or are considering a career in this industry, read on. In this article, we will explore this field from a career perspective and see what you can achieve in this industry…

So, what does a telecommunications engineer do? Quite a lot of smart things actually! The telecom industry always gives you a chance to learn new things. Technology keeps on changing – so does telecoms. Just remember the telecom industry 15 years back. This field has grown immensely and so has customer requirements. It has brought people together in many ways (think: The Internet).

A Day In The Life Of A Telecommunications Engineer

So what does a day in the life of a typical telecoms engineer look like? My basic day starts with checking emails of any network fault during overnight cut over work. I also do design for next week work which may deal with different groups and also different tools to design telecom cells as per customer population. The telecom industry is actually a consolidated term for individual functions like planning, designing implementing the hardware required to connect telecom towers via radio or fiber – going back to exchange. My daily work also includes budgeting the work load and also keeping up with software updates. As a team we not only build telecom sites but also manage them. As it is a diverse set of functions involved, the opportunities to break into the telecom industry are also large. From hardware and software engineers to networking experts to planning designers to content professionals, this is an industry that has a huge demand for both experienced and new hands.

On the technical side, there is the hardware planning and maintenance that requires the engineering kind of employee. Similarly, to infuse life into mobile, hundreds of lines of intelligent telecom software needs to be written and software engineers become relevant here. In order to make a mobile network work properly telecom professional are required to be smart and hard working. There is also a requirement for non-technical skills for becoming a telecom professional. This may help to develop skills like project management meet new people and visit different sites may be remote or metro city. One has to be prepared to travel and face new challenges every day. While the former conceives the site and gives it shape to make the design attractive and productive, the latter fills the space with relevant, updated and crisp matter to help the user benefit from the site visit. Other profiles include an analytical team that supports in analyzing network traffic and a marketing and revenue group that make efforts to monetize from the visits to the site.

Telecommunications Engineer – Required qualities

There are a few must have qualities shared by many successful Telecom engineer They are:

• Excellent communication skills
• Enjoy telecommunication and technical design
• Smart, practical and creative
• Able to work as part of team
• Able to work long hours and high pressure situations
• Keen concentration and problem-solving skills
• Logical reasoning and troubleshooting skills
• Lead the team when required
• Lead by examples

Anyone can enter into a career in the telecom industry by completing a degree in telecom networking technology or communication design with a major in telecom networks or telecom management. A number of universities in South Africa offer degrees in these areas.

Careers In Telecommunications – Reasons To Join

The factors in favour of telecom industry as a career option are many:

• It is state of the art technology and we all know the basic requirements of telephone and mobile phones. Without the telecom industry we can’t communicate. The telecom industry has shown exponential growth in the past few decades: We can see the advancements in this sector on a regular basis. Companies, old and new, have their own presence on the telecom industry and this means constantly changing and updating it.
• As much as it is growing exponentially, the telecom market is also growing quantity wise. Newer entry and usage points like the mobile and even the tablet are making themselves ever so much relevant. With each medium, the individual functions all need to step in – the planning, designing, implementing new technology and content…there is always some action or the other in this field.
• Remuneration and growth are always attractive in a fast growing industry. The work is also very dynamic and exciting.

Of course, we can see lots of challenges and competition in the telecom industry as the telecom market in South Africa is small compared to bigger markets like Europe and the USA. It can be a high expectation work area with a lot to be accomplished in a short time. Long working hours are the norm here and those interested in becoming a telecom professional as a career option should be ready to work any time of the day and any day of the week.

The telecoms market is only becoming bigger and better. Those who are interested in stepping in to make a career here can look forward to an exciting and fruitful time ahead. The ones who work hard and smart will survive the competitive telecoms market.

Do you work in the telecommunications industry? We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!