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Telecommunications.

What can I learn or have advice from Telecommunications?

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Ken’s Answer

Hello LeMarr,

I have worked in this industry since 1995 with the last fifteen years at Verizon. Like others have said, the Telecommunications industry has evolved into a connectivity industry. This includes wireless services for both consumer and businesses. Some consumer services are the 4G or 5G phone that many people have, to wireless home internet, to the different applications that people use. There is the business side of the business to provide business wireless services and many different ways for business to run their businesses. This includes networks connecting their offices and their customers offices, to large networks at main offices such as Mobile Edge Compute, to working from home solution.

Best of luck!

Ken
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Atul’s Answer

I spent most of my career as a telecom software engineer developing software for landline/mobile networks.
All network equipment providers such as Ericsson, Cisco, Nokia develop their software based on the industry standards (IETF, ETSI, ITU-T).
It is very challenging job and you get to see the results of your work when you see people using the telephone/cell phones.
Service providers like Verizon, ATT and T-Mobile need network engineers to plan/operate the networks. It is a stressful job but it is very satisfying job.
People work long hours to get the job done. No one wants to see a failure where phones stopped working.
It pays well but the Chinese companies like Huawei, ZYE are undercutting many Network Equipment Providers resulting in money losing operations which affects the salaries. However, US govt has put restrictions on using these companies gears. Net-net: it is a rewarding job and the industry keeps evolving.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much, Atul! LeMarr
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Stephan’s Answer

To start a job in Telecommunications industry you will require some good understanding of computer networks, such as TCP/IP protocolls like IPv6. Also you should get some basic understanding about the history of mobile networks like 2G/3G and the latest innovations like 5G/6G networks.

You should also look to get some basic programming skills. A lot of Telecommunication providers need software engineers to develop intelligent networks as well as building addtional services for their customers and the internet of things, as everything will be connected with each other.

Telecommunications is a big area with a lot of diffeent jobs, you should think about in which direction you want to go.

Stephan recommends the following next steps:

Understand job models in Telecommunications
What are your interests?
Understand what kind of jobs are matching to your interests
Find someone who is working in Telecommunications and asked him for mentorship
Thank you comment icon Thanks for the advice. LeMarr
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Denise’s Answer

The telecommunications industry has a wide array of jobs available. Really, today, this industry is more than telecom, it is information technology. Like previous responses, you need to look at what you are interested in. Do you want to design software? Do you want to design hardware? do you want to install these services? Do you want to be in a more customer-facing sales or admin role. Do you want to deploy or manage these services for a big company? I would recommend reading trade journals for sure! Try NoJitter.com or Workspaceconnect.com. The IT field is really exciting - new technologies such as facial recognition, AI and Virtual Reality are emerging and challenging areas to consider. It is a really fun field to work in if you are creative and think outside the box. Good Luk!!

Denise recommends the following next steps:

read trade journals
think about what interests you - programming, coding, sales/marketing, etc
Ask those around you if they work in the field or know someone in the field
Look on LinkedIn or Udemy.com for free beginner courses to get your feet wet.
Thank you comment icon I appreciate this, thank you for the advice. LeMarr
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David’s Answer

I agree with what others have said...there are many different types of jobs in telecom beside those in the technical field. I have worked in finance and customer experience for AT&T for the past 24 years without having a technical degree. I do have an interest in technology for sure, and that is important to note that you should always have an interest in whatever the company sells so you can be passionate about working there. You can read articles online about what is happening to companies in the industry to help you stay up to date on the latest news.

Good luck.
David
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Fin’s Answer

I've worked in mobile communications for 32 years and I've enjoyed this career path and I'm still enjoying it. Specifically I work on the radio engineering side for a cellular provider. There have been constant advances in the technology as witnessed by the cellular phones and applications available today. This is a good career if you enjoy technical challenges and being on the leading edge of all the new technologies. In the beginning, text messaging was a marvelous new technology. Today you can stream music, movies, videos to most cellular devices and be connected to the internet even in remote areas.
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Tonya’s Answer

The first question I need to ask is what aspect of telecommunications are you interested in? There is the technical/engineering tract but there is also customer service, sales, HR, lobbying, legal, and many other aspects to the telecommunications profession . I am in sales for a large wireless/wireline provider. You still need to know a lot about telecommunication services, but I focus on how those services will help my customers - rather than how they are designed and implemented! Start by reading the trade magazines. See what’s happening in the industry and what areas are of interest to you. Then determine whether you need to get a degree in telecommunications or something else that you could use in the telecommunications industry. Good luck!
Thank you comment icon Thanks for your encouragement! LeMarr
Thank you comment icon Sr.Engineering Technician... requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or something similar. LeMarr
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Michelle’s Answer

I have worked in this business for 15yrs as a customer service representative. This is one of the first positions available to get your foot in the door. There are many opportunities to go up the ladder. I choose to stay in customerservice because I like people and I like helping people. This busines has changed so much and continues to change regularly. There's always something new to learn.
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Krista’s Answer

The telecom industry provides a necessary service , and technology is always evolving. Select a subject area within the telecom field and ask to shadow and/or talk with a person in the industry. This is helpful to learn the pros and cons of a position. Evaluate your skill set and determine if this is the best career choice to meet your needs. Good luck!
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Kyle’s Answer

I have been in the telecommunication field for 25 years and still love my job today. The evolution of this field has been phenomenal throughout my career as originally phones were just for making calls and now, they are basically computers that the world interacts with continuously. The scope and breadth of the jobs within this industry vary tremendously and I'm confident that most individuals can find a role that matches their desires. I have learned a lot and I’m sure others can as well.
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Scott’s Answer

Hi there!

Telecommunications is an incredibly interesting and ever-developing field! Currently working with Verizon, I've been able to see the sales side in our retail stores, the customer service side over the phone and now with our Tier 2 Tech support. It can be very fast paced but incredibly rewarding as every day provides new challenges and ways to learn. If you enjoy working with others and helping teach a long the way, I highly recommend working with a company that specializes in the consumer world of communication. These days that is everything from basic flip phones to computers to handheld cameras. It seems to never end! Like everyone else mentioned, take time to read about the technology world, you may find that there is something you'd love to work with and that can help lead the way!

You got this!

-Scott
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