8 Hottest Jobs In Telecoms

There are few industries that remain untouched by the tech jobs surge. Telecoms is no different, with a wealth of job opportunities available in the sector. The type of work you perform in telecoms jobs can be as varied as the different job titles available.

The comms industry incorporates voice, video, internet, and other data and communications services. Whether you’re looking for a sales jobs or you want a job with more general duties, one of the top sector jobs will likely appeal:

1. Installers and technicians

Installing and repairing are two essential aspects of telecoms. There are two types of jobs in this area: equipment installers and line installers.

Equipment installers generally work with the specialized equipment necessary to set up networks and connections in offices and buildings. They install, service, and repair routers, modems, and other equipment used to connect the network.

In this area, you will encounter job titles such as field engineers, riggers, frame engineers, and installation engineers.

A job as a line installer means you’ll acquire specialized, hands-on experience and knowledge of exterior telecom poles and terminals. You’ll be expected to lay wires and cables – sometimes underground – that connect to residential homes and communities.

Line installers and repairers also service the telephone poles when outages occur or new cables need to be fitted. This area includes typical job titles such as field engineers, riggers, frames engineers, PBX engineers, installation engineers, and RAN engineers.

2. Customer service representatives

Customer service representatives constitute one of the larger segments of telecoms jobs.

These individuals often work in a call center, answering inbound calls from existing customers of the company. Customer service representatives answer questions, as well as inform customers of new services, and tell them about changes to existing services. They also respond to complaints over the phone, via online support or through traditional mail services.

3. Telephone operators

Though not a major part of the industry by any stretch, individuals in these jobs assist customers with a variety of requests. For example, the operator may provide telephone numbers (such as a ‘111’ service), assist with reverse-charge telephone calls, or help the customer obtain emergency assistance.

Other specialized services performed by operators depend on the type of telecoms company for which they work.

4. Telecoms engineers

There are several different types of engineers in the telecoms industry, largely professionals with experience and qualifications gained in the areas of data and communications services. Engineers have a variety of duties. Some plan cable routes and equipment installations. Some are involved with R&D activities, designing new equipment, and finding new applications for hardware.

A host of relevant certifications exists within the telecoms sector, ranging from fiber splicing and the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) to Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) and Juniper Networks Certified Internet Expert (JNCIE). Their importance in any given role is dependent upon the core structure the companies are using and whether they have a multi-vendor platform.

This area would include jobs such as design engineers, support engineers, and NMC and NOC engineers.

5. Telecoms specialists

These roles are varied and can range from coordination to very specific niche expertise in operating support systems (OSS) or business support systems (BSS), data analytics or application development.

Telecoms specialists can coordinate, manage or support the design of service products and devices. Specialists may make customer appointments with installers or repairers to set up repairs or maintenance on systems, cables, and other specialty equipment.

Individuals in these specialist telecom jobs also provide follow-up and expertise on specific issues. Project coordinators, for instance, assist other professionals and organizations in the delivery of projects.

These specialist roles would include but are not limited to, architects, service delivery managers, and project and program managers. This area would encompass specialist skills gained in telecoms, ranging from private branch exchange (PBX) – provided by companies like Avaya, Panasonic, Mitel – to mobile app developers and data scientists.

Other roles in this area include project coordinators, data scientists, network architects (including OSS/BSS), project and program managers, mobile app developers, and embedded developers.

6. Telecoms sales

The profound shift in telcos’ B2B sales and customer relationships is being further accelerated by developments such as the rise of network function virtualization (NFV)-based services and fixed/mobile convergence. Telcos are facing a dynamic where both their offerings are expanding, and sales coverage models are changing – which in turn requires new approaches to pricing. 

These jobs involve marketing and selling products like phone, cable, or internet to either residential or business-class customers.

Individuals in telecoms sales jobs may undergo a specific tech sales training program before looking for a sales role in the company, or expect the company itself to provide training after they got hired. It’s important to learn not only about the products themselves, but also sales tactics and tricks for use in communication with potential leads, and both ways are good for that. Selling tips learned during training will be helpful in selling products of any tech business, not just ones that are in the telecommunication industry.

7. Telecoms managers and support personnel

You can also get involved in the sector as support personnel or as a telecoms manager, with a variety of job titles, positions, and duties on offer. Many of these roles are based in comfortable office environments.

In such a job, you could be performing administrative duties, managing a communications network and its related technologies, or managing call center customer service representatives.

8. Marketing specialists

The telecoms industry needs marketing specialists. This is an area that is likely to grow within the next decade.

Telecoms marketing specialists produce ads for the company. They may write sales copy, survey the best radio stations and make other marketing materials, as needed.

All told, a variety of jobs exist in the telecoms industry. Whether you’d like to put your administrative experience to work, become an installation technician or work in telecoms sales jobs, there are roles to suit just about anyone.