Jobs .. Science .. Telecommunications Specialist
Education programmes of job
Communications Engineering
Physics

Nature of work

A telecommunications specialist needs a detailed understanding of telecommunications theory and practice. He/she should have solid technical skills as well as interpersonal and organization­al abilities. Employers may seek an associate’s degree in electronics or a related field but are equally interested in several years of hands-on experience with communications equipment. Experience working with the specific hardware used in the company’s telecommunications system, as well as cabling and transmission test equipment, is highly valued.
The duties will be as following:
·        Installing, configuring and maintaining voice, data and video equipment.
·        Installing and testing cables.
·        Investigating and resolving trouble ticket items; making necessary equipment repairs.
·        Resolving circuit issues.
·        Maintaining system logs and records.

Environment of work

A Telecommunications Specialist works 7 hours per day. He/she needs to be ready for working outside office hours and needs to be flexible in case of major technical problems. Some employers expect that he/she will do shift work although this is less likely at a more senior level. The job may be stressful and pressured, particularly when things go wrong, as companies depends on their computer networks. Work requires high-speed operation of keyboard devices. Also requires lifting and transferring of computer equipment as needed. The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Work involves meeting multiple demands on a time basis. Duties may require some seasonal overtime.

Professional life

Career path will depend to a certain extent on the size of the organization that the telecommunications specialist works for and the scope of its IT systems. Having gained experience, a telecommunications specialist can progress to network management positions or, with additional training, transfer into other IT roles, such as project management. Those who start as help-desk technicians can sometimes progress to telecommunications specialist posts, then to senior network support and finally network controller (mainly involved in decision-making, staff management and advice on future strategy). This may be a typical career path in an organization such as a large bank or a major government department. Some telecommunications specialists choose to broaden their careers into other IT, customer-related or management functions. A common career option is consultancy work as a network analyst, either with an IT consultancy firm or on a self-employed basis. There are also some chances to teach or train, although this may only provide part-time work, such as teaching evening courses.
Typical starting salary: 30000 SYP.

Getting the job

If anyone wants to get this job he / she needs a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Information Systems or a related field. A candidate should have experiences in networking protocols, particularly TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, WINS, and telecommunications systems and voice network management systems. Knowledge of server hardware and troubleshooting skills are needed. Knowledge of data storage systems and virtualization is desirable.

Skills

To be a professional telecommunications specialist, there are some skills should be improved, such as:
·        Ability to resolve moderately complex problems with minimal supervision.
·        Ability to adapt to the current technology environment.
·        Ability to assess communication practices, and research and analyze emerging technologies.
·        Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
·        Ability to quickly identify problems and implement solutions with minimal downtime.
·        Critical thinking - using logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.

Sources and references

If you need any further information on what is included in this file, you can go back to the following reference:
·         www.computer.org, The IEEE Computer Society is the world's premier organization of computing professionals.
·        Arab Standard Classification of Occupations, 2008, Ed. Arab Labor Organization.

Summary

A telecommunications specialist will be responsible for installation, maintenance and management of  computer systems, hardware/software as well as telecommunications systems and voice network management systems. He/she assists in developing and improving of information technology services.