Datacomm/Telecoms Courses

Telecommunication Sector: Overview

Telecommunication uses telephone, television, radio and other electronic transmitters. This is far removed from the drums and smoke signals which may have been used for initial telecommunication!

We need telecommunications. It would be difficult to imagine life in today's society without the use of a mobile telephone or the internet. More and more businesses are going online and more people are buying from home. There will always be a high demand for work, as companies use telecommunications to help build global empires.

Typical first jobs in this sector include graduate trainee and entry-level positions as programmers, web developers, help-desk support, and consultants. First roles are often as a junior member of a project team, with progression depending on individual motivation and determination.

To advance in a telecoms career, training will be essential. A career in the IT sector requires an ability to keep up to date with the current technological advances. It is highly recommended your training in such programmes is topped up on regular basis.

Expected Salary

IT skills will always be in high demand. The salaries offered can reflect this:

• £20,000 Trainee
• £40,000 Senior
• £60,000+ Director/with aditional skills

Training

Computing skills may have been acquired in a degree or similar training. Technical aspects of your degree are sought-after skills in the workplace. You will need to top up on these skills and additional skills will make progression easier. Employers will be interested in not only the practical skills, but also the non-technical transferable skills. Other useful skills include:

• Programming languages
• Hardware architecture and construction
• Time management
• Network design and engineering
• Software engineering
• Multimedia design
• Software tools and packages
• Presentation skills
• Leadership skills

The normal minimum entry requirements are:

There are no minimum requirements, however, a computing degree may be useful (for more opportunity of employment).

• Knowledge of new programmes are beneficial.
• Good english language
• It is important to keep up to date with new technology and take advantage of any training courses offered.

Click here for Datacomm/Telecoms Courses

Underoak lists many short courses to aid you in your career progression. These may be funded individually or through your company (please check the prices with the trainer, as sometimes they often offer a lower price for self funded training). To search these courses, simply type the relevant key words and click on ‘Course details’ to send your enquiry direct to the trainer.

Other soft skills may be useful, such as assertiveness or customer service, first aid and health and safety.

Related Careers

People tend to study to degree level. This allows a large window of opportunity to advance in your career, with additional training and development.

This is a particularly competitive sector. IT skills are always in high demand.

Further career options:

• Systems developer
• Information systems manager
• Technical support officer (IT)
• Applications developer
• IT consultant
• Multimedia programmer/Web designer
• Network engineer
• Software engineer
• Systems/business analyst
• IT sales professional
• IT trainer
• Technical author
• Software engineer
• Network Engineer
• Computer programmer
• Systems analyst
• Computer analyst/programmer

Useful Links

Core Skills

Specific skills which you may develop from a career in computing may include:

• Understanding the technical language and practices of Information Technology
• Confidence with customers and colleagues
• Communication skills and leadership
• Leadership skills, business awareness and an understanding of how IT relates to strategic decisions

Job Sites

Average working hours per week

Job Spotlight

Communications Engineer

The Role

A communications engineer has a wide range of opportunity in empolyment. The roles can range from focusing on managerial activities to emphasising more on applying technical knowledge. The leading roles are linked to:

• Internet
• Computing technologies
• Networking and telecommunications
• Radio

The work activites are varied and can offer a great chance to advance useful skills for career progression.

Salary:

£20,000 Starting Salary

£55,000 - £ 35,000 Senior Level.

Experience:

It is advisable to have a degree or experience in engineering or physical science. Work placements are a very common route in this career choice. Placements offer the chance to work on live projects and show your potential. Like many career paths in IT, progress will be helped by taking additional courses.

To ensure that you are up to speed with software developments, a lot of the training will be technical. It is essential to also gain 'soft' skills such as communication, time management and customer service skills.

Career Development

International employers may offer opportunities to work abroad. Once an experienced IT professional, you may be able to work freelance or as a contractor. Charities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) may have opportunities for teaching IT, whether as a volunteer or as a paid employer, both in the UK and overseas. Many experienced IT professionals start their own businesses.