Get in to work at 7 am, check to see if there's any incomplete work from the day before, check in with any customers that were making changes overnight to see how things went. Look at the current cases and prioritize them, communicate with the customers, communicate with my team members, escalate cases to Tier 3, have some calls with high paying customers, leave work anywhere between 4 and 7.
CAREER
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$116,780
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+5% (as fast as the average)
Most Common Level of Education
Bachelor's degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Telecommunications Engineering Specialists Do
Design or configure voice, video, and data communications systems. Supervise installation and post-installation service and maintenance.
Other Job Titles Telecommunications Engineering Specialists May Have
Communications Engineer, Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, Network Engineer, Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD), Telecommunication Design Analyst (Telecom Design Analyst), Telecommunication Design Engineer (Telecom Design Engineer), Telecommunication Engineer (Telecom Engineer), Telecommunication Systems Designer (Telecom Systems Designer), Telecommunications Consultant (Telecom Consultant)
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
My workday mostly consists of design work. My projects allow me to design or improve parts of the cellular network. I utilize various computer programs to perform my work. It is common to discuss ideas or gather information from different departments. Meetings are usually scattered throughout the week. Some meetings are informational, while others are focused on collaboration.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Consult with users, administrators, and engineers to identify business and technical requirements for proposed system modifications or technology purchases.
- Implement system renovation projects in collaboration with technical staff, engineering consultants, installers, and vendors.
- Keep abreast of changes in industry practices and emerging telecommunications technology by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.
- Review and evaluate requests from engineers, managers, and technicians for system modifications.
- Assess existing facilities' needs for new or modified telecommunications systems.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Telecommunications Engineering Specialists
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (40%)
Some college, no degree
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Telecommunications Engineering
Bachelor
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Knowledge of telephony via personal study or work experience. General idea of business processes, thinking outside the box.
Problem solving skills and creativity are necessary as a design engineer. One must be able to identify problems or improvements and think creatively to come up with solutions. Time management and organizational skills are needed, too, in order to manage large amounts of information and multiple projects.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
It is important in high school to develop a strong foundation in mathematics and science and to take an interest in technical hobbies. Having a strong foundation in mathematics and science will enable one to excel early on in there college career. A radio access network engineer designs systems of electrical equipment, so participating in a technical hobby/club is great for becoming familiar with technology and how it works.
If you want to become an engineer, the first step is to establish your identity. What I mean by this is, when you start your engineering path - you must focus on that. This career requires all of your focus and energy. You must be good at MATH and SCIENCE, (to be honest, you must be excellent). These topics must be easy for you. If they are not, it is time to start pushing yourself to get better at them, or else you won't succeed.
Take any and all Information Technology courses available. What makes a great Cisco Engineer is a fundamental understanding of all things tech from operating systems to programming and scripting.
College Students
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.