A career in telecommunications can be very lucrative. Despite what you may think, telecommunications involves much more than simply providing phone support for some company. You do not have to be that proverbial guy speaking to an angry Westerner about insurance claims who cannot understand your accent. Telecommunication certainly does involve mobile phone services and other support-based jobs and careers, but it also deals with radio, television, advertising, and many more high-paying, career-building opportunities for those qualified and driven enough.
Though with all the competition in the marketplace, how can you go about landing a job in the telecommunications field? And are telecommunication jobs in Sri Lanka different than jobs elsewhere around the world? To the second question, most careers are fairly similar as in what they require and how you should approach them. About how to actually land a job in the field, here is a thorough guide to help you get started.
A Five-Step Guide for Landing a Telecommunications Career
Think About Receiving a Degree or Certificate
One of the best ways to go about pursuing a career in telecommunications is to receive a degree. Now, you do not have to worry about a prestigious university here. There are many online institutions that are accredited and with which you can receive a degree or the equivalent of a degree to pursue your career. Whether looking to land IT jobs or anything related, having a degree really shows an employer that you are serious about pursuing this type of work as a career.
It is not mandatory; many people working in telecommunications do not have degrees. However, if you really wish to stand out in this competitive field, receiving an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in telecommunications will go a long way to making you appear much more desirable to employers looking to fill shop vacancies with qualified candidates.
Network in Telecommunication Circles
The second step in this process, whether or not you follow through with the degree option, is to actually hang around in telecommunication social circles. You can find these circles on networking social sites like LinkedIn, and you can even browse brand pages on Facebook and look for certain circles. By following these circles, you will stay apprised of the goings-on inside of the community. If, for instance, some office jobs open up anywhere near you, you may be one of the first candidates to find out about it.
This is also great to do on a local level. If you’re following, say, a social circle that is located nearby in Sri Lanka, you may be the first to learn about new jobs in Colombo or other nearby regions. Many employers are looking to hire very quickly, and the sooner you can make your presence known, the more likely it is that you will land the job in question.
Practice with the Equipment
How well can you handle certain types of telecommunication equipment? Knowing about mobile phones is a plus, but there is more to this type of job than simple phone calls. Familiarizing yourself with different aspects of telecommunications like computers in general, routers, headsets, etc, will help you to stand out if you are given an opportunity. Plus this becomes something you can put in your resume or on your application. You can say that you have experience using the type of equipment that will be required for the job, so there is far less of a learning curve and fewer expenses that need to be paid for your potential training.
Learning about mobile phone services, as in how the equipment operates, is a great way to get a leg up on the competition. Remember, always, that this is a highly competitive field. Many people searching for jobs in Sri Lanka are actually looking closely at telecommunications as a potential career. Doing more to stand out above the crowd will help you tremendously when seeking employment.
Look Around the Classifieds
Another great way to find jobs dealing in mobile phone repair, in the IT realm or other telecommunication aspects is to check around the classifieds. Believe it or not, something as simple as the classified ads help thousands of people find new job opportunities every single day. After all, that’s the reason companies go through the trouble of placing job listings in papers and on websites. They are really hoping that some qualified candidates reach out to them.
You might not be able to find a lot of vacancies this way, but checking often will reveal to you quite a few different job opportunities in the telecommunications realm. A great tip here is to actually create email alerts. That way, whenever a company adds a new listing, you will receive an alert in your inbox and you will thus be able to get a jump on the competition by seeing the listing first.
Don’t Be Afraid to Contact Companies
Whether you’re speaking about retail jobs, IT positions, support jobs or anything else, another great way to find employment is to directly contact companies. If you are running in the right social circles and are paying attention to the niche, then you might be aware when a new startup opens, or when two companies merge, when a company has just opened a new branch, etc. When businesses are doing something new, they are often tied up for months before they can finally put out a job listing. By contacting them directly, you may be saving them the trouble of posting anything.
This could be a great way to find local telecommunication jobs in Kandy or elsewhere. If you are keeping up with the business climate, you should be able to follow different companies as they open up and move around. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them and to offer your resume and your services.
Finding a great telecommunication job can lead you to a high-paying, prolonged career. Hopefully this guide will help you to approach the marketplace the correct way.
