Profession "communications engineer": duties, job description and features

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

In the age of modern technology, when radio and landline telephones are used less and less, they have been replaced by cellular communications, the Internet and digital television. Under these conditions, a new and highly demanded profession in Russia is entering the labor market - a communications engineer.

It is a mistake to believe that the profession of "communicator" has not changed with the development of technology. It is no longer enough for people working in this field to simply be able to lay telephone cables, climb poles or monitor the switchboard. A modern communication design engineer must know the basics of design and have an understanding of programming interfaces. Also, he must not only know in theory how to create and maintain telecommunication lines, but also be able to apply all this data in practice.

A bit of history

It is believed that for the first time the profession of "communicator" arose with the widespread opening of telephone exchanges at the end of the 19th century. The people working for them had to ensure the construction of new lines and the smooth operation of the equipment. Not only the profession of a signalman appeared, but also a telephone operator, for which they preferred to recruit young and educated girls.

SWith the discovery of 1888, wireless communication begins its history. This year, a method for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radio waves was invented. Already in 1896 A. S. Popov published an experiment in which the first information was transmitted over a distance of 250 meters, and a few years later the production of the first equipment was launched.

Now the field of communications has a large number of professions, one of which we will consider in more detail.

Professional training

To be able to work in the field of telecommunications, you need to get a higher education at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering. Suitable majors would be, for example:

• Telecommunications and communication systems.
• Radio communications and broadcasting.
• Television.
• Multichannel telecommunication systems.

At admission, you must be ready to study mathematical disciplines (mathematical analysis, programming, etc.), subjects in the theory of communication (engineering and computer graphics, electronics, etc.). Studying at a university allows you to choose a permanent place of work already in the 4th-5th year, through practical training. As a rule, technical departments in these educational institutions work closely with large communication service companies and send their students there for internships.

Fields of work

Students on graduating with a degree in communications engineering can easily take advantage of the opportunity to work, for example, in companies providing multimedia services (transmissiondata in real time, Internet broadcasting or videoconferencing), in large factories and combines, in the business sector. And of course they will be in demand in communication service companies (such as broadcasting or Internet and cellular service providers). They will also be useful in the field of information technology and communications.

The opportunities for self-realization are endless for a graduate, as signalmen are found in various sectors of the economy:

• Telephone industry.
• Telecommunications.
• Post and telegraph.
• Energy.
• Production and design of household appliances.
• Research and development.

Of course, this list is far from complete. It is very difficult to recall a field of activity where modern technologies related to communication have not yet been used. Almost any direction of modern life is closely connected with the reception or transmission of certain information.

General features of the profession

So what does a communications engineer do? In general terms, the duties look like this:

• Installation of line-cable structures and equipment.
• Operation of this equipment and facilities.
• Optimizing the development of communication networks.

In general, the competence of communication engineers includes everything without which communication is impossible - from connecting the Internet and creating local networks, to conducting telephone communications and installing various equipment (for example, satellite dishes).

To be successful in this field of activity, you must have the following personal qualities:

• Tidiness.
• Patience.
• Carefulness.
• Creativity.
• Learnability.

The last of the listed qualities is very important, since the current pace of development of communication technologies requires constant improvement from specialists in this field.

Wages

A cellular engineer in these conditions can count on a fairly high level of remuneration. Salary is related to the difference in demand for specialists in this field and the availability of communication engineers in the labor market. This allows people with this education to easily select a suitable and well-paid position for themselves. But no one has canceled the differentiation of wages depending on work experience and region of residence.

Thus, a communications engineer in Moscow can count on a salary of 25,000 to 30,000 rubles. Employers offer this wage to applicants with higher technical education and work experience of at least one year. In St. Petersburg, with the same conditions, you can count on payment for work from 22 to 26 thousand rubles. Kazan, Rostov-on-Don and Chelyabinsk will offer from 13 to 15 thousand.

A higher salary will be offered subject to two years of work experience and knowledge of Cisco equipment and certain types of PBX. You will also need knowledge of the English language, which is required to study technicaldocumentation. In this case, a communication systems engineer can expect to be paid up to 48,000 in Moscow, up to 40,000 in the northern capital, and up to 25,000 in other regions.

If the applicant has more than three years of work experience, and he has certificates of professional conformity, you can apply for a salary in Moscow of about 70,000, in St. Petersburg - 60,000, and in Russia about 35-40 thousand rubles. Experience in managerial positions is highly welcome, as well as the ability to create telecommunications networks from scratch.

Career Opportunities

Despite the demand for communication specialists and relatively high wage rates, this speci alty cannot be attributed to professions with rapid career growth. In small companies, communication is usually provided by a very limited number of people whose positions are at the same level in the management hierarchy. Therefore, the increase in wages here rather depends on an increase in work experience or advanced training, and not on a change to a higher position.

In large companies with career advancement, everything is much easier. A huge advantage of working in them is the high possibility of career growth, both horizontally and vertically.

What do you need to know to be successful in your profession?

Of course, the required skills and abilities depend on the choice of the company and the area where the work is planned, but there are certain knowledge necessary in any company.

In large organizations there is a division into specializations, and the required skills are completelydepend on the position held.

As for small organizations, here the communications engineer must be a generalist, and carry out all the work, if not independently, then within a very limited team. This requires considerable skill and skill from the specialist.

Required skills to work in a small company

Know the software used at the station where you plan to work. It would be nice to know a few more different APIs.

Be able to find faults on the line, using, for example, a reflectometer. Extend the cable with sleeves. Expand cabinets (places for bringing together telephone cables). Installing equipment and diagnosing damage to this equipment. Good understanding of drawings and diagrams. Be able to use ip-network equipment.

In any case, not only the required skills depend on the place of work, but also what the communication engineer should directly perform. Responsibilities specified in the job description usually consist of planning, developing and installing a telephone network, installing, configuring and maintaining equipment. They also prescribe control over the operation of devices, ensuring the quality of established communication and trouble-free operation of equipment. In addition, the communication engineer's instruction may contain requirements regarding interaction with telecom operators. The topics of negotiations can be: the quality of services provided, the tariffs used, reporting.

Who is this profession for?

It is generally accepted that the profession of a signalman is more suitable for men, however, with the development of modern technologies, this speci alty is increasingly chosen by the fairer sex. So, according to a study conducted in 2010, of all job seekers as a communications engineer, 18% were girls. In terms of age range, jobs in the profession of "communications engineer" are more often sought by young people (under 35 years of age) with a special higher education.