The rapid development of voice and data technologies
makes telecoms one of the most dynamic industries to work
in.
The two fields are rapidly converging, opening up new
opportunities for technology staff as businesses increasingly shift
from voice telephony networks to data networks carrying multimedia
traffic. The Communications Management Association's annual
membership survey highlighted "the growing importance of converged
IP networking" and "evidence that VoIP has moved out of the
experimental stage into the mainstream".
That convergence is dramatically changing the scope of IT roles
in the telecoms industry. Hazel Leighfield, head of the ICT
division at recruitment firm S.Com, said a wide range of skills is
in demand, from design to helpdesk support. "But the biggest skill
sets we are recruiting are in networking - data and voice
networking," she said.
Les Clark, chairman of recruitment company Glotel, sits on the
board of the Association of Technology Staffing Companies. He said
networking is a good way for IT professionals to break into the
telecoms industry. His firm is placing project managers, technology
architects, network designers and planners with telecoms companies.
And there are opportunities worldwide.
"In the market in which we operate, 64% of business is overseas.
There is an opportunity for contract staff because they are
developing the infrastructure. There are opportunities anywhere you
want to go," said Clark.
But networking is not the only route into telecoms. Mark Ashton,
resourcing manager at mobile network operator Orange, said, "The
telecoms market can offer a challenging and varied career. It is
extremely fast-moving, with technology changing and improving at a
rapid pace, needing people that can adapt, learn and challenge
themselves. Skills that are in demand are VoIP, J2EE, EAI,
middleware and IP development and design."
Orange's solution delivery team, which develops products and
services for internal and external clients, offers opportunities
for people with a grounding in a software development or research
development, said Ashton.
At Vodafone, chief technical officer Paul Wybrow combines the
traditional CIO role with overseeing the telecoms network. "The
technical evolution is colliding at a phenomenal rate," he said.
There is a wide variety of IT roles in the company, from
traditional back-office IT to support for call centres, products
and services and billing.
Oracle skills, experience of the Amdocs and Clarify billing
systems, and Unix and Microsoft experience are all useful, said
Wybrow. "But if people can come in with mobile experience, that is
a plus," he said.
"I am looking for people with a passion for customers, strong
business skills and leadership - particularly at management level.
It is not good enough to be the world's greatest IT expert. What is
important is what the person has actually done for the
business."
Vodafone is also involved in a huge project to consolidate its
global IT infrastructure. "We are looking for analysts, business
analysts, some developers and project managers. Telecoms is a
bonus, but we take people from various backgrounds," said
Wybrow.
BT's approach to the convergence between telecoms, networking
and IT services is to diversify its business and develop its role
as an IT services organisation.
Martin Thomas, head of recruitment at BT Global, the telco's
networked IT services wing, said there are openings for people with
networking infrastructure or systems implementation experience and
for those with expertise in specific areas, such as Microsoft
products, Siebel CRM, messaging and workflow systems.
"We are recruiting client-facing people more and more, people
with good communications, interpersonal and professional skills as
well as core technical capabilities," he added.
Leighfield said telecoms firms are recruiting staff to fulfil
contracts, often in the public sector. "There is a great need for
project management people with experience of rolling out upgrades,"
she said. "We get a lot of VoIP requests - not for the telecoms
company's own infrastructure, but for their customers."
The big telecoms firms are all changing, but in different ways -
and that means a greater variety of opportunities opening up for IT
professionals.
Growing demand for telecoms staff
Demand for telecoms staff is reviving after an 18-month drought,
according to sector skills council E-Skills UK. And demand for
networking professionals is at its highest since 2001, it said.
However, Philip Virgo, strategic advisor at the Institute for
the Management of Information Systems warned that the UK needs to
keep its skills up to date as it competes in a global market.
For example, next-generation network standard IP version 6 is
not being taught in the UK or the US but it is being taught on the
Pacific Rim, he said.
"Everyone is going to have to transition their networks [from
IPv4]. Those who can do that kind of thing are going to be in great
demand. The problem is going to be where to acquire those skills,"
said Virgo.
Tips for getting into telecoms
- Research the big firms to see what skills they are looking
for
- Networking skills are a key area of demand, with many employers
looking for Cisco certification
- Project management skills are sought after. Project and change
management qualifications in Prince and ITIL make candidates more
attractive
- Employers such as BT are increasingly demanding a degree in
science, engineering, computing or other technology subjects
- Employers value communication and customer-facing skills
alongside experience and qualifications
- Both contract and permanent staff are in demand. Contract staff
are expected to be skilled and experienced, but employers are often
willing to train permanent staff
- Pay for contractors can range from £10 an hour for a first-line
support job to £650 a day for a senior project manager with
specific telecoms network experience.
Case study: the future's bright...
Alan Steele is a platform support manager at Orange. He joined
the firm five years ago in an IT strategy role, having done a
similar job in retail, and believes the telecoms industry is for
people who are adaptable and dynamic.
"There is an ever-changing environment with new products all the
time. It is very competitive. It is very technology-based and you
need to be au fait with the technologies of the day," he said.
Steele has a degree in computer science, but said his job means
he is always learning. "Never a day goes by without something new
happening. There is lots going on, lots of opportunities. Other
industries are a bit more staid," he said.
His colleagues are "a cross-section of people from different
industries", with several coming in with network experience.
Steele has done several jobs since joining Orange, moving from
infrastructure architect to a support role managing a small team.
He was promoted to manage a handful of support teams and has now
changed again, partly because the company has changed the way IT
support is offered.
Steele relishes the pace of change. "You will learn a lot very
quickly. You have to come in and embrace it. I cannot think of a
more dynamic industry," he said.