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

In the age of modern technology, when the radio and landline phone are used less and less, they were replaced by cellular communications, the Internet and digital television. In these conditions, a new and very popular profession in Russia - a communications engineer - enters the labor market.

It is a mistake to believe that the profession of "communicator" has not changed with the development of technology. People working in this field of activity are no longer simply able to lay telephone cables, climb poles or monitor the switch. A modern engineer, the communication designer must know the basics of design and have an idea of the programming interfaces. He should not only know in theory how to create and maintain telecommunications lines, but also be able to apply all these data in practice.

A bit of history

It is believed that for the first time the profession of "signalman" arose with the ubiquitous opening of telephone stations in the late 19th century. People working for them had to ensure the construction of new lines and the uninterrupted operation of equipment. Appeared not only the profession of a signalman, but also an attendant, who preferred to recruit young and educated girls.

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

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

Professional training

In order to be able to work in the field of telecommunications, it is necessary to obtain higher education at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering. Suitable specialties, for example, are:

• Telecommunications and communication systems.
• Radio communication and broadcasting.
• TV.
• Multichannel telecommunication systems.

At admission it is necessary to be ready to study mathematical disciplines (mathematical analysis, programming, etc.), subjects in communication theory (engineering and computer graphics, electronics, etc.). Education in the university allows you to choose a permanent place of work already on the 4th-5th year, due to practical training. As a rule, technical departments in these educational institutions work closely with large companies to provide communication services and send their students to practice there.

Spheres of work

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

The possibilities of self-realization are unlimited for a graduate, since the signalers are found in a wide variety of sectors of the economy:

• Telephone industry.
• Telecommunications.
• Mail and telegraph.
• Power engineering.
• Production and design of household appliances.
• Research and development.

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

Common features of the profession

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

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

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

For successful work in this field of activity, you must have the following personal qualities:

• Accuracy.
• Patience.
• Attentiveness.
• Creativity.
• Learning.

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

Salary

The engineer of cellular communication in the present conditions can count on a rather high level of payment. The 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 select a suitable and well-paid job without any problems. But no one canceled the differentiation of wages, depending on the work experience and the region of residence.

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

A higher level of wages will be offered on condition of a work experience of two years and knowledge of Cisco equipment and certain types of automatic telephone exchanges. You will also need knowledge of English, which is required for the study of technical documentation. In this case, the communications system engineer can expect to pay 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 experience and he has certificates of professional compliance, you can claim salary in Moscow about 70,000, in St. Petersburg - 60,000, and in Russia about 35-40 thousand rubles. We highly appreciate the experience of working in managerial positions, as well as the ability to create telecommunication networks from scratch.

Career opportunities

Despite the high demand for communication specialists and relatively high wage rates, this specialty can not be attributed to professions with rapid career growth. In medium-sized companies, usually a very limited number of people are engaged in communications, whose positions are on the same level in the management hierarchy. Therefore, the increase in wages here is more likely to depend on an increase in work experience or in the development of skills, rather than from a change of position to a higher one.

In large companies with the promotion of the career ladder everything is much easier. A huge advantage of working in them is a high opportunity for career growth, both in the horizontal and in the vertical direction.

What do you need to know in order to be successful in the profession?

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

In large organizations there is a division according to specializations, and the required skills depend entirely on the position held.

As for medium-sized organizations, here the communications engineer should be a universal, and do all the work, if not independently, within a very limited team. This requires considerable skill and skill from a specialist.

Required skills for working 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 versions of the program interfaces.

To be able to find faults on the line, I use, for example, a reflectometer. Extend the cable using couplings. Expand the cabinets (places of information of telephone cables). Installation of equipment and diagnosis of damage to this equipment. It is good to understand the drawings and diagrams. Be able to use the equipment of ip-networks.

In any case, not only the required skills depend on the place of work, but also what the communications engineer has to perform directly. The duties prescribed in the job description are usually the planning, development and installation of the telephone network, installation, configuration and maintenance of equipment. Also, the control over the operation of devices, the quality of the established connection and the accident-free operation of the equipment are prescribed. In addition, the instructions of the communications engineer may contain requirements regarding the interaction with telecom operators. Subjects of negotiations can be: the quality of services provided, the tariffs used, and reporting.

Who will benefit from this profession?

It is generally believed that the profession of a signalman is more suitable for men, but with the development of modern technologies, this profession is increasingly chosen by representatives of the weaker sex. So, according to a study conducted in 2010 from all job seekers as a communications engineer, 18% were girls. In the age range, work in the profession of "communication engineer" is more often sought by young people (up to 35 years of age) with special higher education.