Telecommunications

Telecommunications nowadays involves much more than a telephone. As a result of technology advancements, this industry niche is now wireless and mobile, and includes access to cable and digital TV, as well as wireless communications. In the US, AT&T enjoyed a prominent market share for over a century until anti-monopoly regulations made it split into different carriers so that the market would be much more competitive, especially regarding long distance calling. Nowadays, there are three major telecommunications companies that share almost all the long distance communications market: AT&T, Global Crossing and Sprint Nextel.

There were similar attempts to do this within the local communication markets, but the result was not as expected and now the market is dominated by three major players: AT&T, Verizon and Qwest.

Soon afterwards, mergers and acquisitions became norm in the telecommunications industry, and these companies were not exempt from the ups and downs that have hit Wall Street. To make things even gloomier, many of the business organizations in the niche had to face serious problems in their accounting books, including bankruptcy, billionaire debts, being accused of fraudulent activity and even class action suits.

To make this scenario even more complicated, the introduction of the Internet has made it possible for cable providers to offer telephone services and for telephone companies to offer cable TV, which is usually referred to as triple play. This has led to companies from both sides offering consumers almost the same number of services under different providers, forcing them to choose amongst those they find most affordable or more attractive. Cell phones are prominent players in the telecoms industry.

On average every American has at least one mobile communications device and, in many cases, an individual may have two phones, one for personal use and one for work use. Technological advancements make cell phones increasingly attractive, as they allow us not only to communicate with others wherever we are but also to send instant messages, chat over the Internet, surf social sites and other Internet pages and so on.  In fact, the demand for more sophisticated cell phones has skyrocketed since portability – the ability to change mobile phones but keep the same number – was made possible for consumers.

Pursuing a career in telecommunications can feel like one is working whilst simultaneously riding a roller coaster. The industry has experienced large periods of expansion followed by downward turns in which lots of jobs were lost. Mergers and acquisitions have also had an impact on the job market in the telecommunications industry. However, it is still possible to develop a successful professional career in this niche.

Jobs are available within sales, marketing, administrative support, maintenance, repair and installation. Anyone interested in working in telecommunications must have superb communication skills.

Customer care agents in particular must be adept at coping with angry or stressed clients that are experiencing issues with their mobile phones, and sales agents are required to know how to convince consumers to invest in a more sophisticated device.