Wade4Wireless

Wireless Careers


Hello all,

Several of you got back to me about how to approach the wireless business and what you should be doing. Some of you are looking for a job and success in wireless. I thought I would take a few minutes to put something here to help you out. FYI: Many of you asked me to call you, I will get back to each of you but I have been very busy this week and should have time to get back to more people next week. I want to help each of you if I can.

So, if you are ready to enter the world of wireless, think about what you would like to do. Take a moment. Now think about what you’re qualified to so. Take another moment. Now, keep all that in mind when you read over this. There are so many jobs coming with the wireless world growth. I know I talk about LTE most of the time but there are so many other opportunities out there is public safety, broadband, broadcast, and so many more including engineering, sales, deployment, climbing, construction, maintenance, remote monitoring, and business development (which I am currently doing). Each area can be broken down into a specialty for a specific technology or area. So much out there and you are trying to figure out which to be in. Don’t get overwhelmed.

This is a great opportunity because you could start anywhere, what do you like to do. If you enter something and don’t like it, then realize that there are more options out there.

I can break some if this down for you to help you narrow it down.

  • I know when I was a climber I really enjoyed it , very physical and very beautiful scenery on top of the tower. To start you really don’t need much experience and you learn very quickly. Just be able to take orders and be ready to get yelled at about anything. When someone is on a tower they tend to have a very short fuse. Don’t take it personally just get the job done. You also learn what it’s like to work on a team. You all depend on each other and the guy on the ground is just as important as the person up at 300 feet. Working together is key. That is why crews that have worked together for awhile tend to be very efficient. However, it becomes a family so they get on each other’s nerves. You also need to travel to get the bug jobs, so you may be away from home for days, weeks, or months at a time. A reality but they need to go where the work is.
  • I was a field engineer and that allowed me so much freedom and I learned so much because there was no one there to help me. I did a lot on my own and I really enjoyed this job. You learn to work alone and you learn when to ask for help. One thing that has changed in this profession is that now most equipment can be accessed remotely so you have more support now than ever.  Most field engineers back in my day were jacks of all trades from climbing to transmitter repair to computer man to software editor. It was perfect for someone with ADD like myself.
  • Design engineers are the ones who conceptualize and make things happen. This usually is lab work that becomes a reality. There are many kinds of RF engineers that could be doing a point to point path analysis or LTE engineering for a mobile unit. Now they have programs that do most of that for you.
  • Mechanical engineers that could be working on anything from a cabinet or mounting design to doing a structural analysis on a tower. This is a key factor in the build, the stability of the tower. This also takes teamwork to make sure the engineer gets the data to properly assess the tower. Here is where he relies on the tower climber and the data sheet to properly assess what the tower can hold and can’t. They also need to know the paperwork of how the tower was built, preferably how it should have been built but sometimes they have to dig to see what the foundation is really like.
  • Sales and business development is what you make of it. By that I mean it can be a lot of fun if you are engaged with your customer and build some solid relationships. This is something that sounds easy, but trust is a big factor. So you need to know your product and your support staff. They are the ones that make you look good or not.
  • Solution architects are the people who are looking at the project from end to end to know how all the pieces fit together.
  • IT people are needed in today’s wireless world. They are critical to how things talk and if this is something you work in then the door is wide open for your abilities.
  • Project managers are the key to any deployment success, they are the mastermind behind the project to make things happen on time and to completion.
  • So many more jobs, too many to list. So many companies;
    • VAR Value Added Reseller
    • VAD Value added Distributor
    • OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer
    • Engineering services

OK, that was a good overview. If you would like me to do more on this then let me know. Meanwhile, to help educate you I found some links for learning.

Wade Casual 5-17-2013

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