Career in telecommunications

D

Dean01

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
670
Reaction score
67
Hi guys

I am currently in matric and would like to pursue a career in telecommunications.

My question is, what job types are in demand within this field and offers good pay?

I ask because I would like to know what degree I should study. My instinct is tending towards electrical engineering. (I think that what Jannie is qualified as?)

Your input and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Daiyaan
 
At my Uni there were a lot more telecoms related modules in Electronics than they do in Electrical but perhaps whichever University you're applying to is different.
 
abzo said:
At my Uni there were a lot more telecoms related modules in Electronics than they do in Electrical but perhaps whichever University you're applying to is different.
Click to expand...

Thanks bro. Maties offer electronics and electrical as a combined course.
 
The University of Pretoria has both Electronic Engineering and a Computer Engineer degrees. Both these courses provide a good technology background to be used in the telecoms field. Your technology knowledge can later be built on by additional courses/qualifications based on the area of technology you start to specialize in (Cisco, Juniper, HP, Alcatel, Oracle, etc.).
University of Pretoria: School of Engineering 2013 yearbook - the most up-to-date module listing can be found here (I am pro-Computer Engineering, because that is my academic background).

I have used thed following South African webpage to look at CEO/CTOs and correlate their academic background to my career planning: http://www.whoswho.co.za/

Some relevant industry leaders
=========================

Nombulelo Thokozile Moholi (Telkom)
Harvard Business School: Strategic Marketing Programme
http://www.whoswho.co.za/nombulelo-moholi-4254

Petrus Johannes Uys (Vodacom)
University of Stellenbosch: Bachelor of Sciences and Master of Sciences - Engineering
Stellenbosch Business School: Master of Business Administration
http://www.whoswho.co.za/petrus-uys

Alan Devilliers Charles Knott-Craig Senior (Cell C)
University of the South Africa: Master of Business Leadership
http://www.whoswho.co.za/alan-knott-craig-snr-1055

Polelo Lazarus Zim (Telkom)
Rand Afrikaans University: Master of Commerce
University of Fort Hare: D. Com (honoris causa)
http://www.whoswho.co.za/lazarus-zim-1062

Mohamed Shameel Aziz Joosub (Vodacom)
Chartered Financial Accountant of South Africa
University of Southern Queensland: Master of Business Administration
http://www.whoswho.co.za/mohamed-joosub-3508

John T. Chambers (Cisco)
Indiana University: Master of Business Administration (Finance and Management)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chambers_(CEO)

Tim Cook (Apple)
Duke University: Master of Business Administration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Cook

Dr Marius Kloppers (BHP Billion)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: PhD
INSEAD: Master of Business Administration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marius_Kloppers
 
Bengalaas said:
The University of Pretoria has both Electronic Engineering and a Computer Engineer degrees. Both these courses provide a good technology background to be used in the telecoms field. Your technology knowledge can later be built on by additional courses/qualifications based on the area of technology you start to specialize in (Cisco, Juniper, HP, Alcatel, Oracle, etc.).
University of Pretoria: School of Engineering 2013 yearbook - the most up-to-date module listing can be found here (I am pro-Computer Engineering, because that is my academic background).

I have used thed following South African webpage to look at CEO/CTOs and correlate their academic background to my career planning: http://www.whoswho.co.za/

Some relevant industry leaders
=========================

Nombulelo Thokozile Moholi (Telkom)
Harvard Business School: Strategic Marketing Programme
http://www.whoswho.co.za/nombulelo-moholi-4254
Click to expand...

1984 Bsc (Eng), UCT
1998 Stanford Executive Programme, California, USA
2001 Strategic Management Programme, Harvard Business School
 
Afaik the "electronic" and "computer" engineering courses are relatively new (Comp Eng was introduced at Tuks in 1999, not sure when Electronic Eng was) before which there was only Electrical Engineering which then branched out into the other two.

That is why the majority of older people in the industry have Electrical Engineering degrees.

Most Universities offer a combination of the courses except Tuks which offers the three separately where Electrical Engineering is more focused on power systems.
 
Last edited:
daiyaan said:
Hi guys

I am currently in matric and would like to pursue a career in telecommunications.

My question is, what job types are in demand within this field and offers good pay?

I ask because I would like to know what degree I should study. My instinct is tending towards electrical engineering. (I think that what Jannie is qualified as?)

Your input and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Daiyaan
Click to expand...


I'm studying electrical engineering at Wits, and I'm leaning towards telecoms :P.

At wits you have two streams of electrical engineering:
Main Stream electrical
Information Engineering.

In main stream electrical you deal with high voltage, high frequency and electromechanical conversion etc.
If you interested in antenna design this is your field.

Information engineering (what I'm doing) offers a diverse range of courses, where you will do electronics and will know loads about the physical electronics of things. However, information engineering is ideal if you want to pursue telecoms since we do courses based on communications on the bit level (encryption, compression, error correction), the physical level (AM/FM, and actual transmission - you will be programming your own radios! Loads of fun sending wireless signals!), and you also learn the network level.

There's loads of opportunities since our service providers need engineers. I don't know what the pay is like, but I can't imagine it being bad.
 
scotty777 said:
daiyaan said:
Hi guys

I am currently in matric and would like to pursue a career in telecommunications.

My question is, what job types are in demand within this field and offers good pay?

I ask because I would like to know what degree I should study. My instinct is tending towards electrical engineering. (I think that what Jannie is qualified as?)

Your input and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Daiyaan
Click to expand...


I'm studying electrical engineering at Wits, and I'm leaning towards telecoms :P.

At wits you have two streams of electrical engineering:
Main Stream electrical
Information Engineering.

In main stream electrical you deal with high voltage, high frequency and electromechanical conversion etc.
If you interested in antenna design this is your field.

Information engineering (what I'm doing) offers a diverse range of courses, where you will do electronics and will know loads about the physical electronics of things. However, information engineering is ideal if you want to pursue telecoms since we do courses based on communications on the bit level (encryption, compression, error correction), the physical level (AM/FM, and actual transmission - you will be programming your own radios! Loads of fun sending wireless signals!), and you also learn the network level.

There's loads of opportunities since our service providers need engineers. I don't know what the pay is like, but I can't imagine it being bad.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. When did you have to decide between heavy and light current? Am I correct in assuming first year is general?

Thanks
 
daiyaan said:
Hi guys

I am currently in matric and would like to pursue a career in telecommunications.

My question is, what job types are in demand within this field and offers good pay?

I ask because I would like to know what degree I should study. My instinct is tending towards electrical engineering. (I think that what Jannie is qualified as?)

Your input and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Daiyaan
Click to expand...
Hi,

Check the economic news of your country and find out what are the salaries of the industry that you're interested in ... then choose the one that earns more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X