scte member focus
“Be prepared to listen and learn! This is a very hands-on occupation, and no amount of paper certificates earned in a class will fully prepare you.”
How do you see the sector developing over the next 5 years? The statement “Data is the new oil” is kind of true, but data will inevitably devalue itself, I foresee the pendulum swinging back from where content providers divested of networks some years ago, to coming back to the party and buying into networks to provide their subscription- based services and assure QoS. Think Google Fibre providing Google Services, all under one roof. And of course the 5G mobile hype; in truth mobile accounts for less than 2% of all data that moves – it’s mostly your smart phone is using Wi-Fi connected to broadband - so fibre is here to stay. Have you had any mentors over the course of your career and how did they help you? At Rhode & Schwarz, the sales manager, Paul Harfoot, made sure to call me every day as I started my sales career, and if I was having a tough time instead of beating me up, he always found a way to keep me motivated, provide support and suggest ways forward which led to a very
successful career with them. I wish I had half his leadership abilities in that way.
What would you tell a young entrant just about to get started in this industry? Be prepared to listen and learn! This is a very hands-on occupation, and no amount of paper certificates earned in a class will fully prepare you. It is an occupation with opportunity to rise in your career if you put in the effort, and we really do need new entrants. What is the best thing about this sector? Telecoms is an unsung hero, it really is the 4th utility and is changing the world all the time, not that most people realise it. The advertisements you see on TV for remote medical operations on people at a different location to the surgeon and such like is only possible with good communications. Just remember at parties if you get asked what you do for a living, say you are an actor or pilot or something like that, otherwise if you say “I’m in telecoms” it does rather kill conversation…
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Volume 46 No.2 MAY 2024
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