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Telecom Sector is Currently Going Through a Slow Growth Phase

– says Kapil Sharma, Senior Executive in Connect Broadband


JULY 8, 2018

Insights

1. The best part of a job in telecom sector is that if you learn technologies
well, then you get ample opportunities to settle abroad.
2. This job requires long hours including a few night shifts. Salary isn’t
commensurate with the effort required.
3. Because of long-hours, work-life balance is poor and therefore, this job
is more suited for someone who has lesser responsibilities at home.
4. As this is a customer facing role, you must be prepared to handle rude
and abusive customers.

Personal Details

Name – Kapil Sharma


Age – 34 years

Profession – Senior Executive in ​Connect Broadband

Gender – Male

City – Patiala

Industry – ​Telecom

Where have you been born and raised?

I was born at DeraParol, district Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh.

I did my schooling from Govt. High School, Parole, Hamirpur and my +2 from
Senior Sec. School, Bhoranj, Hamirpur.

My father is retired Naib Subedar from Army. My mother is a homemaker. I


have a sister who is a B.A. graduate.

Who all had the most influence on you and how?

My dad’s younger brother was in the telecom sector. He suggested that I


choose this line as he could see my interests and abilities matching with that
of the sector. His guidance helped me reach my full potential.
Please give us a summary of your career.

I finished B.Sc. from ​Hamirpur Degree College​ in 2005.

Then, I completed masters in ​MCA​ from ​Desh Bhagat University​. Following


this, I joined training in Connect Broadband for 6 months and joined as an
executive in 2013.

In 2016, I got promoted to Senior Executive, which is my current role.

Which institutes are best for the education/training of this


profession?

From what I know, Hamirpur University is quite reputed across the state for
B.Sc.

Though, ​Hindu College​, Delhi is probably India’s best for B.Sc. (Electronics)
and ​IITs​(Indian Institute of Technology) are considered best for MCA.

What are the costs associated with the education/training of


this profession?

The cost of B.Sc. education is nearly INR 60,000 per annum. The cost of
pursuing MCA from IITs is around 1 lakh per annum excluding the living
expenses.
These costs may vary from college to college.

How does one enter into the telecom sector?

One needs to have a diploma or degree in Electronics/IT. Usually, vacancies


are declared by the company and candidates are hired on basis of personal
interviews.

What is the range of remuneration one can expect when


starting out in your line of career & industry?

Starting salary — 20,000 to 25,000 INR per month

5 years’ experience — 35,000 INR per month

10 years’ experience — 50,000 INR per month

15 years’ experience — 75,000 INR per month

20 years’+ experience — 90,000 to 1,25,000 INR per month

The bonuses are given based on employee’s performance.

Please describe your work.


I have a work routine of 9:30 AM to 6 PM for 6 days a week. The 2nd & 4th
Saturdays are off.

I am the head of the department in my location. So, my work is to ensure the


smooth functioning of my exchange and supervise the team. It involves
customer interaction, handling customer complaints and assigning work to the
team. We handle complaints related to hardware, ensure proper functioning of
the network within 5–10 KMs.

At times, I need to do fieldwork i.e. customer dealing.

Sometimes, I am required to do night shifts (12 AM to 6 AM) but these are


rare.

What are some of the positives, which would encourage


someone to consider this career/job?

1. IT and Telecom sector provide ample opportunities for settling abroad


based on the skills and technologies learned over the years.
2. One gets to work with the latest technologies, which may not be
possible to afford at an individual level.
3. When you are assigned the night shift, then the next day is given off.
4. There are ample opportunities for growth, once you’ve entered the field.

What are some of the challenges that you would want someone
to be aware of when considering a job in the telecom sector?

1. The most challenging aspect of this job is to adapt to be available 24


hours of the day. This affects your personal life.
2. You need to be prepared to deal with rude or upset customers and it
can be very tiresome to explain things to them.
3. With the level of competition rising and the limited number of jobs
available, it becomes increasingly difficult to get into the industry.
4. The salary is not sufficient enough to live a luxurious life. There is no job
security and workload keep increasing with no increase in pay. This is
all happening because the Telecom sector is going through a tough
phase.

What are the relevant trends/skills/technologies that are


currently commanding a premium in telecom sector jobs?

Functioning and systems related to GSM towers, modems, router-switching,


dealing with IP’s, looking into interfaces, VLAN, etc.

What kind of person would be happy in the telecom industry?

A person with lesser responsibilities at home, who has a friendly demeanor


and is willing to work continuously will be extremely happy in this career.

Given another choice, what would you do differently as far as


your professional selections are concerned?

I would have opted to be a government teacher in a school as teaching


interests me. Also, teaching line is secure and would have given me a chance
to be locally placed.
What would be your advice to students or professionals who
are just starting their journey on a path similar to yours?

It is a realistic fact that there exists a systematic lack of manpower in this


profession. The latest technologies using 4G networks are a major challenge
to the upcoming professionals. The newcomers need to understand and learn
as much as they can through the training provided to them. They should never
hesitate to ask the senior officials for help. They need to commit themselves
fully to the job and be available to put in significant working hours to help
company progress.

Contributing Writer - ​Parul Singla

Liked this article? Check out ​our conversation with Samuel Sanjeev​, Senior
Technical Support at Tech Mahindra

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