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About Communication Engineer

Communication engineering includes modes of communication such as radio, internet, satellites and broadband, and wireless telephone services. The role of a communication engineer is to research, design, develop, and be involved in the production of communication equipment. They provide services, technical expertise, and solutions regarding different modes of information transfer and communication. These engineers are experts in computer networks, IT, information security and telephone systems.

They need to possess the following:

• Good understanding of networks
• Technical knowledge and ability
• Adaptability and the ability to learn new skills
• Organisational skills
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work in a team
• People management skills

 

Communication engineers can take up managerial or technical roles and those who gain experience in this field can also choose to work as consultants or work on a contract basis. Their work involves:

• Offering technical support
• Managing/working with a team of engineers
• Undertaking surveys of sites
• Testing systems
• Designing/modifying designs
• Writing reports

Eligibility to become Communication Engineer

To establish a career in this field, you need to study PCM in class 12th. Then, you will have to pursue BE/B Tech (Engineering degree in communication). Once you have completed that, you can choose to enroll yourself in any of the institutes offering professional certificate courses in communication. For instance, you can choose certificate courses from CISCO such as CCENT and CCNA.

Entrance Exams

Some of the most popular entrance exams for engineering are:

AIEEE

It is conducted by CBSE is the most popular engineering entrance exam for those who wish to pursue BE/B.Tech. To appear for this test, the candidate must have passed 10+2 with at least 50 percent.

BITSAT

It is for admission to Birla Institute of Technology and Science for Bachelor’s in Engineering in its campuses in Pilani, Hyderabad, and Goa. To appear for BITSAT, candidates need to score at least 80 percent aggregate in PCM in 12th and have at least 60 percent marks in each (PCM).

IIT-JEE (Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Exam)

This is seen as the toughest engineering entrance exam in the country, and the candidate should have at least 75% aggregate marks in 10+2 to appear for the entrance exam.

Types of Job Roles Communication Engineer

Communication engineers often find employment in telecommunications companies. They can also work in the small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which specialise in communications technology and the public sector, in telephone systems, computer networks, information technology (IT) or information security.They can also choose to work with telecommunication consultancies.

Employment Opportunities for Communication Engineer

Many posts in this field include handling both managerial as well as technical responsibilities. Communication Engineers can seek employment in the following areas:

Technical services companies-This sector includes companies which have operations in legal, accounting, architectural, engineering, scientific and technical consulting services.

Government departments-Communication engineers can seek employment in jobs at PSUs or work in DRDO, ISRO, BARC etc.

Equipment manufacturers and installers of communication devices/systems-Communication engineers can work in central offices or electronic service centres.

Transport providers-Communication engineers can work with transport providers and help in forecasting the impact of new developments, write reports for planning authorities, and analyse and interpret the data gathered from transport studies.

Top Recruiting Companies for Communication Engineers

Communication engineers can find jobs with the following companies:

• Siemens
• Motorola
• Intel
• BEL
• Accenture
• Wipro
• HCL Technologies
• Samsung
• Tech Mahindra
• Infosys
• TCS
• MTNL
• BSNL
• Indian Air Force
• Indian Navy
• Philips
• DMRC

Pay Scale/Salary of Communication Engineer

The average salary for an entry-level communications engineer is approx. Rs. 302, 229. For a mid-career communications engineer, it is approx Rs. 629,052 per year.

Note: The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual and company to company.

Books & Study Material to Become Communication Engineer

Some books and study material that can help you prepare for a career in this field are listed below:

• Communication System by Simon Haykins
• Digital and Analog Communications 1st Edition by K. Sam Shanmugam
• Principles of Communication Systems by Taub and Schilling
• Modern Digital and Analog Communications by B.P. Lathi
• Probability, Random Variables and Stochastic processes by Peebles
• Fundamentals of Digital Communication by Proakis

Pros of becoming a Communication Engineer

Due to advances in the field of communication technology, a career in this field can be quite promising. Communication is an integral part of our modern society and a communication engineer is required to design and build the systems of the future. Listed below are some pros of being a communication engineer:

Viable

Communication engineering is quite broad and you can find many good jobs. It is also an interesting field, and the demand for communication engineers is likely to go up with so much focus on communication technology these days.

Challenging

A career in communication engineering will equip with the necessary skills, knowledge, and give you the confidence to deal with any kind of problems. You’ll become adept at solving complex problems, which will help you a great deal in your professional as well as personal endeavours. After a while, you may also start viewing these problems as an opportunity to grow.

Career growth

It has a good scope for growth. It is not that difficult to reach to a management position after a few years of experience. It can be seen as a lucrative career and something, which is often in demand.

Cons of becoming a Communication Engineer

Stressful

The work can be pretty stressful and the workload can be a bit unpredictable, it can be really high at times. So, striking the right work-life balance can be an issue.

Adapting to new technology

Due to the advancements in technology, you’ll have to keep yourself updated with the latest technology and trends in this field. You cannot be complacent about these things and have to learn to adapt to new things.

Competition

There is a lot of competition in communication engineering. There will be people who may be smarter and faster than you. So, there is this pressure to keep up and do your best in order to stay ahead of the game.