Hot Tip -- by Shane Clements

Frankly, I'm worried for Wiredmagazine. If what I read these days is true, their title is going to be as out of date as your Chemistry teacher. Being "wired" is going to mean "tied down" and "locked in the basement." As we can all see with cell phones, palm tops and the like, more and more of our toys are going wireless. Just the other day I saw an ad for a SAT phone; a phone which communicates directly with satellites! (Like there really is a place on Earth where you can't get cellular.) So if all of this sounds really exciting to you, but you aren't sure about becoming an electrical engineer, try looking at some occupations more on the "ground floor."

If you are the "people person" sort, consider work in customer service/technical sales. For all of these new products and services there have to be people to explain and sell them to customers. You need to be oriented towards working with the public and sales. Take your charming ways to the people, helping them obtain and maintain their new gear. You might want to check out titles like:

Retail Salesperson
Call Centre Agent
Help Desk/Support
Technical Sales Representative

Some of these occupations call for some post-secondary, but I have heard of people being hired as high school grads. Lately, we've heard that many large companies are "contracting out" their manufacturing. What this means is that one company hires another to put together the components of their products. Make sure to check out these new, smaller firms as well as the old traditional ones. If you aren't really into customers, and have "good hands" with technology have a look at:

Electronics Assembler
Electronic Technician

Here, your job is to use your quick hands, be comfortable with electronics and have eye for detail to assemble products. If you are interested in opportunities in wireless and are thinking about some short-term training consider:

Test/Design Technologist
Engineering Design and Drafting Technologist
Computer Service Technician

What all of these professionals must know is that they are in an ever-changing, hyper-competitive business. Whole product and service lines are wiped out daily because they aren't marketed well or eliminated by the "next new thing." It's important to keep up on the latest developments or the next thing you know your job will look like a flea market stand selling 8 track players and movies for Beta.

So, What's Next?

Well, the good news is, if you like sales or assembly, then there is a job out there for you right now. If you are looking for something higher up the ladder you'll need to invest some time in some training. People who tend to be most successful in these occupations have a strong background in Math and Physics. For some more occupations in Wireless read on.

What do I do for a Resume?

Employers we spoke with told us they wanted short, concise resumes with a clear objective. When you think clear objective, it shouldn't be "a full-time job" or "an opportunity to use my skills." You will want to identify the position of interest by name.  Those applicants who had worked through the company web site and had some knowledge about the company were preferred. DO your homework:Every employer has told us that applicants who know little about the company are rarely hired! This is as easy as going to the company's web site and spending some time getting to know them.

See our section on resumes.

Job Search Tips

From the time you were little you were likely told: "Don't go to strangers' homes and ask for things." This is usually great advice, unless you like having a good job. Good jobs like ones in Wireless don't advertise themselves. They don't have to. Employers tend to go with people who have sought them out. Not to worry though, seeking out companies in your field is easier than ever: almost all of them put their jobs on the Web so you can see readily what is available. Some of the employers that we spoke with suggested their preference was for resumes submitted via e-mail.

See our section on Job Search

Great Opportunities

For those people who get into Wireless,great opportunities very likely await. The explosion of interest in wireless toys will likely create a demand that is hard to meet. Assuming this is true, those who have even entry level exposure to the industry will find advancement quickly. For example, those who start out in retail sales could likely find themselves in Management or Corporate sales in short order. In the companies we talked to, many helped their employees further their education and advance.

The people who are able to best take advantage of these new opportunities are those who:

• Communicate well
• Who find problems AND solve them
• Have some sales skills
• Are self motivated
• Have math and science abilities
• Work well with groups
• Enjoy precise tasks and working with electronics
• Enjoy keeping up to date on advancements and learning new skills
• Have good hand eye co-ordination
• Have a basic understanding of resistors, or component identification
• Have a steady hand, an eye for color and the ability to sit and concentrate for long periods of time