Emerging network trends in telecom require a new level of workforce agility
Emerging network trends around virtualization and cloud technology, as well as the shift towards more open and software-defined networks, have led to material changes around how to navigate a telecom career. In a panel discussion at the Women in Telco Forum, speakers provided workforce tips to stay agile and make the most of one of the most disruptive moments in telecom history.
Know your core skills, but be willing to jump in
According to Marc Cohn, head of virtualization at Spirent Communications, because things like network disaggregation and the software-defined networking era are opening up the telecom playing field to new entrants, there are now organizations around the world that previously had little telecom experience who now have new roles to fill. “And that’s going to open the door for a lot of different people,” he argued. “It also changes the mindset of those who are consuming technology because now they want to think differently. It used to be they would just go to the trusted vendors, a handful of vendors, and we know who they are, they’re the giants. But now we’re looking at opening up things so that there can be more innovation, and ultimately, the theme of this session, more agility.”
“It just seemed to be moving at the speed of light,” Andy Lee, vice president of operations of Lee Antenna & Line Service, Inc. and Chairwoman at Women of NATE, commented about the tech transformations hitting the telecom industry.She added that this can actually be a great opportunity for those looking to enter the telecom workforce because entirely new skillsets have become valuable. “If you think of all the careers that are available now that weren’t even a career title 10 years ago, this gives a really amazing opportunity for women to jump in telecom and find a space for themselves,” she said.
Cohn agreed, commenting: “We’re on a different timescale. I recall the days where we were on ‘internet time,’ but now we’re on cloud time, and cloud meets telecom means that things are really accelerated … what it means to the individual is that you really have to think about what core skills do you have.”
But, then from there, insisted Cohn, it’s necessary to have a “growth mindset.”
“Maybe you don’t have all the right experiences, maybe you don’t have the skills, but that shouldn’t prevent you in a time of disruption from just jumping in,” he said. “Nobody’s going to have ‘that’ experience in a new technology area. It’s about the mindset as well as it is about the evolution in technologies and the way business practices work and business models.”
Keep an eye on the horizon
Even as you focus on your core skills and knowledge, Elizabeth Rumsey, CGMA Senior Global Product Manager at Vodafone, emphasized how crucial it is to always think about where the industry — and the expectations of its workforce — is going. “The telecom sector is absolutely a rapidly evolving one, and I think it’s one of those ones where you have to get comfortable with change … The role you do today, the technology you work in today may not even be relevant in the industry in 10 years’ time, and so you need to be constantly looking to be … strategically opportunistic, where you’ve got that eye out on the horizon … How can I potentially, if the right thing comes up… pivot and take advantage [of it]?”
And if you don’t have a forward-looking mentality, cautioned Tinuade Oguntuyi, head of networks and solutions at Information Connectivity Solutions, you might get left behind. “When things change and you don’t move along, you are doing yourself a lot of disservice,” she warned. “You won’t be able to achieve adaptability or agility if you don’t stay [informed on] the news … And news can come from different ways… I use — through the salespeople — industry notes just to get one or two things so that I’m able to deploy and personally also [be] able to be relevant at any time.”
Find a table to join
Jumping into something new or outside of a familiar skillset can be daunting, particularly for women as they are often outnumbered in the telecom and tech workforce. For Cohn, one great way to build the confidence to make such a leap is to “constantly network,” especially if you’re “considering jumping.”
“Don’t look at networking as… ‘I need a job, [so] I’m going to network,’” he said. “No, you need to constantly network. That’s the new model for success. Because those individuals that you network with, even though they’re not close relationships in the end, they’re close enough to be able to open the doors that you would never see.”
Lee agreed: “Find a table to join; find a group of women who will support you; keep your eye out for role models; seek out men who will be allies. I think the biggest thing is never talk yourself out of an opportunity. There are new opportunities every single day in our industry.”
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