"Earlier this year my relatives were shocked to find out that I had chosen to work in customer care department of a telecommunication company (telco) rather than a bank or fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company. This conversation with them was utterly frustrating not because there was something wrong with working in customer care but because there was limited knowledge among people about the scope for professionals in this industry. Many just directly associate telecommunication with only customer care," said Azad, a management trainee at one of the leading telecommunication companies of the country.
It seems as if the people outside the telecom industry seem to have some general misconceptions regarding this industry. The writer has interacted with several telco professionals and has used their insights to find and capture the experiences of other telco professionals, who had to deal with such myths and generalisations.
Myth 1: Working in telcos means mostly taking customer calls to solve issues
Working in a telco does not necessarily mean taking customer care calls. It is an integral part of the organisation, however, just like companies in other industries, telcos have many other different departments and divisions. They have traditional human resource (HR), finance, marketing, and tech teams as well as some telco specific departments such as value-added services (VAS), network management, etc. Moreover, some teams such as sales and distribution, for example, have fundamentally the same objectives across industries.
Myth 2: Telco employees have answers to all customers' woes
One experience that most professionals shared is that people expect them to be able to solve all their mobile SIM related issues. From credits suddenly disappearing to why a certain data pack is not available anymore, the queries can be of any nature and it is the telco people who are expected to have all the answers. For example- if one complains about a SIM or mobile internet related issue on one's social media profile, people tag that person with anyone who works at the concerned company suggesting that anyone from that company can specifically address or solve that issue. It is impossible for most of them to know about all the domains. It is completely normal for someone working in HR not to know how to avail a specific offer or why a certain data pack was discontinued.
Myth 3: Telcos make a lot of money
This statement is half- true. "Telcos do generate lots of revenues, however, margins are thin, and regulatory environment is challenging as well,'' stated an HR professional from a leading telco. Moreover, telcos need to constantly invest in infrastructure to keep them up to date. Bangladesh has one of the lowest rates for data, however, customers continuously press for lower voice and data prices, thus, further eating into the coffers of the telco companies. They try and offset this amount through growing their huge subscriber base.
Myth 4: The work is going to be very similar to what I learnt in the university
This is another common myth that most of the university graduates have. The transition from classroom to workplace isn't seamless in most cases. No matter which industry one works in, there will be subtle nuances specific to that industry and one has to adapt accordingly. Telco is no different either. One of the interviewees who happen to be a finance professional said, "The finance I learnt in class was much different than what is being practiced. In our course we used a set of methods to evaluate a project. However, now that is only one of the many things that have to be taken into consideration while doing investment appraisal."
Myth 5: Working in telcos requires a lot of IT and technical knowledge
While each industry requires its own set of skills that are specific to it, there are common elements as well. However, people often think telcos require more technical knowledge and jargon. While that statement is not entirely false, it is not an impossible feat. Some terms and concepts are exclusive to telcos, however, given ample time and effort they can be learnt. A new employee in the telco sector says, "Initially I was very puzzled about the concepts and terminologies. Then I asked a senior if he could help clear them out. After a few sessions with him I had learnt a great deal and had grasped key concepts and jargons."
Myth 6: Telcos only provide a means of communication
While the traditional model of telcos has been to provide basic voice and internet connectivity, the pace of technological innovation is forcing telcos to reinvent their business models. Telcos are moving away from the communication space and becoming enablers for other digital services and over the top (OTT) applications. They are also actively providing their own digital products to consumers in order to gain alternative revenue streams.
Life in a telco is full of adventure and excitement. But it is these telcos and the efforts of their employees that are helping the country towards having an undisrupted connectivity.
The writer has completed BBA from the IBA, University of Dhaka and is currently working in a leading telecommunication company of the country. He can be reached at
[email protected]
